Infrazonal biostratigraphy of the Upper Cretaceous in the East European province based on benthic foraminifers, Part 1: Cenomanian-Coniacian

Abstract

A chart of infrazonal biostratigraphic subdivision of Cenomanian-Coniacian deposits in the East European paleobiogeographic province is based on distribution of benthic foraminifers. The suggested chart characterizes successive trend of changes in ecologic assemblages of benthic foraminifers and morphologic evolution of certain agglutinated (Gaudryina, Bolivinopsis, Heterostomella, Arenobulimina, Ataxophragmium, Ataxoorbignyna, Marssonella) and secretory (Globorotalites, Valvulinera, Gyroidinoides, Stensioeina, Osangularia, Berthelina, Pseudovalvulineria, Gavelinella, Cibicides, Praebulimina, Reussella) foraminiferal genera. The chart includes 7 zones and 13 subzones, most of which are recognizable over the vast territory from the Mangyshalk to southern Baltic areas. It is correlated with the acknowledged ammonoid and inoceramid zonations. Five stadia of taxonomic changes in foraminiferal assemblages, which are substantiated in this work, show that principal biotic events took place in the mid-late Cenomanian, during the Cenomanian-Turonian and early-middle Turonian transitions, in the late Turonian, and at the early-middle Coniacian boundary time.