Late Cenozoic Foraminifera from Diamictites of Cape Lamb, Vega Island, Antarctic Peninsula

Abstract

Abstract. Foraminiferal assemblages recovered from Cape Lamb sediments on Vega Island are examined and illustrated herein. The foraminifera were discovered in Cenozoic debris and palagonitic breccia lithofacies that crop out at the southwestern tip of Cape Lamb. Among all the Cenozoic diamictite deposits recognized in this island, the studied sediments are the youngest and the most fossiliferous. Pectinids, brachiopods, and microfaunas are exceptionally well preserved and indicate little or no transport. The foraminiferal assemblage is dominated by infaunal species, with the most abundant including Globocassidulina biora, Cribroelphidiutn sp. aff. E. excavatum, and Cassidulinoides parkerianus, and the epifaunal Cibicides refulgens. These foraminifera suggest a normal inner shelf marine environment. Microfossils and macrofauna, stratigraphical evidence observed in the field and published isotopic ages from the nearby Cape Lamb suggest a Pleistocene age for this deposit.