Pan-African granulite formation in the Kabye Massif of northern Togo (WestAfrica): Pb-Pb zircon ages

Metamorphic zircons from seven granulite facies orthogneisses of tonalitic composition (enderbites), collected from four different nappes of the Kabye Massif in the Dahomeyide belt of northern Togo, were dated by the Pb-Pb ev aporation method. They yielded consistent Neoproterozoic ages with a mean o f 612.5 +/- 0.8 Ma, interpreted to reflect the peak of regional granulite f acies metamorphism following Pan-African continental collision between the West African and Benin-Nigerian plates. These results support previous ages obtained by various chronometers on high-grade rocks from the same suture zone and from surrounding units in Togo, Benin and Ghana. They are also sim ilar to zircon ages from granulites in the Mozambique belt of southeastern Africa. These Pan-African metamorphic ages reflect continental amalgamation resulting in the formation of the Gondwana supercontinent towards the end of the Neoproterozoic.