THE MEDITERRANEAN LOWER CRETACEOUS

qiiadratus Sayn, N. (Tescheniic-s) teschensis (Ù h 1.), Olcostephanus (О.) astierianus
(d'O г b.), Duvalia lata lata (В I.) and D. lata constricta U h 1. Above the beds with
this association M e m m i (1981) describes an alternation of marls with packets
of clayey limestones containing Oosterella cultrata (d'O r b.) and numerous olcostephanids.
The presence of O. cultrata is not characteristic of the Valanginian, which
ends with beds containing Saynoceras verrucosum.
The Hauterivian includes the following succession: clayey limestones with marl
intercalations containing many Oostrella: O. stevenini (N i с к.), О. gaudryi (N i с к.),
О. vidait (N i с к.), О. vilanovae (N i с к.), Olcostephanus (О.) astierianus (d'O r b.),
O. (O.) hispanicus (M a 1 !.), Breitstrofferella castellanensis (d'O r b.) and Duvalia
dilatata (В 1.). The beds containing О. cultrata should also be included in the base
of this level, incorrectly attributed to the Upper Valanginian by M e m m i (1981).
Above them: marls with packets of limestones and clayey limestones containing
Crioceratites loryi (S a r k.), Crioceratites spp., Spitidiscus incertus (d'O r b.), Olcostephanus
spp., etc.; marls with intercalations of clayey limestones containing
N. (Teschenites) nodosoplicatus (K. il., Re b.), Abrytusites juliani (Hon n.-B a s t),
etc.; marls with rare intercalations of clayey limestones, in some places marls with
sandy intercalations, containing Subsaynella sayni (d'O r b.), P/esiospitidiscus Hgatus
(d'O r b.), Spitidiscus spp., etc.; alternation of marls and limestones with Pseudothurmannia
angulicostata (d'O г b.), P. biassalensis Dim., P. mortilleti (P i с t.,
Lo г.), Balearites aff. balearis (N о 1.), Crioceratites krenkeli (S a r k.) and C. staille
ckeri (S a r k.).
The Barremian is composed of the following succession: alternation of marls,
limestones and clayey limestones containing Holcodiscus caillaudianus (d'O r b.), Barremites
difficilis (d'O г Ъ.),В. vocontius Lory, Sayn and Nicklesia sp.; marls with
rare intercalations of clayey limestones; alternation of thick packets of limestones,
in some places with cores,containing Heteroceras astieri (d'Orb.), Silesites seranonis
(d'O г b.), Pseudosaynella strettostoma pervinquieri (Bus п.), etc.; marls with
sandy packets, containing P. strettostoma pervinquieri (Bus п.), "Leptoeeras"' puzosianum
(d'Orb.), Duvalia grasiana (D u v.-J u v e), etc.; marls with thin intercalations
of sandstones, containing Barremites and "Leptoccras".
The Aptian starts with marls containing Deshayesites deshayesi (Ley m.),
above which there are: alternation of marls and clayey limestones with Cheloniceras
martini (d'O r b.), Aconeceras nisum (d'O г b.), etc.; claystones with thin intercalations
of sandstones and clayey limestones with Valdedorsella getulina (С о q.),
Melchiorites melchioris alpina F a 1., C. (Epicheloniceras) sp., etc. No Clansayesian
or Albian sediments are developed in this part of Tunisia.
Generally speaking, the Lower Cretaceous in Tunisia manifests rather varied
palaeodepositional environments, from continental to bathyal of a typically Mediterranean
type. In the east and southeast, in Libya and Egypt, the Lower Cretaceous
is represented by continental facies.
4. IBERIAN PENINSULA
The Lower Cretaceous sediments in the Iberian (Pyrenean) Peninsula are connected
with several tectonic zones. Coastal facies with numerous intraformational
hiatuses are developed around the Central Hercynian Massif of the Iberian Meseta.
In the Cantabrian Range, in the Pyrenees, the Iberian Mountains and the Catalanes,
the Lower Cretaceous is very varied, represented by a whole range of different
facies: from Wealdian to flysch-type. Deep-sea facies are developed in the
Subbetic Depression (between Meseta and the Betic Massif), including in the Balearic
Islands. Generally speaking, the distribution of the Lower Cretaceous outlines
a large triangle around Meseta, with Portugal in its western part, in the north-
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