MID

CRETACEOUS
EVENTS

CRETACEOUS TRANSGRESSIONS IN NIGERIA

AND SERGIPE-ALAGOAS (BRAZIL)

R. A. REYMENT and P. BENGTSON

P aleontologiska Institu tio n en , U p p sala U n iv ersitet, U ppsala, Sweden

E. A. TAIT
D ep a rtm en t of Geology, U niversity of A berdeen, A berdeen, S co tla n d

ABSTRACT T uro n ian th a t a m odern sy stem of su rfa ce

The N igerian and S ergipe-A lagoas sedim en­
ta ry basins a re stru c tu ra lly and historically
different, th e fo rm e r being rela ted to th e
opening of th e Gulf of Guinea, w hile th e Sergipe-
A lagoas B asin is of th e sem i-graben ty p e created
by th e sp littin g of th e A frican-S outh A m erican
continent. The sed im en tary sequence of th e
coastal basins is basically a reflection of local
tectonic events (co n sta n t sea level), w hereas
th e tra n s-S a h a ra n tran sg re ssio n s echo m ajo r
changes in th e ocean floor (co n sta n t freeboard ).
Im p o rta n t episodes of ridge g ro w th occurred in
L ate C enom anian-E arly T uronian, L a te C am ­
panian -E arly M aastrich tian , and Paleocene.
Com parison is m ade betw een th e tran sg re ssiv e
and regressive cycles of th e tw o basins and new
bio stratig rap h ical d a ta a re presented. S cattered
Cenom anian deposits have been found in the S er­
gipe-A lagoas Basin, an d U pper T uronian h as
been definitely proved. U p to E a rly T uronian, a
low-lying land co n tac t seem s to have been m ain­
tained along th e n o rth ern m a rg in of th e G ulf of
Guinea. This w as easily sw am ped by e u static
sea level rises, b u t it w as n o t until Middle
oceanic cu rre n ts appeared, allow ing fre e in te r ­
change of fau n as betw een th e C e n tral an d S outh
A tlan tic. The s ta tistic a l an aly sis of g eo m ag n etic
rev ersals h as b ro u g h t o u t th e existence of a
rem ark ab le co rrelatio n in th e len g th s of quiet
periods an d phases of ep ico n tin en tal tra n s g re s ­
sions, thence changes in th e ocean floor.
INTRODUCTION
The idea th a t th e g ro w th of m id-oceanic
ridges m u st be m irro red in th e h isto ry of epi­
co n tin en tal tran sg re ssio n s is n o t new by an y
m eans. E ven geologists who view th e concepts
of th e ‘Global T ectonics’ w ith scepsis, accep t
th e fa c t th a t th e m id-oceanic rid g es h av e had
a beginning and th a t th e y have grow n, im plying,
alb eit tacitly , th a t a change in th e volum e of th e
oceanic basins th e re b y took place. A change in
th e m orphology of th e ocean floor m u st then,
of necessity, be accom panied by a sh ift in sea-
level. These are not, how ever, equal an d opposite
in th e ir effects, as th e sealevel a t an y one tim e
will depend on sev eral variables.

An. Acad. bras. C iênc., (1976), 48, (Su p lem en to)

 254 R. A. REYM ENT, P. BENG TSO N and E. A. TAIT

F o r the purposes of th is rep o rt, we consider B urke (1973), R en ard an d M ascle (1974), R ey­
the tra n s-S a h a ra n epicontinental tran sg ressio n s m en t (1969) an d R ey m en t an d T a it (1972).
in relation to a co n stan t freeboard (relativ e ele­
vation of continents w ith resp ect to sea-level), ON TRA N SG R ESSIO N S
thus following W ise (1974).
The inform ation presen ted h ere h as been The evidence le ft b y tran sg re ssio n s of th e
sea can be broadly classified in to tw o categ o ries.
obtained since the w ork of R eym ent an d T ait
F irstly , inundations b ro u g h t ab o u t b y local
(1972). In order to avoid tiresom e repetition, we
tectonic events, such as th e evolution of th e
refer th e rea d er to th is publication fo r th e g e­
sem i-grabens w hich ch a racterize th e b asin s of
n eral stra tig ra p h ic a l background of th e South
Gabon, Zaire-C abinda, A ngola, Sergipe-A lagoas,
A tlan tic region. F o r analysing tran sg re ssio n s of
etc. Secondly, changes in sea-level due to m a jo r
the ce n tral South A tlantic, som e key are a s are
tectonic events on a global scale of th e kind
N igeria, th e h in te rlan d of N ig er Republic and
typified by th e g ro w th of m id-oceanic ridges
Sergipe-A lagoas (B razil). T he N ig erian sedi­
an d th e fo rm atio n of oceanic tro u g h s, th e signi­
m e n tary basin p erm its a tie-up w ith th e epicon­
ficance of w hich w as b riefly reco u n ted in th e
tin en tal tran sg ressio n s across n o rth e rn A frica,
in tro d u c to ry section. M achens (1973) h a s r e ­
so im p o rta n t fo r d atin g m a jo r events in th e
viewed th e im plications of th e local changes in
evolution of th e ocean floor. The Sergipe-A lagoas
sea-level, in w hich th e tran sg re ssio n s derive from
basin h ighlights th e effects of local episodes of
sinking of blocks, as opposed to e u sta tic changes,
tectonism and iso static recovery.
in relatio n to n o rth w este rn A frica.
T his research w as supported by g ra n ts
A s su g g ested by V ine (1973, p. 836), th e
2320-48, 2320-56, 2320-61 and 2320-62 of the
effects of e u sta tic sh ifts in sea-level a r e th e
Swedish N a tu ra l Science R esearch Council, and
expression of th e to ta lity of global tectonic
by a g r a n t from th e R oyal Society, London.
activ ity in th e ocean floors. Special a tte n tio n
The com puting costs w ere defrayed by g ra n t
m u st th erefo re be paid to th e m o st likely in te r­
104320 of U ppsala U niversity. The illu stratio n s
p reta tio n of th ese events w ith resp e ct to iden­
were p repared by M rs. D ag m a r E ng strõ m . W e
tify in g periods of activ e rid g e g ro w th in some
w ish to express our th a n k s to P e tro b rá s S. A .
regions, respectively, th e evolution of larg e-scale
(Brazil) fo r supp o rt in m an y w ays. P rofessor
troughs.
Jo st W iedm ann (Tübingen) and D r. E rie
K auffm an (W ashington) kindly advised on some
T H E N IG E R IA N SED IM E N TA R Y B A SIN
of our collections.
The w ork w as ca rrie d o u t a s contribution to M u ra t (1972), u sin g th e extensive geophy­
th e IUGS-UNESCO p ro jec t «M id-Cretaceous sical an d sedim entological in fo rm atio n available
Events» of the In te rn a tio n a l Geological C orre­ from th e archives of th e Shell-B. P . P etro leu m
lation P rogram m e. D evelopm ent Com pany of N ig eria L td., w as able
to recognize th ree m a jo r tecto n ic p h ases w hich
G EN ER A L O BSERV ATIO NS
determ ined th e g en eral course of sed im en tatio n
ON T H E TWO BA SIN S
in so u th ern N igeria. H is sy n th esis w as adopted
The N igerian and th e S ergipe-A lagoas basins b y R ey m en t an d T a it (1972), su itab ly m odified
are stru c tu ra lly different, th e fo rm e r having an d expanded to ta k e fu ll acco u n t of th e
b io stratig rap h ical, palaeoecological a n d rec en t
been form ed th ro u g h riftin g and sea-floor
geological inform ation. A generalized geological
spreading in the Gulf of G uinea (th e A bakaliki-
m ap of N ig eria is show n in F ig. 1.
Benue riftin g episode), th e la tte r th ro u g h riftin g
and step-fau ltin g in connexion w ith th e A tla n tic
T H E TECTO N IC P H A S E S
riftin g episode. T he S ergipe-A lagoas sedim entary
basin is of the sam e ty p e a s o th e r m arg in al Middle Albian tectonic phase
basins along th e A frican w e st co ast and eastern
coast of South A m erica. T he m echanism s The firs t tectonic p hase to o k place d u rin g
underlying th e form ation of such basins have Middle A lbian tim e w hen th e A bakaliki-B enue
been discussed in, fo r exam ple, F ra n c h e te a u and r if t w as produced b y N E -S W fau ltin g , bounded
Le Pichon (1972) and Le P ichon and H ayes to th e n o rth w est by th e Benin-B enue f a u lt zone.
(1971). T houghts on th e origin of th e N igerian To th e n o rth w est of th is f a u lt sy stem (N ig er
sedim entary basin are given in A jak a iy e and E m b ay m en t), no sedim ents older th a n U p p er

An. A cad. bras. Giènc., (1976), 48, (Suplem ento)

 CRETACEOUS TRA NSG R ESSIO NS IN NIG E R IA AND SERGIPE-ALAG O AS (BRAZIL)
Senonian have y e t been identified and it m ay
be concluded th a t th e Y -shape of th e sedimen-
tatio n a l a re a s of so u th ern N ig eria could be a
la te featu re. B etw een th e f a u lt zone and the
lim it of th e A bakaliki trough, th e A nam b ra
platfo rm w as th e site of a shelf-sedim entational
environm ent.
The f a c t th a t m arine sedim entation in
N igeria w as in itiated suddenly in th e Middle
Albian, fits in w ith evidence accru in g fo r a d rift
origin of th e S outh A tla n tic Ocean (R eym ent
and T ait, 1972). I t is th o u g h t th a t th is tr a n s ­
gression w as b ro u g h t ab o u t by th e developm ent
of th e A bakaliki-B enue rift. D etails of th e p a ­
laeontology of th e Middle A lbian a re given by
R eym ent (1955, 1957, 1965). N ew collections
support these results.
Santonian-Campanian tectonic phase
M arked com pression along th e N E -SW tec­
tonic tren d in th e S antonian-C am panian form ed
the A bakaliki-B enue folded regions. A t the sam e
tim e as th e A bakaliki region w as uplifted, the
A nam bra p latfo rm subsided and w as displaced
to the southw est of th e Benue folding, and to
the n o rth w est of th e A bakaliki uplift. The
D ahom ey em baym ent w as form ed by fa u ltin g a t
this tim e.
TH E SED IM EN TA R Y CYCLES
The depositional h istories of the sedim entary
basins w ere determ ined by th e tectonic phases
(M urat, op cit.) an d by global oceanic events.
255
T he sed im en tary cycles a re seq u en tially u niform
in th e ir developm ent. T he tra n sg re ssiv e phase
tends to be m a rk ed by shales in th e deeper a re a s
an d sh allo w -w ater carb o n ates on th e s tru c tu ra l
highs an d h o rsts. T he reg ressiv e p hase ten d s to
be ch aracterized by d eltaic sedim ents in th e
depressions, an d sh allo w -w ater m arin e sh ales on
th e high-grounds.
The A bakaliki-B enue trough
The firs t sed im en tary cycle (M iddle A lbian
to C enom anian) b eg a n w ith th e deposition of
lim estones along th e C a la b ar fla n k and th e low er
Benue region a t A ra fu an d Gboko (F ig. 2A ).
D eltaic deposits m a rk th e onset of a reg ressiv e
phase. The B im a S andstone lies d irec tly on th e
cry stallin e b asem en t while, f u rth e r so u th , th e
K eana Sandstone overlies th e m arin e an d p ara lic
sedim ents of th e U om ba F o rm a tio n of Middle
A lbian ag e (R eym ent, 1957; 1965). U ndoubted
m arine C enom anian deposits of th is cycle a re
know n only from th e O dukpani F o rm a tio n of
th e C a lab ar flan k (R eym ent, 1965). T he A b a­
k alik i th ro u g h contains th e U p p er A lbian A su
R iver F o rm atio n , locally rich in am m o n ites of
th e M ortoniceras in flatu m zone.
The second cycle (la te s t C enom anian to
E a rly T uronian) com m enced w ith th e deposition
of a lim estone w ith B auchioceras spp. on th e
C alab ar flank, and on th e so u th e a ste rn m a rg in
of th e A n am b ra p latform , w here a shale-lim e­
stone series, th e E ze-A ku Shale, accum ulated.
T his fo rm atio n contains a ty p ical la te E arly
T uronian am m onite association w ith Ezilloella,
P arav asco ceras, P seudaspidoceras, M am m ites,
H oplitoides and Coilopoceras, w ith som e S panish
affin ities (W iedm ann, 1960) on th e one hand,
and B razilian (R eym ent an d T ait, 1972) on th e
other. T here are p la n k tic fo ram in ifers an d a
fa u n a of diagnostic ostraco d s (N eufville, 1973 a ),
including B rach y cy th ere sap u carien sis K rõm -
melbein, also recorded fro m th e O dukpani F o r­
m atio n in th e u p p erm o st ( ?) C enom anian. The
C enom ano-T uronian tran sg re ssio n in th e Gon-
gola a re a (N E N igeria) b eg an w ith th e p aralic
Yolde F o rm atio n an d w as succeeded by th e lim e­
stones an d shales of th e P in d ig a F o rm a tio n and
th e p a rtia lly equivalent G ongila F o rm atio n
(C a rte r e t al., 1963). These beds contain a rich
association of am m onites of th e g en era P arav a c-
coceras, F ag esia, N igericeras, Gombeocerao.
Bauchioceras, P seudaspidoceras, E o tisso tia, etc.
The palaeobiogeographical evidence (F ig. 2B)
An. A cad. bras. C iênc., (1976), 48, (Su p lem en to)
256 R. A. REYM ENT, P . BENGTSON and E. A. TAIT

sup p o rts a link betw een th e tra n s-S a h a ra n epi­

con tin en tal sea an d th a t advan cin g up th e
Benue tro u g h (R eym ent, 1973; Schõbel, 1975).
S till in th e E a rly T uronian, th e reg ressiv e p hase
of th is cycle began. D eltaic conditions developed
a t several places w ith th e deposition of th e M a-
k u rd i Sandstone (v asco ceratid s locally) in th e
Benue tro u g h and, along th e e a ste rn m a rg in of
the A b ak alik i trough, sm all d eltas w ere form ed,
ag ain w ith ty p ical am m o n ite asso ciatio n s in
places.

R em n an ts of th e sedim ents of th e th ird cycle

(Middle T uro n ian to E a rly S an to n ian ) occur on
the C alab ar fla n k an d in th e Benue tro u g h . P a-
laeontologically, th is p hase is ch a racterize d by
the B enueites fa u n a (R eym ent, 1971). The
tran sg re ssiv e p a r t of th e cycle reach ed its acm e
d u rin g C oniacian tim e, w hen th e sea p e n e tra te d
into N ig er Republic (F au re, 1966). H ere tisso tiid
am m onites an d pelecypods, ty p ical of th e C a­
m erounian Coniacian, occur, b u t th e re w a s no
link acro ss th e S ah ara. T he Sekule F o rm a tio n
and N u m an h a Shale of n o rth e a ste rn N ig eria
a re C oniacian and, in p a rt, possibly E a rly S an ­
ton ian in age. In th e A b ak alik i tro u g h , m arine
shales w ith in te rcalate d lim estones of th e A w gu
Shale w ere deposited. A ll of th ese sedim ents
contain ch a ra c te ristic C oniacian am m o n ites and
pelecypods an d a ty p ical o straco d fa u n a w ith
O vocytheridea (R eym ent, 1960; 1965). The
fra g m e n ta rily p reserv ed reg ressio n al p h ase is
p a rtly m ade up of deltaic sedim ents. F ig. 3
contains th e M id-C retaceous stra tig ra p h ic a l
succession fo r N igeria.
T here is evidence fo r m inor volcanic a c tiv ity
d u rin g th ese cycles (C a rte r e t al., 1963). One
of th e side-effects of th e A b ak alik i folding epi­
sode w as th a t th e in tru sio n of in te rm ed ia te to
basic ro ck s took place, w ith lead-zinc m in e ra­
lization in several places. Locally, a s in th e
sub-surface a t Ikono, m ore th a n 1200 m of tu ffs
an d lav a flow s have been p e n e tra te d by drilling.

THE TRANS-SAHARAN SEA

R eym ent (1973) estim a ted th e av e rag e

an n u al r a te of advance of th e sea as 80 cm
from th e n o rth an d 30 cm fro m th e south.
P ig . 2 — P alaeogeograp h y of th e N igerian B asin. A. The m axim um e x te n t of th is ep ico n tin en tal sea
A lbian. B. Cenom ano-Turonian. C. M aastrichtian. w as of sh o rt duration, for, on th e palaeobiogeo-

An. Acad. bras. Ciênc., (197G), 48, (Suplem ento)

 CRETACEOUS TRA NSG R ESSIO NS IN N IG E R IA A N D SERG IPE-ALAG O AS (BRAZIL)
F ig . 3 — M id-Cretaceous stratigrap h y and even ts
grap h ical evidence, it seem s as though th e conne­
xion in th e ce n tral S a h a ra w as broken alread y in
E a rly T uronian tim e. In o th e r p a rts of n o rth ­
w estern A frica, S e tta t (M arocco), fo r example,
th e sequences encom pass no m ore th a n upperm ost
C enom anian to L ow er Turonian.
A lthough n o t stric tly rele v an t to our theme,
we consider b riefly th e second and th ird tra n s-
S ah ara n epicontinental transgressions. Beginning
in L ate C am panian, the A tla n tic and T ethy an
oceans once a g a in invaded w estern and north ern
A frica IF ig . 2C). T he m o st diagnostic faunal
elem ent is th e am m onite genus Libycoceras,
species of w hich occur in N o rth A frica, central
S ahara, co astal N igeria, ce n tral and n o rth e a ste rn
N igeria. T he regression took place m ore quickly
th a n fo r th e C enom ano-T uronian episode. The
p a th of th e tran sg re ssio n in N iger Republic w as
displaced w est in relatio n to the ea rlier episode
(Faure, 1966).
T here w as a short-lived tie-up betw een N o rth
and W est A frica in the Paleocene, in tu rn ,
som ew hat displaced in N iger in relatio n to the
previous transg ressio n s. F a u re ’s (1973) obser­
vations on th e m ig ra tio n of th e S a h a ra n sedi­
m en tary basins m ay possibly provide an expla­
nation of th e o scillationary n a tu re of tra n s g re s ­
sions th o u g h t to ex ist by R eym ent (1969) and
Cooper (1974).
257
in the S ergip e-A lagoas and N ig eria n b asin s.
T H E SER G IPE-A LA G O A S B A S IN
The S ergipe-A lagoas B asin occupies a
co astal belt, 350 km long onshore, an d v a ry in g
in w idth from 20 to 50 km (F ig. 4 ). T he g en e ral
dip of th e basin is to th e so u th -ea st. S tru c tu ­
rally, it form s a h alf-g rab en , th e counter-piece
of w hich is p resu m ab ly in G abon. T he m axim um
local d epth of th e b asin m ay exceed 9000 m b u t
th e floor consists of s tru c tu ra l highs, low s an d
in term ed iate areas. Some highs seem to have
rem ained uncovered by th e sea even d u rin g th e
m ost extensive of th e tran sg ressio n s.
SED IM E N TA T IO N A L H IST O R Y
The stra tig ra p h ic a l colum n closely resem bles
th a t of th e o th e r South A tla n tic co a sta l b asin s
(succession given in F ig. 3). Thus, B a rre m ian
( ?) non-m arine sedim ents in itia te th e sedim en­
ta ry sequence an d th e f ir s t m arin e incursion
took place in th e A ptian, w hen th ic k evap o ritic
deposits w ere form ed, to g e th e r w ith p aralic
sedim ents. The A tla n tic r if t w as th e n still
narrow , as w itnessed by th e h ig h co n ten t of
terrig en o u s m a teria l in th e sedim ents. A s th e
r ift expanded, carb o n ate sed im en tatio n g rad u a lly
gained th e u p p er hand. The A p tia n tra n s g r e s ­
sions w ere extensive and covered alm o st th e
An. Acad. bras. C iênc., (1976), 48, (Su p lem en to)
258 R. A. REY M ENT, P . BENG TSO N and E. A. TAIT
GEOLOGICAL MAP OF THE
S E R G IP E -A L A G O A S BASIN
(onshore p a r t )
LEGEND
Post-Santonlan
(Piaçabuçu Formation)
Cenomanian-Coniacian
(Cotinguiba Formation)
Aptian-Cenomanian
(Riachuelo Formation)
Aptian
( Muribeca Formation) »•-
Pre-Aptian deposits
F ig . 4 — G eological m ap o f th e S ergip e-A lagoas B asin.
Continental T ertiary and Q uaternary d ep osits excluded.
X = Itaporanga, L = L aranjeiras, SA = Santo Amaro,
J = Japaratuba.
whole basin, as f a r as th e n o rth e rn b order of
A lagoas (Fig. 5A).
A fter the tran sg re ssiv e and p ara lie phases
of th e A ptian, during w hich th e M uribeca F o r­
m ation w as deposited, m arin e sedim entation be­
came confined to th e so u th ern p a r t of th e basin,
w here calcareous terrig en o u s sedim ents w ere
formed. D uring the L ate A ptian, sandstones and
siltstones w ith calcareous in te rcalatio n s w ere
laid down; these sedim ents m a rk th e b ase of the
Riachuelo F o rm atio n (Fig. 5B). T his form ation
is found in the subsurface all th e w ay to the
bordering fa u lt in th e sou th w estern p a r t of th e
basin; however, it does n o t extend f a r into
A lagoas. This is also tru e of th e ensuing U pper
C retaceous C otinguiba F o rm atio n (cf. F ig. 3).
The n o rth ern h alf of th e basin w as probably a
high u n til L ate Santonian.
The Riachuelo sedim ents are predom inantly
terrigenous a t th e base of th e form ation. The
subsequent sedim entation w as m ark ed by a sh ift
tow ards m ore calcareous sedim ents in the
shallow p a rts of th e basin, and on th e stru c tu ra l
highs oolites w ere form ed. D oubtlessly, th e re
w as a regression a t th e close of th e A lbian or,
possibly, beginning of th e Cenom anian. This
w as probably rela ted to th e regressive tendencies
shown all around th e S outh A tla n tic a t th a t
An. Acad. bras. C iênc., (1976), 48, (Suplem ento)
tim e and, therefore, could h av e been connected
w ith changes of global im portance. In m any
p a rts of th e basin, th e A lbian s tr a t a w ere dolo-
m itized as a re su lt of su p ra tid a l exposures. P a r t
of th e R iachuelo lim estones is m ore pisolithic
th a n oolithic w hich is also evidence fo r subaerial
exposure.
M arine sed im en tatio n in S ergipe seem s to
have continued w ith only m in o r in te rru p tio n s
from th e A p tian to th e T e rtia ry , influenced,
however, by local developm ents of s tru c tu ra l
highs an d lows. The R iachuelo F o rm a tio n w as
once th o u g h t to extend in to th e U pper A lbian
and to be followed, a f te r a b re a k in th e Ceno­
m anian, by th e C otinguiba F o rm atio n . R eym ent
and T a it (1972) show ed th a t th e supposed U pper
C enom anian am m onites of B eurlen (1969) a t
Ita p o ra n g a are a c tu a lly E a rly C enom anian in
age (S h arp eiceras an d S toliczkaia) and th is w as
subsequently confirm ed by B en g tso n th ro u g h
finds of G raysonites an d H y p o tu rrilite s. The
lithology a t Ita p o ra n g a f its w ell in to th e C otin­
guib a F o rm atio n an d th e re is no reaso n to
exclude th ese beds from th a t en tity . B en g tso n ’s
field w o rk (1971-1972) show ed th a t th e Ceno­
m an ian occurs n o t only a t Ita p o ra n g a , so u th w est
of L ara n je ira s and n o rth of S anto A m aro
(Beurlen, 1969), b u t also a t sev eral o th e r places
along a n arro w strip a t th e b ase of th e C otin­
guib a F o rm atio n , or th e top of th e R iachuelo
F orm atio n , as w ell as in a n a r e a so u th of th e
tow n of J a p a ra tu b a (F ig. 5C). The lithology of
th e C enom anian is variable, bein g som etim es
highly terrigenous, som etim es p u re lim estone.
The ag e of th e C enom anian deposits, e s ta ­
blished by am m onites, is p a rtly E a rly Ceno­
m anian, as a t Ita p o ra n g a an d L aran jeiras, and
in o th er p a rts Middle o r L a te C enom anian (e.g.
A canthoceras, P seudocalycoceras an d Kanabice-
ra s), as is th e case so u th of J a p a ra tu b a . I t is n o t
possible to tra c e th e C enom anian continuously
in the field, due to th e locally extensive cover
of th e T e rtia ry B a rre ira s F o rm atio n . H ow ever,
prelim in ary b io stra tig rap h ic studies su g g e st th a t,
in some areas, Low er T u ro n ian overlies th e U pper
Albian, th u s in dicating a n h ia tu s com prising the
whole Cenom anian. W here C enom anian deposits
occur, th ese a re n ever v ery thick. T his fa c t
im plies a slow sedim entation r a te in th e b asin
durin g th is age, p robably as a re su lt of slow
subsidence. The occurrences of Low er C enom anian
in some are a s and Middle o r U p p er C enom anian
in o th er are as can b est be explained b y th e
local tectonic developm ent of th e b asin in to
te m p o rary highs an d lows, in connexion w ith
the reg ressiv e tendency of th is age.
 CRETACEOUS TR A NSG R ESSIO NS IN NIG ER IA A N D SERG IPE-ALAG O AS (BRAZIL) 259

F ig . 5 — P a laeogeograp h y of the Sergip e-A lagoas B asin. (In part b ased upon O jeda and F u g ita , in p ress.)
A. A ptian m arine in g ressio n s w ith evaporite form ation. B. L ate A p tian and A lbian tra n sg ressio n s. C. Cenom a­
nian reg ressiv e in terlud e. D. Turonian-Coniacian tran sgression s.

The C otinguiba F o rm a tio n g rad u a lly w edges drilling by P e tro b rá s (e. g. O jeda an d Bisol,
out tow ards th e southeast, i. e., tow ards th e 1971). The reaso n fo r th is is unclear, b u t a
centre of the basin, and it is generally ab sen t possible ex p lan atio n m ig h t lie w ith th e presence
on the continental shelf (Fig. 5D), as proved by of a horst, p arallel to th e coast. This h o rs t

An. A cad. bras. C iênc., (1976), 48, (Su p lem en to)

260 R. A. REYM ENT, P . BENG TSO N and E. A. T A IT
could have been form ed by iso static u p lift of
the continental slope an d o u te r shelf, as su g g es­
ted by B o tt (1971) in his th e o ry of th e origin
of m arg in al basins. I t w ould th e n have sunk
before la te r C retaceous tran sg re ssio n s and the
deposition of th e P iaçab u çu F orm ation. An
altern ativ e case can be m ade fo r u p lift and
erosion a f te r deposition of th e C otinguiba F o r­
m ation. No S antonian fossils have y e t been
recovered from outcrops and th e y oungest m a­
crofossils, e. g. species of S olgerites, found up
to now in th e C otinguiba F o rm a tio n seem to be
of early Middle C oniacian age. B engtson’s field
program m e h a s also disclosed th e presence of
U pper T uronian (Subprionocyclus and R eesidites)
in the «am m onite-free zone» of S challer (1969).
The Middle T uronian (here applied to s tr a ta
w ith Benueites etc.) occupies a la rg e p a r t of the
form ation, w hereas the L ow er T uronian, ch a rac­
terized by vascoceratids, coilopoceratids, pseudo-
tissotiids and Pseudaspidoceras, in m o st places
is restric ted to a n arro w b e lt a t th e base of the
form ation.
Sedim entation ap p e ars to have p ersisted
longer in th e n o rth e a ste rn p a r ts of Sergipe since
Santonian fo ram inifers have been found in some
boreholes on th e contin en tal shelf (N oguti and
Santos, 1972; cf. also O jeda an d Bisol, 1971).
The sam e species have also been encountered in
the lower p a r t of the P iaçab u çu F orm ation, th u s
im plying a sh o rt d u ratio n of th e h ia tu s betw een
the form ations in th is a re a . T hese form ations
differ, however, g re a tly in lithology. T he P ia ç a ­
buçu F o rm ation consists m ainly of shales and
o th er terrigenous clastic sedim ents, and it could
th u s be inferred th a t a gen eral regression took
place in the w estern p a r t of th e basin by mid-
Coniacian tim e, followed by a w idespread tr a n s ­
gression a t th e end of th e S anto n ian (cf. F ig. 3).
DISCUSSION O F T H E E PIC O N T IN E N T A L
TR A N SG RESSIO N S
W e shall begin by com paring briefly the
tran sg ressions of th e tw o basins u nder review.
The A p tian to L ate A lbian p h ase of Sergipe-
A lagoas seem s to co rrelate w ith the M iddle-Late
A lbian h isto ry of N igeria and it m ay be suggested
th a t b oth tran sg ressio n s have resulted from
m a jo r global events. T he sam e could be tru e
of th e regression a t th e close of A lbian tim e
and daw n of th e Cenom anian. T he Cenomano-
T uronian tran sg ressio n of n o rth ern and w estern
A frica does n o t seem to have le ft identifiable
trac es in Sergipe-A lagoas.
An. A cad. bras. C iin c., (1976), 48, (Suplem ento)
H ay s an d P itm a n (1973), ta k in g up H ala m ’s
(1963) su ggestion th a t tran sg re ssio n s on a
m ondial scale derive fro m th e rap id g ro w th of
m id-oceanic ridges (cf. Wise, 1974, p. 52), have
given a convincing q u a n tita tiv e ac co u n t of sea-
level changes in th e L ate C retaceous. A s show n
in o u r study, th e re could h a rd ly h av e been a
single u nidirectional period of rid g e g ro w th and
seafloor sp read in g stre tc h in g over 25 m .y . in
th e L ate C retaceous, a s in tim a te d b y H ay s and
P itm a n . I f th e ep ico n tin en tal tran sg re ssio n s ot
th e S ah ara n reg io n really a re tru e echoes of
ridge grow th, we m u st th e n th in k in te rm s of
pulsations, r a th e r th a n a single, unb ro k en tren d .
O ur h ypothesis is th e n th a t d u rin g th e period
of tim e u n d er consideration, sev eral im p o rta n t
surges of a c tiv ity in th e evolution of th e oceanic
floor took place, p resum ed to be m ain ly ascri-
bable to ridge g ro w th in th e South A tla n tic :
1) The L a te C enom anian to E a rly T uronian
episode a t 94-92 MA, 2) T he C am pano-M aastrich-
tia n episode a t 71-69 MA, 3) T he Paleocene
episode a t ab o u t 58 MA.
PA LA EO BIO G EO G R A PH ICA L N O TES
A ccording to th e in fo rm atio n cu rren tly
available, th e L ow er T u ro n ian of th e T a rfa y a
basin (Morocco) d iffers fro m th a t of th e South
A tlan tic, T eth y s an d th e tra n s -S a h a ra and,
indeed, from th a t of S e tta t (M orocco). W ied-
m an n e t al. (in p ress) h a s so u g h t to explain th is
anom aly b y an hyp o th esis of en rich m en t in n u ­
trim e n ts along p a r t of th e n o rth w este rn co ast
of A frica. T his would h av e been caused by
upw elling a f te r th e developm ent of new m eteo­
rological (ap p earan ce of off-land w inds) and
oceanographical (influx of cold w a te rs a t d ep th )
conditions in th e Cenom anian, as a n outcom e of
th e advanced evolution of th e N o rth A tla n tic .
H ow ever plausible an d logically a ttra c tiv e th is
explanation m a y seem to be, i t does n o t a p p e a r
possible to ap ply i t to th e m id-C reataceous for,
as show n by P a u to t and Le P ichon (1973), th e
influx of cold w a te r and th e developm ent of
m od em oceanic conditions, w ith upw elling (due
to th e opening of th e L ab rad o r S ea) to o k place
firs t in th e Paleocene. T he an a ly sis of P a u to t
and Le P ichon in d icates th a t u n til L a te C re­
taceous, sedim entation w as ty p ical of shallow ,
confined basins in th e n o rth w e st A fric an region.
The restric tio n of v asco ceratid am m o n ites to
th e epicontinental environm ent, an d th e ir absence
in th e T a rfa y a Basin, seem to u s to b e due to
th e possibility th a t th is g ro u p m ay h av e been
re stric te d to a sh allo w -w ater environm ent, such
 CRETACEOUS TR A NSG R ESSIO NS IN N IG E R IA A N D SERG IPE-ALAG O AS (BRAZIL)
as would be optim ally developed in a n epicon­
tin e n ta l sea. H y d ro statica l fa c to rs being g re a tly
relaxed in th is environm ent, the su tu re line
«degenerated» in an sw er to th e decline in se­
lection p ressu re fo r th is variable. T he epicon­
tin e n ta l environm ent placed stre s s on robustness
of shell and eu ry th e rm a l properties.
Ja rd in é e t al. (1974) com pared m icrofloras
of A frica (S a h ara, M alagasy, N igeria, Gabon)
w ith those of South A m erica, E urope and A us­
tralia. T heir w ork su g g e sts th a t even in the
Senonian, South A m erica and W e st A frica m u st
have been geographically close to each other.
D uring th e B e rria sia n to th e B arrem ian, a
distinctive A fro-A m erican flo ra appeared. A fter
th e Cenom anian, th e ag re em e n t in th e floral
elem ents tends to w eaken. F ro m A lbian to Ce­
nom anian, th e «spores à élatères», typified by
Classopollis and E phedripites, a re th e dom inant
elem ents. The close of th e C enom anian is
m arked by a sh a rp floral b re a k and th e hom o­
geneous Classopollis u n it is replaced by several
sm aller floral provinces. Ja rd in é e t al. (1974)
ta k e th is as m a rk in g th e tim e of se p aratio n of
th e continents. B u ffe ta u t and T aq u e t (1975)
concluded th a t recently discovered herbivorous
and carnivorous dinosaurs in N iger Republic
display close affinities w ith fau n a s of South
A m erica and M alagasy. The fau n as are dated as
being appro x im ately C oniacian in age.
N icklès (1950) docum ented th e w ide d istri­
bution of species of g astropods and pelecypods
along th e p resen t-d ay co a st of w estern A frica.
M any species a re d istrib u ted fro m th e coasts
of n o rth w este rn E urope to A ngola. The fa c t
th a t th e South A tla n tic pelecypod fa u n a s are
so d ifferen t up to C oniacian tim e, n o rth and
south of th e G ulf of G uinea, could be evidence
of a dispersal b a rrie r u n til th e m id-C retaceous.
F reneix (1972) observed th a t th e L ate C reta­
ceous pelecypods of T a rfa y a (M arocco) form a
N o rth A frican province w ith N o rth A m erican
connexions; th e re a re no relationships w ith th e
T uronian-C oniacian fau n a s of W est A frica.
N eufville (1973 b ), in stu d y in g th e L ate
C retaceous ostracod fau n a s of th e South A tla n ­
tic, found th a t even up to th e D anian, th e re are
ce rtain affinities betw een th e fau n a s of B razil
and W est A frica, fo r exam ple, th e occurrence of
the M alian m arine species Soudanella tria n g u la ta
A postolescu in Sergipe. A fte r th is tim e, C a­
ribbean affinities dom inate the B razilian o stra ­
cod faunas. R eym ent (1966, p. 31) listed a
to ta l of 14 species of ostracods occurring in the
M aastrich tian and P aleocene of N ig eria and
261
L ibya an d seven species in th e m id-C retaceous
of N ig eria and th e Middle E a st.
Collignon (1966) so u g h t to explain th e d iffe­
rences in th e am m o n ite asso ciatio n s of th e E a rly
T u ro n ian of N ig eria an d T a rfa y a (M orocco) by
su g g estin g eith er th e existence of an h ia tu s o r an
environm ent in w hich am m o n ite shells did n o t
accum ulate. T here is a s tre tc h above th e Ceno­
m an ian a t T a rfa y a w ith o u t id en tifiab le fossils,
w hich could be su p p o rt fo r Collignon’s suggestion.
K. Y oung (unpublished m a n u scrip t) rep o rted an
analogous situ atio n to p e rta in fo r T exas.
G EOM AGNETIC R E V E R SA LS
U sing th e d a ta in th e lite ra tu re on e sti­
m ated tim es betw een m ag n etic rev ersals,
R ey m en t (in p ress) o btained th e follow ing
resu lts: fo r th e sequence of ev en ts fro m K im m er-
idgian onw ards, th e tim es betw een ev en ts display
sig n ifican t tren d . T h a t is, th e re h a s been an
increase in th e r a te of occurrence of ev en ts from
L ate Ju ra ssic tim e onw ards. T here w as a period
of m ore pronounced tre n d in th e L a te C am ­
pan ian to E a rly M a a stric h tia n w hich coincides
w ith a tra n s-S a h a ra n ep ico n tin en tal episode.
D uring th e Paleocene, th e re w as a period of
sig n ifican t tren d in th e r a te of o ccu rren ce of
events. T his coincided w ith th e P aleacen e tra n s -
S ah ara n epicontinental tran sg re ssio n . A sh o rte r
sequence from th e Middle Eocene did n o t display
sig n ifican t tren d . These events a re s ta tio n a ry
in the s ta tistic a l sense. No larg e-scale epicon­
tin e n ta l tran sg ressio n s took place d u rin g th is
tim e in te rv al d u rin g w hich th e events accord
w ith some kind of a ren ew al process.
The long, ev ent-free in te rv a l fro m th e L ate
B arrem ian to th e M iddle C oniacian coincides
w ith th e in itial riftin g of th e South A tla n tic and
th e g ro w th of th e ocean, cu lm in atin g w ith th e
m a jo r epicontinental tra n sg re ssio n of th e Ceno-
m ano-T uronian and th e lesser C oniacian in g res-
sion.
These ag reem en ts m ay be fo rtu ito u s b u t
th e re is a possibility th a t th e re could be a re la ­
tionship betw een seafloor spreading, rid g e
g ro w th an d th e phenom enon of g eom agnetic
rev ersals (cf. R am berg, 1972, p. 884).
CONCLUDING D ISCU SSIO N
D ouglas e t al. (1973) h av e alre ad y outlined
the problem of re la tin g tran sg re ssio n a l h isto ry
of th e m arg in s of an ocean to m a jo r oceanic
events. A s do we, th e y applied th e concept of
An. A cad. bras. C iênc., (1976), 48, (Su p lem en to)
262 R. A. REYM ENT, P. BENG TSO N and E. A. TAIT

M enard and S m ith (1966) concerning th e vo­

lume of m id-oceanic ridges in relatio n to e u static
changes in sealevel. T hey pointed out, moreover,
th a t the m id-C retaceous offers an alm o st ideal
testin g ground in th a t clim atically determ ined
shifts in sea-level w ere a t a m inim um and
orogenetic changes w ere m inor. They also noted
th a t low-lying are as are im p o rta n t fo r studying
changes in th e la te ra l e x te n t of an ocean. U nfor­
tunately, th ey confused th e issue by a tte m p tin g
to apply th e ir ideas to th e half-g rab en s of the
South A tlan tic coasts w hich, as we have dem on­
stra te d in th is paper, a re n o t necessarily tru e
reflectors of m ondial e u sta tic shifts. F o r this
reason, th e ir c h a rt of tran sg re ssio n s and re g re s­
sions (1973, p. 515) is, in places, m isleading.
Le P ichon (1968) concluded th a t spreading
ra te s of the seafloor v a ry sm oothly. In reference
to speculations on episodic spreading, he consi­
dered fa s te r ra te s to have existed a t various
tim es and a f a s t episode to have been ending
in th e middle C retaceous (cf. L arson and P itm an ,
1972). S clater and M cKenzie (1973, p. 3206)
considered a f a s t spreading model (ra te of
0,93p per m . y . ) using th e conclusions of R eym ent
and T ait (1972), and a slow -spreading model
(0,41® p er m . y . ) , w ith th e definite separatio n
of th e continents in th e Ju rassic. I t seem s to
us th a t the difference involved is m ore a p p a re n t
th a n real inasm uch as th e m iddle C retaceous
datin g of the b irth of th e S outh A tlan tic applies
solely to the developm ent of a p erm anent
seaw ay and all th a t w hich th is im plies in te rm s
of an interconnecting system of surface cu rren ts
w ith the N o rth A tlantic. W e agree th a t th e re
can be little doubt th a t the r if t appeared some
tim e in the L ate Jurassic.

Turonian. D. M iddle Turonian: the arrow s d en ote

p ossib le circulatory p attern s for su rface currents.

An. Acad. bras. Ciênc., (1976), 48, (Suplem ento)

 CRETACEOUS TRA NSG R ESSIO NS IN N IG E R IA A N D SERG IPE-ALAG O AS (BRAZIL)
EVENTS IN THE OPENING OF THE
SOUTH ATLANTIC
1. L ate Ju ra ss ic to B e rriasian : F issu rin g of th e
continent, com m encem ent of a quiet period
in th e h isto ry of geom agnetic reversals.
2. Valanginian. tra n sg re ssio n across th e tip of
th e fissu rin g landm ass; fo rm atio n of v a st
fre sh -w a te r lak es in a re a s of pronounced
sinking in g rab en s: distinctive fau n a s of
fish and ostracods and p la n t floras.
3. The f irs t sig n ifican t la te ra l d rift ta k es
place and a w edge opens fro m th e south.
A ptian sedim ents accum ulate,including eva-
porites. T he w edge reaches as f a r as
G abon-Sergipe-A lagoas.
4. D rift continues, w ith some ro ta tio n and
w esterly m otion. A frica is still in land
co n tact w ith S outh A m erica along the fa u lt
lines of the n o rth e rn G uinea m argin. The
Benue r if t develops in th e la te Middle
Albian. In th e sedim entary basins south of
th e G ulf of Guinea, th e A lbian sequence
begins w ith beds containing Douvilleiceras,
of E a rly A lbian age. D uring th e L ate A lbian
histo ry of the tran sg re ssio n a b rief connexion
exists w ith th e N o rth A tla n tic via the G uinea
co n tac t zone, a «slopping over» of the sea,
and th e re is a ce rtain possibility of such an
episode in th e Middle A lbian (oxytropido-
ce ratid fa u n a ). T his event m ay be the
re su lt of th e early phase of g row th of the
m id -A tlantic ridge.
5. A large-scale tran sg re ssio n begins tow ards
th e close of th e C enom anian and continues
REFERENCES
AJAKAYE, D. and B U R K E , K. — 1972 — A Bouguer
g ra v ity m ap for N igeria. T ecton op h ysics, v. 16,
pp, 103-115.
B E U R L E N , G. — 1969 — Um a nova fauna de amo-
nóides da F orm ação S ap u cari/L aran jeiras (Cretáceo
de Sergip e) — considerações sobre sua bioestra-
tigrafia. Boi. Téc. P etrob rás, v. 12, n. 2, pp. 147-169.
BOTT, M. H . P . — 1971 -— E volution of you n g con­
tinental m argin s and form ation of sh e lf basins.
T ectonophysics, v. 11, pp. 319-327.
BU FF E T A U T , E. and TAQUET, P . — 1975 — L cs
vertéb rés du Crétacé et la dérive d es continents.
La R echerche, v. 55, n. 6, pp. 379-381.
CARTER, J. D ., BA R B E R , W. M. and TAIT, E. A.
— 1963 — The g eo lo g y of p arts of Adam.awe,
Bauchi and B ornu P rovinces. B u ll. Geol. B u n .
N igeria, v. 30, 108 pp.
COLLIGNON, M. — 1966 — L es ccphalopodes crétacós
du bassin cotier de T arfaya. N otes Mém. S c r y .
Geol. Maroc, v. 175, pp. 1-148.
263
into E a rly T uronian. A t th e acm e of th is
tran sg ressio n , th e risin g sea sw am ps th e
foundering s tre tc h of rifte d lan d still p ro v ­
iding a lan d co n tac t betw een th e tw o con­
tin en ts. M arine m olluscs, p a rtic u la rly
am m onites and ostracods, a re now able to
pass from th e S outh to N o rth A tla n tic (or
vice v ersa) d u rin g th is in terv al. A shallow
epicontinental sea stre tc h e s acro ss n o rth e rn
A frica, u n itin g b riefly th e G ulf of G uinea
w ith th e T ethys. T his in te rv a l m ay m a rk
a phase of accelerated rid g e g ro w th and,
possibly, seafloor spreading.
6. B y Middle T uronian, a p e rm a n e n t seaw ay
h as come in to existence, w ith th e beginnings
of a m odern sy stem of su rfa c e oceanic
cu rren ts. The lan d m asses seem, how ever,
to sta y q uite close a t som e point, even in
L ate C retaceous tim e, as in d icated by th e
p la n ts and reptiles.
7. By Paleocene, th e relatio n sh ip s resem ble
those of to d ay w ith oceanic conditions,
including upw elling p a tte rn s, of a m odern
kind. Two episodes of tra n s -S a h a ra n epi­
con tin en tal tran sg re ssio n s m ig h t be re la te d
to periods of accelerated rid g e g ro w th . T he
geom agnetic rev ersal p a tte rn s co rrela te
w ith the large-scale tran sg ressio n s.
F ig u res 6 A-D sum m arize th e m id -C re ta­
ceous developm ent of th e South A tlan tic.
L arson and P itm a n (1972) used th e M e­
sozoic anom aly p a tte rn to d ate pronounced
la te ra l d rift in th e South A tla n tic as b eg inning
around 110 MA, w hich ag rees w ell w ith th e
in te rp re tatio n s achieved in our study.
COOPER, M. R. — 1974 — The C retaceous stratigrap h y
of sou th -cen tral Africa. Ann. S. Afr. M us., v. 66,
n. 5, pp. 81-107.
DOUGLAS, R. G., M OULLADE, M. and N A IR N , A.
E. M. — 1973 — Causes and con sequ en ces of con t­
in en tal drift. In D. H . T arlin g and S. K. R uncorn
(e d s.): Im p lication s of C ontinental D rift to the
Earth Sciences, v. 1, pp. 517-536. Academ ic P ress.
FA URE, H. — 1966 — R econ n aissan ce géologiq u e des
form ations sédim en taires p ost-p aléozoiq u es du
N iger oriental. Mém. Bur. Rech. Géol. M in., v.
47, 629 pp.
------- — 1973 — V ertical m ovem ents and horizontal
tran slation of the lith osp here. In D. H. T arlin g
and S. K. R uncorn (e d s.): Im p lication s of Cont­
in en tal D rift to th e Earth Sciences, v. 2, pp. 731-733.
Academ ic P ress.
FRA N C H ET EA U , J. and LE PICH O N, X. — 1972 —
M arginal fracture zon es as stru ctu ral fram ew ork
An. Acad. bras. C iênc., (1976), 48, (Su p lem en to)
264 R. A. REYM ENT, P. BENG TSO N and E. A. TAIT
of continental margins in South Atlantic Ocean.
Bull. Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol., v. 56, n. 6, pp.
991-1007.
FRENEIX, S. — 1972 — Be bassin côtier de Tarfaya
(Maroc Meridional). Tome III. Paléontologie. Les
mollusques bivalves crétacés du bassin côtier de
Tarfaya (Maroc Méridional). Notes Mém. Serv.
Géol. Maroc., v. 228, pp. 49-255.
HALLAM, A. — 1963 — Major epeirogenic and eustatic
changes since the Cretaceous and their possible
relationship to crustal structure. Am. J. Sci., v.
261, pp. 397-423.
HAYS, J. D. and PITMAN, W. C. — 1973 — Lithos­
pheric plate motion, sea level changes and climatic
and ecological consequences. Nature, v. 246, pp.
18-22.
JARDINÉ, S„ KIESER, G. and REYRE, Y. — 1974 —
L’individualisation progressive du continent africain
vue a travers les données palynologiques de l’ère
secondaire. Bull. Sci. Géol. Strasbourg, v. 27, pp.
69-85.
LARSON, R. L. and PITMAN, W. C. — 1972 — World
wide correlation of Mesozoic magnetic anomalies,
and its implications. Bull. Geol. Soc. Am., v. 83.
pp. 3645-3662.
LE PICHON, X. — 1968 — Seafloor spreading and con­
tinental drift. J. Geophys. Res., v. 73, pp. 3661-3697.
LE PICHON, X. and HAYES, D. E. — 1971 — Marginal
offsets, fracture zones, and the early opening of
the South Atlantic. J. Geophys. Res., v. 76, pp.
6283-6293.
MACHENS, E. — 1973 —The geologic history of the
marginal basins along the north shore of the
Gulf of Guinea. I n A. E. M. Nairn and F. G.
Stehli (eds.): The Ocean Basins and Margins, v. 1.
The South Atlantic, pp. 351-390. Plenum Press.
MENARD, H. W. and SMITH, S. M. — 1966 — Hypso-
metry of ocean basin provinces. J. Geophys. Res.,
v. 71, pp. 4305-4325.
MURAT, R. C. — 1972 — Stratigraphy and palaeogeo-
graphy of the Cretaceous and Lower Tertiary in
southern Nigeria. In T. F. J. Dessauvagie and
A. J. Whiteman (eds.): African Geology, (Ibadan
1970), pp. 251-266.
NEUFVILLE, E. M. H. — 1973 a — Ostracoda from
the Eze-Aku Shale (Turonian, Cretaceous) Nkalagu,
Nigeria. Bull. Geol. Inst. Univ. Uppsala, NS 4,
pp. 43-52.
----- — 1973 b — Upper Cretaceous-Palaeogene Ostra­
coda from the South Atlantic. Publ. Palaeontol.
Inst. Univ. Uppsala, Spec. v. 1, 205 pp.
NICKLÈS, M. — 1950 — Mollusques testacés marins
de lá côte occidentale d’Afrique. Manuels Ouest-
Africains, v. 2, 269 pp. Lechevalier, Paris.
NOGUTI, I. and SANTOS, J. F. — 1972 — Zoneamento
preliminar por foraminiferos plactônicos do Aptiano
ao Mioceano na plataforma continental do Brasil.
Boi. Téc. Petrobrás, v. 15 n. 3, pp. 265-283.
OJEDA, H. A. and BISOL, D. L. — 1971 — Integração
geológica regional da extensão submarina da bacia
sedimentar de Sergipe/Alagoas. An. 25 Congr. Bras.
Geol., v. 3, pp. 215-225.
OJEDA, H. A. and FUGITA, A. M. in press. Bacia
Sergipe/Alagoas: Geologia regional e perspectivas
petrolíferas. 28 Congr. Bras. Geol. Porto Alegre.
PAUTOT, G. and LE PICHON, X. — 1973 — Résultats
scientifiques du programme JOIBES. Bull. Soc.
Géol. Fr., v. 7, n. 15, pp. 403-425.
An. Acad. bras. C iênc., (1976), 48, (Suplem ento)
RAMBERG, H . — 1972 — T h eoretical m od els of d en sity
stratification and diapirtsm in th e earth. J.
G eophys. R es., v. 77, pp. 877-889.
R E N A R D , V. and MASCLE, J . — 1974 — Eastern
A tlantic con tinental m argin s: variou s structural
and m orphological typ es. In C. A. B u rk and C. L.
D rake (e d s.): The G eology o f C ontinental M argins,
pp. 285-291. S p rin ger V erlag, B erlin .
REYM ENT, R. A. — 1955 — The C retaceous Ammo-
noidea of southern N ig eria and the sou th ern Ca-
m eroons. B u ll. Geol. Surv. N igeria, v. 25, 112 pp.
------ — 1957 — ü b er ein ig e w irb ello se F o ssilie n aus
N igerien und K am erun, W estafrik a. P alaeon to-
graphica, v. 109A, pp. 41-70.
------ — 1960 — S tu d ies on N igerian U pper Cretaceous
and L ow er T ertiary O stracoda. P a rt 1. Senonian
and M aestrichtian O stracoda. Stockh. Contr. Geol.
v. 7, 238 pp.
------ — 1965 — A sp ects o f the G eology o f N igeria.
Ibadan U n iv ersity P ress, 145 pp.
— — — 1966 — S tu d ies on N igerian U pper Cretaceous
and L ow er T ertiary O stracoda. III. Stratigrap h ical,
paleoecological and biom etrical con clu sion s. Stockh.
Contr. Geol., v. 14, pp. 1-151.
------ — 1969 — Am m onite b iostratigrap h y, con tinental
d rift and oscillatory tran sgression s. N ature, v. 224,
pp. 137-140.
------ — 1971 — V erm u teter D im orphism us b ei der
A m m onitengattung B e n m tes. B u ll. Geol. In st.
Univ. U ppsala, N S 3, pp. 1-18.
------— 1973 — L ’h istoire de la m er tran scon tinentale
saharienne pendant le Cenom anien-Turonien. Bull.
Soc. Géol. F r., v. 7, pp. 528-531.
------ in press. S ta tistica l a n a ly sis of geom agn etic
reversals.
REYM ENT, R. A. and N E U F V IL L E , E. M. H . — 1974
— M ultivariate a n a ly sis of p op u lation s sp lit by
con tinental drift. Math. G eol., v. 6, pp. 173-181.
REYM ENT, R. A. and TA IT , E. A. — 1972 — B ios-
tratigrap h ical d atin g of th e early h isto r y o f the
South A tlantic ocean. P h il. T rans. R oy Soc.
London, (B ), v. 264, pp. 55-95.
SCH ALLER, H . — 1969 — R evisão estratigráfica da
B acia de S ergip e/A lagoas. B oi. Téc. P etrob rás,
v. 12, n. 1, pp. 21-86.
SCHÕBEL, J. — 1975 — A m m oniten d er F am ilie
V ascoceratidae au s dem unteren U nterturon d e s (
D am ergou-G ebietes, R ép u b liqu e du N iger. Publ.'
P alaeon tol. In st. U niv. U ppsala, Spec. v. 3, 135 pp.
SCLATER, J. G. and M cK ENZIE, D. P . — 1973 —
P aleob ath ym etry o f th e South A tlantic. B u ll. Geol.
Soc. Am er., v. 84, pp. 3203-3216.
V IN E , F . J. — 1971 — C ontinental fragm entation and
ocean floor sp readin g d uring th e p ast 200 m .y. In
D. H . T arlin g and S. K. R uncorn (e d s.): Im p lica­
tions of C ontinental D rift to the E arth Sciences,
v. 2, pp. 831-839. Academ ic P ress.
YOUNG, K . unp ub lished m anuscript. C enom anian-Tu-
ronian correlation s of T exas and M exico.
W IEDM ANN, J. — 1960 — L e Crétacé su p érier de
l'E sp agne et du P ortu g a l et se s cép h alop od es. Coll.
Crét. Sup. F r., (D ijon 1959) pp. 709-764.
W IEDM ANN, J ., E IN S E L E , G. and IM M EL, H . in
press. L e role du b assin cotier de T arfaya/M aroc
dans le Crétacé supérieur. P roc. 6 Coll. Afri.
M icropaléontol., (1974). T unis.
W ISE , D. U. — 1974 — C ontinental m argin s, freeboard
and th e volum es o f con tin en ts and ocean s through
tim e. I n C. A. B urk and C. L. D rak e (e d s.): T he
G eology of C ontinental M argins, pp. 45-58. Springer
V erlag, Berlin.