Planktonic foraminifera of the coastal upwelling area off Peru during the Pleistocene

Abstract

Abstract Planktonic foraminifera of the coastal upwelling area off Peru during the Pleistocene have been quantitatively examined in ODP Leg 112 cores obtained from five sites beneath the upwelling area. Laminated diatomaceous facies in some cores suggest they had been in upwelling centres during the Pleistocene. The Pleistocene fauna dominantly consists of cold water and eurythermal elements, but also contains diverse tropical-subtropical species. The fauna is similar to the living one in the modern upwelling area, although the former seems to have much more cold-water elements. The most important species in the coastal upwelling area off Peru during the Pleistocene were Globigerina quinqueloba , concentrated in upwelling centres, Neogloboquadrina dutertrei , dominantly found in surrounding areas, and many kinds of tropical-subtropical species. Typical temperate water dwellers are rare.