A new fish-bearing Miocene site, south of the 'Chaine des Chotts' (southern Tuisia).: Palaeoenvironment and palaeobiogeography.

A systematic excavation in the Miocene continental sands of the Beglia Formation (southwestern Tunisia), south of the 'Chame des Chotts', yielded a rich fossil-fish assemblage. These sands, with soft rollers and oblique stratifications are in unconformity on the Cretaceous and are covered by Miocene clays. The organisation and the nature of the facies, as well as the palaeocurrent figures testify to a proximal fluvial-deltaic regime. It is SW-NE prograding. The three fish taxa (polypterid, clariid, latid) are typical of modem Nilo-Sudanese assemblages, but are absent from Maghreb. The regional palaeo-biogeographic relations are discussed.