Cretaceous oysters from North Africa: origin and distribution

An overview of the diversified North African Cretaceous oyster faunas, which have a faunal distribution from Peru to Central Asia, is given. The faunal associations known as the "African facies" oysters originated in the uppermost Albian (Vraconian). These faunas present three main developmental stages: uppermost Albian to Upper Cenomanian, Coniacian-Santonian, Campanian-Maastrichtian. The first two stages are characterised by a probable west to east faunal migration. The Campanian-Maastrichtian interval shows a more complex pattern: it probably combines a east west migration with an influence from the northern Tethys margin and/or from the Temperate Realm.