A Carnian (Julian) microflora from the Djerba Melita 1 Borehole (Gulf of Gabes, South-Eastern Tunisia)

This study represents a contribution to the biostratigraphic characterization of the Gulf of Gabes Triassic series. Diverse and well preserved palynological assemblages from the Djerba Melita 1 (DJM1) well in the Djerba Island (Gulf of Gabes, Southern Tunisia) are here presented and discussed. A Carnian microflora is recorded in the Triassic portion of the drilled succession. The co-occurrence of Ladinian-lower Carnian taxa in association with typical Carnian elements allows to refer the microflora to the lower part of the Duplicisporites continuus palynological assemblage (late Julian, Austrotrachyceras austriacus Subzone). A semi-quantitative analysis of the assemblages also seems to document the occurrence, in the middle-upper part (units 3 and 4) of DJM1 well of the Aulisporites-Aratrisporites Acme Zone, an ammonoid-calibrated palynological event occurring in several European successions, referring to the late Julian/early Tuvalian. The occurrence of this acme zone in Southern Tunisia encourages its application also to Triassic sedimentary records belonging to the southern Tethyan margin.