Abstract

More than one of the young Alpine mountain systems (Eastern Alps, Dinarides, Carpatho-Balkanides) are developed in the territory of Yugoslavia which include Devonian formations in the Hercynian roots. The sources of these formations are associated with the sedimentation spaces that have not been finally reconstructed. A preliminary paleogeographic interpretation indicates the areas of the modern Alps, Dinarides and Carpatho-Balkanides where, in the Devonian, a number of troughs can be recognized with deep-sea flysch or pelagic sediments. These are: the Pohorje Trough (Central Alps); the Croatian, Jadar, West-Macedonian and Vardar Troughs (Dinarides); and the East-Serbian Trough and Balkan Basin (Carpatho-Balkanides). The troughs were separated by sills — spacious land (islands) or intrabasinal ridges with carbonate sedimentation: the Slovenian, Bosnian and West-Serbian Sills, the Pelagonian Sill (land), the Serbian- Macedonian micro-continent (land) and the Orzen Sill (land). An attempt at the first synthesised review by separate paleogeographic units is given in the paper.