Palaeogeographical distribution of the species of Loftusia (Foraminiferida) in the Tethyan Ocean during the Maastrichtian (Late Cretaceous)

Abstract

The palaeogeographical distribution of various Loftusia species known to have existed mainly in the Middle East during the Maastrichtian is re-evaluated in the light of plate tectonic theory. Similarities and differences in place and time of various species found in the carbonate platforms of the two giant Gondwanan and Laurasian continents are also discussed. The variety of species and their size and abundance on the various platforms depended on salinity and temperature. The stratigraphical range of the Loftusia species in Turkey is Middle–Upper Maastrichtian. Smaller forms were present at the end of the Late Maastrichtian. It is thought that tiny ophiolitic rock fragments within the Loftusia tests were related to tectonic movements and substrate features during the Late Maastrichtian.