Planktonic foraminifera from the Pliocene Coralline Crag of Suffolk, Eastern England

D G Jenkins,B M Funnell,J E Whittaker,D Curry

doi:10.1144/jm.7.1.1

D G Jenkins, B M Funnell + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.1144/jm.7.1.1

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Abstract

Abstract. Nine species of planktonic foraminifera have recently been identified from the Coralline Crag of Suffolk, Eastern England. Stratigraphically important species include Globorotalia puncticulata (Deshayes) and Neogloboquadrina atlantica (Berggren) whose joint ranges, based on evidence from the North Atlantic, indicate an age for the deposit of between c. 4.2 and 2.3 Ma; other published evidence suggests that it may not be younger than c. 3.4 Ma. The low planktonic foraminiferal species diversity is interpreted as being due to a combination of factors, including the shallow water nature of the Coralline Crag, which would preclude deeper water species of planktonic foraminifera, and the possibility that the source of the fauna was from relatively high latitudes of the North Atlantic via the northern entrance to the North Sea. The planktonic foraminifera recorded indicate that the water temperature of the sea was within the range 10–18°C.The Coralline Crag contains very rich Lusitanian faunas of gastropod and bivalve molluscs, bryozoans, ostracods and benthic foraminifera.

Highlights

Foraminifera from the Coralline Crag, a richly fossiliferous shallow marine deposit, which adjoins and underlies part of the southern North Sea (Fig. 1). were first recorded and systematically illustrated by Jones et al (1866)
This paper describes and illustrates the planktonic foraminifera obtained from samples collected by D
Further north at DSDP Sites 407 and 408 (Fig. 2), G. puncticulata made a later entry in the Early Pliocene and is unaccompanied by its immediate ancestor (Poore, 1978)

Summary

INTRODUCTION

Foraminifera from the Coralline Crag, a richly fossiliferous shallow marine deposit, which adjoins and underlies part of the southern North Sea (Fig. 1). were first recorded and systematically illustrated by Jones et al (1866). King (1983) recorded and illustrated the following species of planktonic foraminifera from the Pliocene of the North Sea: Globorotalia inflata (d’orbigny), G. puncticulata (Deshayes), Neogloboquadrina atlantica (Berggren) and N . (1985) has suggested that the benthic foraminifera from these localities may indicate slightly older deposits than the remainder of the Coralline Crag, corresponding to the lower part, rather than the main part of the Netherlands FB Zone. Arlantica, has a strong robust test and is found in the higher energy Facies B (Mathers et al, 1984) at localities near Sudbourne, including Crag Farm (see Fig. 1); planktonic foraminifera of Facies C are too badly preserved, to be identifiable

Surton Knoll Ramsholi Cllff

Gedgrave Cliff Sutton Knoll Ramsholt Cliff Orford Borehole

CONCLUSIONS