Abstract
A review of the stratigraphic distribution of ammonoid species in the Lower Cretaceous (Hauterivian-Albian) of the Maestrat Basin (E Spain) was carried out. The specimens were mainly collected in the field by us and are stored in university or museum collections. Specimens from private collections and figured in the literature were also studied. We recognized 73 species that are distributed, in accordance with the latest version of the standard Mediterranean ammonite zonation for the Lower Cretaceous, in 14 ammonite zones: Acanthodiscus radiatus , Crioceratites loryi, Lyticoceras nodosoplicatum (Lower Hauterivian); Pseudothurmannia ohmi (Upper Hauterivian); Imerites giraudi (Upper Barremian); Deshayesites oglanlensis , Deshayesites forbesi , Deshayesites deshayesi , Dufrenoyia furcata (Lower Aptian); Epicheloniceras martini , Parahoplites melchioris, Acanthohoplites nolani (Upper Aptian); Leymeriella tardefurcata and Douvilleiceras mammillatum (Lower Albian). The recognition of these biozones allows a precise age calibration of the Maestrat Basin’s lithostatigraphic units that contain ammonoids as well as an associated indirect age calibration of the formations without ammonoids. Consequently, this report provides an updated, comprehensive and precise biostratigraphic framework, which aims to become a reference for the analysis of the Lower Cretaceous strata of the Maestrat Basin. The results are also relevant for the analysis of coeval ammonite-bearing sedimentary successions found in other Tethyan basins.
Highlights
The presence of Lower Cretaceous ammonoids in the Maestrat Basin (E Spain) has been known since the second half of the nineteenth century (e.g., Vilanova, 1859; Coquand, 1865)
The analysis of the stratigraphic distribution of ammonites in the Maestrat Basin allowed us to establish the faunal succession for the Lower Cretaceous (Hauterivian-Albian) in this region
We identified the following subzones: the Olcostephanus (Jeannoticeras) jeannoti in the upper half of the Crioceratites loryi Zone, the Deshayesites luppovi in the upper half of the Deshayesites oglanlensis Zone, the Roloboceras hambrovi in the upper half of the Deshayesites forbesi Zone, the Deshayesites grandis in the upper half of the Deshayesites deshayesi Zone and the twofold subdivision of the Dufrenoyia furcata Zone in two subzones, Dufrenoyia furcata and Dufrenoyia dufrenoyi
Summary
The presence of Lower Cretaceous ammonoids in the Maestrat Basin (E Spain) has been known since the second half of the nineteenth century (e.g., Vilanova, 1859; Coquand, 1865). Many studies are outdated because ammonoid biostratigraphic knowledge is continually improving, as indicated in the numerous reports from other Lower Cretaceous localities of the Tethys (e.g., Cecca et al, 1999; Avram, 1999; Delanoy, 1995; Dutour, 2005; Ropolo et al, 2000; Aguado et al, 1997; Moreno-Bedmar et al 2009a, 2010a; Najarro et al, 2011; Moreno-Bedmar et al, 2012a), as well as in the subsequent versions of the standard Mediterranean zonation published during the last two decades (Hoedemaeker and Bulot, 1990; Hoedemaeker et al, 1993; Hoedemaeker et al, 1995; Rawson et al, 1999; Hoedemaeker et al, 2000; Hoedemaeker et al, 2003; Reboulet et al, 2006; Reboulet et al, 2009, Reboulet et al, 2011).
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