Terrestrial mammals as biostratigraphic indicators in upper Paleocene-lower Eocene marine deposits of the southern North Sea Basin

Abstract

Teeth of terrestrial mammals found in shallow marine deposits of the late Paleocene and early Eocene in the southern North Sea Basin (Belgium, northern France and southeastern England) have been used as biostratigraphic indicators. Analyses indicate that the age of the continental Walbeck mammal fauna (Germany) is close to that of the Upper Selandian Heers Formation of Belgium (NP4-5). The MP6 referencelevel of Cernay (France) is probably correlated with the lower part of NP9 (late Thanetian). The MP7 – MP8 + 9 intermediate faunas of Meudon and Pourcy could be partly equivalent in age to Biochron NP10. The MP8 + 9 reference-level of Avenay corresponds to the upper part of the London Clay and Kortrijk Formations, which are of late middle Ypresian age (lower NP12), or to the lower part of the Wittering and Tielt Formations, which are dated early late Ypresian (middle NP12). The MP10 Grauves and Premontre faunas (France) are correlated with the NP13 Upper Wittering Formation. The taphonomy of terrestrial mammals discovered in marine deposits indicates several origins of the material such as reworking, action of predators or fluvial transport. 513 Smith, T., and Smith, R., 2003, Terrestrial mammals as biostratigraphic indicators in upper Paleocene–lower Eocene marine deposits of the southern North Sea Basin, in Wing, S.L., Gingerich, P.D., Schmitz, B., and Thomas, E., eds., Causes and Consequences of Globally Warm Climates in the Early Paleogene: Boulder, Colorado, Geological Society of America Special Paper 369, p. 513–520. © 2003 Geological Society of America. *E-mail: Thierry.Smith@naturalsciences.be Eocene in the southern North Sea Basin (Belgium, northern France and southeastern England; Fig. 1) enable us to use them as biostratigraphic indicators. Previously published discoveries have also been included. MICROMAMMALS FROM MARINE DEPOSITS