The Changhsingian Foraminiferal Fauna of the Meishan D Section, Zhejiang, China, and their Ecostratigraphic Implications

Abstract

AbstractSamples were collected continuously and systematically from Beds 2 to 30 of the Meishan D section, and nearly 4,000 foraminiferal specimens were recognized. In total, 72 species (partially including undetermined species and conformis species) in 34 genera of foraminifers were identified. Twelve foraminiferal community zones were established from Beds 2 to 27 based on the abundance, dominance, diversity, and equitability of the foraminiferal fauna and a functional morphological analysis of the dominant and characteristic species. The habitat type indicated by each community zone and the sedimentary features were used to determine the paleo‐water depths and the relative changes in sea level. We generated curves of both the habitat type and the hydrodynamic conditions, which together indicate the relative changes in the paleo‐water depth and the substrate features in the studied area during the Changhsingian. This study discusses the possible relationship between the foraminiferal community zones and the sea‐level changes based on a statistical analysis of the foraminiferal community zones.