Calcareous nannofossil biostratigraphy of Nag El Quda, South of Dababiya, Eastern side of the Nile Valley, Egypt.

Abstract

The biostratigraphy of calcareous nannofossils of the upper Paleocene-lower Eocene sequence in Nag El Quda area (South of Dababiya, Eastern Side of the Nile Valley, Egypt carried out in detail. This study of the P-E transition, allow us to recognize some of the prominent and abrupt events that characterize the P/E boundary, and to relocate this boundary with respect to the recent redefinition of the Paleocene/Eocene boundary. The present stratigraphic study of the P/E interval based on close sampling. This study has provided a high resolution litho- and biostratigraphic data based on calcareous nannofossils. The study interval includes from the base to top; El Hanadi, Dababiya, and El Mahmiya members. The P/E boundary is situated at the NP9a/NP9b boundary, which lies at El Hanadi/Dababiya contact. We identify the first occurrence (FO) of excursion taxa (Discoaster anartios, D. araneus, Rhomboaster spp.) at the base of the Eocene. These taxa are adapted to warm climatic conditions that prevailed at this boundary. An abrupt and sharp decrease in the diversity, abundance of the genus Fasciculithus occurs at the NP9a/NP9b (Paleocene/Eocene boundary), and disappeared completely shortly afterwards. The lowermost Eocene sediments studied here only yield F. tympaniformis and F. involutus.