Planktonic Foraminiferal Zones Research Articles

Sedimentology, palaeoenvironments and biostratigraphy of the Pliocene–Pleistocene carbonate platform of Grande‐Terre (Guadeloupe, Lesser Antilles forearc)

AbstractPliocene and Pleistocene deposits from Grande‐Terre (Guadeloupe archipelago, French Lesser Antilles) provide a remarkable example of an isolated carbonate system built in an active margin setting, with sedimentation controlled by both rapid sea‐level changes and tectonic movements. Based on new field, sedimentological and palaeontological analyses, these deposits have been organized into four sedimentary sequences (S1 to S4) separated by three subaerial erosion surfaces (SB0, SB1 and SB2). Sequences S1 and S2 (‘Calcaires inférieurs à rhodolithes’) deposited during the Late Zanclean to Early Gelasian (planktonic foraminiferal Zones PL2 to PL5) in low subsidence conditions, on a distally steepened ramp dipping eastward. Red algal‐rich deposits, which dominate the western part of Grande‐Terre, change to planktonic foraminifer‐rich deposits eastward. Vertical movements of tens of metres were responsible for the formation of SB0 and SB1. Sequence S3 (‘Formation volcano‐sédimentaire’, ‘Calcaires supérieurs à rhodolithes’ and ‘Calcaires à Agaricia’) was deposited during the Late Piacenzian to Early Calabrian (Zones PL5 to PT1a) on a distally steepened, red algal‐dominated ramp that changes upward into a homoclinal, coral‐dominated ramp. Deposition of Sequence S3 occurred during a eustatic cycle in quiet tectonic conditions. Its uppermost boundary, the major erosion surface SB2, is related to the Cala1 eustatic sea‐level fall. Finally, Sequence S4 (‘Calcaires à Acropora’) probably formed during the Calabrian, developing as a coral‐dominated platform during a eustatic cycle in quiet tectonic conditions. The final emergence of the island could then have occurred in Late Calabrian times.

Carbon-isotope and microfaunal stratigraphy bounding the Lower Aptian Oceanic Anoxic Event 1a in northeastern Tunisia

Using an integrated multidisciplinary approach the upper part of the Lower Cretaceous northeastern Tunisian Jebel Ammar sedimentary succession was examined in detail. The method applied included lithologic and microfacies analyses, micropalaeontology, sedimentology, variations in organic matter (OM) content and carbonate carbon stable isotope (δ13C) record. A major result was the identification in this sector of Tunisia of the Early Aptian (Bedoulian) OAE1a event in a biostratigraphically well-calibrated context, its location keyed to planktonic foraminiferal zones and isotopic stages.The most striking feature to the Jebel Ammar Aptian sequence is the presence of a 25 m interval of black limestones and marly limestones, of which the microfacies shows that these darker beds consist of wackestones with the presence of abundant radiolarians, a fair number of diversified planktonic and relatively rare benthic foraminifers, together an indication of a pelagic palaeoenvironment. The foraminiferal marker Schackoina (Leupoldina) cabri (still very rare at the beginning of its range) first occurs about six metres above the base of this interval, but becomes much more abundant in its uppermost part, together with the radially- elongate-chambered praehedbergellids. This “acme” of S. (L.) cabri is nearly contemporary with a radiolarian bloom. Rock Eval analyses show TOC values up to 4.59% and a Tmax ranging between 441 and 513 °C, which indicates an overmature OM. The δ13C isotope curve shows an evolution similar to those recognized worldwide. The lower part of the darker beds includes a marked shift in isotope values from −2.40 to +3.02 ‰/PDB. This increase is assumed to be equivalent to the isotopic C4 stage of Menegatti et al. (1998, Paleoceanography, 13, 530–545). The signature of the middle and upper part of the isotopic curve is tentatively interpreted as comprising the C5–C7 stages. The first occurrence of S. (L.) cabri is located in the upper part of C4 and its acme as well as the radiolarian bloom is situated within the span of the C7 stage. These results are fairly consistent, though with minor discrepancies, with what has been published from several parts of the North Tethyan margin and more particularly the Lower Aptian type area of southeastern France, where S. (L.) cabri first occurs at the C3/C4 stage boundary with an acme that begins in the lower part of C7.

Planktonic foraminiferal and calcareous nannofossil biostratigraphy and magnetostratigraphy of the uppermost Campanian and Maastrichtian at Zumaia, northern Spain

The well-exposed and continuous uppermost Cretaceous in the coastal section of Zumaia (northern Spain) crops out as cyclic, deep-water, hemipelagic carbonate-rich sediments of significant geological interest. We present a new, high-resolution calibration of planktonic foraminiferal and calcareous nannofossil biostratigraphic datums, alongside new magnetostratigraphy. Six planktonic foraminiferal zones (Rugoglobigerina rotundata to Pseudoguembelina hariaensis) and nine nannofossil (sub)zones (UC15eTP? to UC20dTP) have been identified, encompassing the uppermost Campanian through uppermost Maastrichtian. Magnetostratigraphic data were obtained from the lower half of the section, where chrons C31r and C31n have been identified; the lithological nature of the upper part of the section provided spurious palaeomagnetic results. According to these data, the Campanian/Maastrichtian (C/M) boundary lies in Chron C31r at Zumaia. Differences between the planktonic foraminiferal and nannofossil datums at Zumaia and those from the Tercis boundary stratotype section (France) suggest that the biostratigraphic criteria used to identify the C/M boundary are problematic. We propose, therefore, two alternative, key biostratigraphic datums with which to determine the stratigraphic position of this boundary: the stratigraphic base occurrence datum (BO) of the planktonic foraminifer Pseudoguembelina palpebra and the top occurrence datum (TO) of the nannofossil Broinsonia parca subsp. constricta. The C31r/C31n magnetic polarity reversal, and the BOs of the planktonic foraminifer Racemiguembelina fructicosa and the nannofossil Lithraphidites quadratus are events that may prove useful in formally defining the lower/upper Maastrichtian boundary.

Palaeobathymetric gradients across Timor during 5.7–3.3 Ma (latest Miocene–Pliocene) and implications for collision uplift

Palaeobathymetry is interpreted for the oldest post-collision deposits present in Timor. The distributions of planktonic and benthic foraminifera in chalk, marl and mudstone successions that accumulated during 5.7–3.3Ma form the bases for age zonation and water-depth interpretation. Data from 77 samples collected from 11 stratigraphic sections in East Timor are combined with information previously published from several sections in West Timor to provide control points for palaeobathymetric contouring. The bathymetric reconstruction is based on interpreted water depths at the control points in combination with aspects of the spatial geology of Timor.Speculative bathymetric contours are illustrated for time slices represented by three planktonic foraminiferal zones: N18 (~5.5–5.7Ma), N19r (~4.3–5.5Ma), and N20r (~3.3–4.3Ma). Studied samples provide evidence for three bathymetric zones (500–1000m, 1000–1500m, and 1500–2500m) and suggestions are made for the positions of the 500m, 1000m and 1500m contours during each time slice. The contours show only very gradual variation from 5.7Ma to 3.3Ma, and suggest a deepening bathymetric gradient from the northern region (where the structurally deepest part of the orogenic pile, the Aileu Metamorphic Complex, is now exposed) to the south, east and west.The contour maps provide a suggestion for visualizing the topography of the evolving orogenic pile that forms Timor from about 5.7Ma through to 3.3Ma. The relatively undeformed friable chalk and marl deposits of Zone 18 (5.7–5.5Ma) overlie highly deformed and diagenetically more altered strata. This indicates that the initial phase of collision between the Australian continent and the Banda Arc took place prior to 5.7–5.5Ma rather than later during the Pliocene or Pleistocene as some authors have suggested. Because of lack of substantiated stratigraphic evidence from anywhere in Timor for the 9.8–5.7Ma interval (covering much of the Late Miocene) the antecedent topography cannot be determined. The bathymetric reconstructions for 5.7–3.3Ma suggest that a deep foreland basin (precursor of the present Timor Sea) had developed by 5.7Ma with uplifted areas to the north in an emerging island.

Nukhul Formation in Wadi Baba, southwest Sinai Peninsula, Egypt

ABSTRACTThe Nukhul Formation is the oldest syn-rift rock unit in the Gulf of Suez rift system in Egypt. The age of the formation is inadequately resolved by biostratigraphy and it is generally assigned to the Lower Miocene by stratigraphic position. For this study a surface section was measured and sampled at Wadi Baba, located in the southwestern Sinai Peninsula. It yielded 17 planktonic foraminiferal species and 17 foraminiferal benthonic species. The planktonic foraminiferal assemblage was used to divide the formation into two planktonic foraminiferal zones: (1) Globigerina ciperoensis Zone (O6) of Late Oligocene Chattian age; and (2) Globigerinoides primordius Zone (M1) of Early Miocene Aquitanian age. The two zones coincide with depositional sequences: (1) Chattian Lower Nukhul Sequence, with its upper boundary coinciding with the Chattian/Aquitanian (Oligocene/Miocene) boundary; and (2) Aquitanian Upper Nukhul Sequence, with its upper sequence boundary coinciding with the Aquitanian/Burdigalian boundary.

Upper Cretaceous volcanoclastic-sedimentary formations in the Timok Eruptive Area (eastern Serbia): new biostratigraphic data from planktonic foraminifera

Upper Cretaceous volcanoclastic-sedimentary formations in the Timok Eruptive Area (eastern Serbia): new biostratigraphic data from planktonic foraminifera The biostratigraphy of the Upper Cretaceous volcanoclastic-sedimentary formations cropping out in the Timok Eruptive Area of the eastern Serbian Carpatho-Balkanides is presented. Four lithostratigraphic units of formation rank are recognized in the Timok area: Stublica Clastics (Upper Albian/Cenomanian), Oštrelj (Lower Turonian/Santonian), Bor Clastics (Campanian/Maastrichtian) and Bukovo (Campanian/?Maastrichtian). Forty two species of planktonic foraminifera have been determined in the studied area. Eight planktonic foraminiferal zones of Middle Cenomanian through Middle Campanian age have been recognized. These are: Thalmanninella reicheli Interval Zone (Middle Cenomanian), Rotalipora cushmani Taxon Range Zone (Upper Cenomanian), Helvetoglobotruncana helvetica Taxon Range Zone (Lower Turonian), Marginotruncana sigali-Dicarinella primitiva Interval Zone (Upper Turonian to lowermost Coniacian), Dicarinella concavata Interval Zone (Lower Coniacian to lowermost Santonian), Dicarinella asymetrica Taxon Range Zone (Santonian), Globotruncanita elevata Interval Zone (Lower Campanian) and the Globotruncana ventricosa Interval Zone (Middle Campanian). The scarcity or lack of zonal species in the Lower Cenomanian and Upper Campanian/Maastrichtian strata prevents recognition of the nominal zones. The Upper Cretaceous planktonic foraminiferal zones from the Timok Eruptive Area are correlated with coeval zones from adjacent regions of Bulgaria and Romania and from other Tethyan regions.

Biostratigraphy and paleoecology of the Burdigalian-Serravallian sediments in Wadi Sudr (Gulf of Suez, Egypt): comparison with the Central Paratethys evolution

Biostratigraphy and paleoecology of the Burdigalian-Serravallian sediments in Wadi Sudr (Gulf of Suez, Egypt): comparison with the Central Paratethys evolutionTwo main Miocene facies were recorded in the Gulf of Suez area: a deep marine and a coastal facies. The analysed sections in the Wadi Sudr area belong to the marine facies. The Lower Miocene (Burdigalian) is represented by coastal, shallow marine sediments, rich in coral, algae, gastropods and large pectinids followed by Langhian open marine sediments and Serravallian lagoonal carbonates. The open marine sediments contain well preserved planktonic and benthic foraminifers and abundant ostracods. The parts of the sections containing foraminifers have been correlated with three planktonic foraminiferal zones (Praeorbulina glomerosa Zone, Orbulina ZoneandGloborotalia praemenardii-Globorotalia peripherorondaZone). Two benthic ecozones were defined (Heterolepa dutemplei-Laevidentalina elegans ZoneandBolivina compressa-Elphidiumspp. Zone). Two cycles of sea-level changes can be distinguished and correlated with global sea-level cycles Bur5/Lan1 and Ser1. The first (Langhian) cycle culminated in open marine sublittoral to upper bathyal well aerated sediments. The second (Serravallian) cycle was shallower, littoral suboxic sediments were overlaid by euryhaline carbonates. The studied foraminifera-bearing sediments can be correlated with the lower and Middle Badenian of the Central Paratethys. Though the area of the Gulf of Suez and the Central Paratethys were situated in different climatic zones, and influenced by different tectonic events, the main paleoenvironmental events (sea-level changes, oxygen decrease, salinity changes) are comparable. This correspondence shows that the decisive factors triggering these events were global climatic events.

Integrated Oligocene−Lower Miocene Larger and Planktonic Foraminiferal Biostratigraphy of the Kahramanmaraş Basin (Southern Anatolia, Turkey)

An integrated biostratigraphical analysis based on the larger and planktonic foraminifera from three sections provides a well-defined zonal scheme of the Oligocene-Lower Miocene successions in the Kahramanmaraş Basin. The planktonic foraminiferal zonation is based on a combination of standard (P) and Mediterranean (MMi) zonal schemes and consists of Turborotalia ampliapertura (P19), Globigerina angulisuturalis-Paragloborotalia opima opima (P21), Globigerina ciperoensis (P22) biozones spanning the Upper Rupelian-Chattian interval and Globoquadrina dehiscens-Globigerinoides altiaperturus (MMi 2a), Globigerinoides altiaperturus-Catapsydrax dissimilis (MMi 2b) and Globigerinoides trilobus (MMi 3) biozones in the Upper Aquitanian-Burdigalian interval. The larger foraminiferal zonation of the studied successions has been established by means of European shallow benthic foraminiferal zonation (SBZ). This zonal scheme consists of SB 22B-23 Zone and SB 23 Zone in the Chattian, SB 24 Zone in the Aquitanian and SB 25 Zone in the Burdigalian. By integrating the established foraminiferal zonal schemes, the stratigraphical ranges of some larger foraminifera with planktonic foraminiferal zones have been calibrated. According to the integrated zonation the FO of Nephrolepidina morgani falls into the P21 Zone; Nummulites vascus and Eulepidina dilatata last occur in the P22 Zone; Miolepidocyclina burdigalensis, Miogypsina intermedia and Borelis curdica first occur in the MMi 2b Subzone, whereas Nephrolepidina spp. last occur within the same subzone.

Ntegrated stratigraphy of St. Peter's Pool section (Malta): New age for the Upper Globigerina Limestone member and progress towards the Langhian GSSP

The St. Peter’s Pool section, that outcrops at Delimara Peninsula (south-eastern part of Malta Island), belongs to the Upper Globigerina Limestone, the youngest member of the Globigerina Limestone formation. The high resolution integrated study performed on it revealed the great potentiality of this section for a further development of the Mediterranean Langhian biostratigraphy and for a better understanding of the geology of the Maltese Archipelago. Calcareous plankton quantitative analyses allowed the definition of several bioevents with a great potential for biostratigraphic studies. Some of them are already well-known, such as the Helicosphera ampliaperta LCO (Last Common Occurrence), the paracme interval of Sphenolithus heteromorphus and the Acmea interval of Paragloborotalia siakensis, while the potential of Paragloborotalia bella LCO and the P. siakensis Acme0 are documented for the first time in the Mediterranean area. Other bioevents were recognized through qualitative analyses, such as the Paragloborotalia acrostoma LO (Last Occurrence), the Globigerinoides sicanus FO (First Occurrence), the Paragloborotalia birnageae LO, the Globorotalia mariae mariae FO and the P. bella LO. The St. Peter’s Pool section is characterized by a continuous sedimentation from the upper part of MMi3 Zone to the lower part of MMi4c Subzone of planktonic foraminiferal zonation of Di Stefano et al. (2008) and from the uppermost part of MNN4a Zone to the lower part of MNN5a Zone of calcareous nannofossil zonation (Di Stefano et al. 2008). The magnetostratigraphic interpretation, though rather uncertain, enabled us to identify the C5Cn–C5Br interval. On the basis of the bio-magnetostratigraphic events recognized in the St. Peter’s Pools section, we were able: i) to date the base of the Upper Globigerina Limestone member outcropping in the Delimara Peninsula; ii) to obtain the Burdigalian age for the Upper Globigerina Limestone member, that is the oldest ever recognized in the Maltese Archipelago and iii) to propose this section as potential candidate for the definition of the Langhian GSSP (Global Stratotype Section and Point), thanks to the high quality of calcareous plankton content, the deep paleoenvironmental setting, the suitability for future cyclostratigraphic studies and, finally, the easy accessibility to the outcrops.

On the age of the Early/Middle Eocene boundary and other related events: cyclostratigraphic refinements from the Pyrenean Otsakar section and the Lutetian GSSP

AbstractAn integrated bio-, magneto- and cyclostratigraphic study of the Ypresian/Lutetian (Early/Middle Eocene) transition along the Otsakar section resulted in the identification of the C22n/C21r chron boundary and of the calcareous nannofossil CP12a/b zonal boundary; the latter is the main correlation criterion of the Lutetian Global Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) recently defined at Gorrondatxe (Basque Country). By counting precession-related mudstone–marl couplets of 21 ka, the time lapse between both events was calculated to be 819 ka. This suggests that the age of the CP12a/b boundary, and hence that of the Early/Middle Eocene boundary, is 47.76 Ma, 250 ka younger than previously thought. This age agrees with, and is supported by, estimates from Gorrondatxe based on the time lapse between the Lutetian GSSP and the C21r/C21n boundary. The duration of Chron C21r is estimated at 1.326 Ma. Given that the base of the Eocene is dated at 55.8 Ma, the duration of the Early Eocene is 8 Ma, 0.8 Ma longer than in current time scales. The Otsakar results further show that the bases of planktonic foraminiferal zones E8 and P10 are younger than the CP12a/b boundary. The first occurrence ofTurborotalia frontosa, being approximately 550 ka older that the CP12a/b boundary, is the planktonic foraminiferal event that lies closest to the Early/Middle Eocene boundary. The larger foraminiferal SBZ12/13 boundary is located close to the CP12a/b boundary and correlates with Chron C21r, not with the C22n/C21r boundary.

New biostratigraphic, magnetostratigraphic and isotopic insights into the Middle Eocene Climatic Optimum in low latitudes

The Middle Eocene Climatic Optimum (MECO) was a warming event that interrupted the long-term Eocene cooling trend. While this event is well documented at high southern and mid-latitudes, it is poorly known from low latitudes and its timing and duration are not well constrained because of problems of hiati, microfossil preservation and weak magnetic polarity in key sedimentary sections. Here, we report the results of a study designed to improve the bio-, magneto- and chemostratigraphy of the MECO interval using high-resolution records from two low-latitude sections in the Atlantic Ocean, Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Sites 1051 and 1260. We present the first detailed benthic foraminiferal stable isotope records of the MECO from the low latitudes as well as the biostratigraphic counts of Orbulinoides beckmanni and new magnetostratigraphic results. Our data demonstrate a ~ 750 kyr-long duration for the MECO characterized by increasing δ 13C and decreasing δ 18O, with minimum δ 18O values lasting ~ 40 kyr at 40.1 Ma coincident with a short-lived negative δ 13C excursion. Thereafter, δ 18O and δ 13C values recover rapidly. The shift to minimum δ 18O values at 40.1 Ma is coincident with a marked increase in the abundance of the planktonic foraminifera O. beckmanni, consistent with its inferred warm-water preference. O. beckmanni is an important Eocene biostratigraphic marker, defining planktonic foraminiferal Zone E12 with its lowest and highest occurrences (LO and HOs). Our new records reveal that the LO of O. beckmanni is distinctly diachronous, appearing ~ 500 kyr earlier in the equatorial Atlantic than in the subtropics (40.5 versus 41.0 Ma). We also show that, at both sites, the HO of O. beckmanni at 39.5 Ma is younger than the published calibrations, increasing the duration of Zone E12 by at least 400 kyr. In accordance with the tropical origins of O. beckmanni, this range expansion to higher latitudes may have occurred in response to sea surface warming during the MECO and subsequently disappeared with cooling of surface waters.

Calcareous nannofossils from the Gurpi Formation (Lower Santonian-Maastrichtian), faulted Zagros range, western Shiraz, Iran

The Gurpi section in western Shiraz, faulted Zagros range of southwestern Iran, contains one of the most complete Early Santonian to Late Maastrichtian sequences. The lack of a good fundamental paleontological study is a strong motivation for investigating calcareous nannofossils in southwestern Iran. The Gurpi Formation is mainly made up of grey shale. As a result of this study, 23 genera and 47 species of nannofossils have been identified for the first time. This confirms the existence of biozones CC14–CC26, which suggests the age of Early Santonian to Late Maastrichtian. All Early Santonian to Late Maastrichtian calcareous nannofossil biozones from CC14 (equivalent to the Micula decussate Zone) to CC26 (equivalent to the Nephrolithus frequens Zone) are discussed. Additionally, the zonal subdivision of this section based on calcareous nannofossils, is correlated with planktonic foraminiferal zones (Dicarinella asymetrica Zone to Abathomphalus mayaroensis Zone). We can also learn about the predominant conditions of the studied sedimentary basin that was in fact a part of the Neotethys basin with the existence of index species of calcareous nannofossils indicating a warm climate and high depths of the basin in low latitudes.

Miocene Kareem Sequence, Gulf of Suez, Egypt

ABSTRACTThe Miocene Kareem Formation in the Egyptian Gulf of Suez, and its equivalent formations throughout the Red Sea (250–550 m thick), contain one of the most important petroleum reservoirs in these highly faulted rift basins. They present a difficult exploration target, particularly over the shelves of the sparsely explored Red Sea for several reasons: (1) water depth exceeds one kilometer, (2) they underlie thick evaporites (including salt exceeding one kilometer in thickness), (3) they are difficult to image by conventional seismic techniques, and (4) their lithology is laterally variable and difficult to predict (anhydrite, carbonate, sandstone, shale and marl). The target Red Sea formations are best controlled by boreholes in the Gulf of Suez, where the Kareem Formation and its members are characterized by various synonymous units. A review of representative data and interpretations shows that the formation and its members are better understood when considered as a third-order, transgressive-regressive (T-R) depositional sequence, named the Kareem Sequence in the Middle East Geologic Time Scale (ME GTS). The Sequence is bounded above by the Belayim Sequence Boundary (Sub-Belayim Unconformity) and below by the Kareem Sequence Boundary (Sub-Kareem Unconformity), both corresponding to major sea-level lowstands. It contains the Arabian Plate Langhian Maximum Flooding Surface Neogene 30 (MFS Ng30) at the top of the Kareem Maximum Flooding Interval (MFI). Its lower Rahmi Member forms the majority of the transgressive systems tract (TST). The Kareem MFI and regressive systems tract (RST or HST) occur within the upper Shagar Member. The paleontology of the Formation is characterized by Planktonic Foraminiferal Zone N9 and in recent papers also N8, and Calcareous Nannofossil Biozone NN5, but the Formation’s assignment to Miocene stages (Burdigalian, Langhian and Serravallian) is unresolved in the literature.In this paper, the Kareem Sequence is interpreted in terms of Kareem subsequences 1 to 6. At semi-regional scales (10s of km), the older three are each represented by an anhydrite bed (Rahmi Anhydrite 1 to 3, each c. 10 m thick) overlain by deep-marine deposits (shale, marl and carbonate, 10s of meters thick). Subsequences 4 to 6 are represented in El Morgan field (Kareem A to C units), and in representative boreholes, by three deep-marine shale/marl units, each of which is overlain by a regressive shallow-marine sandstone unit. The Kareem Sequence is correlated to third-order orbital sequence DS3 1.1 with a depositional period of ca. 2.43 million years between ca. 16.1 and 13.7 million years before present (Ma), or numerically the latest Burdigalian, Langhian and earliest Serravallian (Langhian: 15.97–13.65 Ma in GTS 2004; 15.97–13.82 Ma in GTS 2009). The six subsequences are correlated to the orbital 405,000 year eccentricity cycle (referred to as Stratons 40–35 or DS4 1.1.1 to 1.1.6). The older three subsequences form the transgressive systems tract; the fourth contains the maximum flooding interval MFI (ca. 14.9–14.7 Ma) in its lower part. The regressive systems tract starts in the upper part of the fourth subsequence and encompasses subsequences 5 and 6. The orbital architecture of the Sequence provides a simplified framework for predicting lithology and reservoir development.The six Kareem subsequences carry the orbital-forcing glacio-eustatic signal. During low eccentricity, Antarctic ice-making and global sea-level drops, the northernmost Gulf of Suez and Bab Al Mandeb Strait restricted marine circulation in the Gulf and Red Sea rift basins. The resulting evaporitic setting was associated with the deposition of the Rahmi Anhydrite 1 to 3 beds and exposure over paleohighs. The deeper-marine deposits above the three Rahmi Anhydrite beds, and those of subsequences 4 to 6 reflect high eccentricity, Antarctic ice-melting, global sea-level rises, pluvial conditions at low latitudes (10–30oN), and open-marine circulation in the Red Sea. During pluvial periods, fluvio-deltaic systems prevailed over the mountainous rift shoulders and coastal plains and carried massive clastics into the Gulf and Red Sea Basins.

浮遊性有孔虫化石帯PF7下部（下部天徳寺層、西山層下部）の細分と基準面(Marker A0)の提唱

浮遊性有孔虫化石帯PF7下部（下部天徳寺層、西山層下部）の細分と基準面(Marker A0)の提唱

The Abiod at Ellès (Tunisia): stratigraphies, Campanian-Maastrichtian boundary, correlation

In central Tunisia near the village of Elles is Wadi Ed Dam. There the Abiod Formation, underlain by the Kef marls and capped by the El Haria marls, crops out in an almost uninterrupted exposure about 286 m thick. In view of its possible use as a regional litho- and bio- stratigraphic reference section for the southern border of the Tunisian trough it is examined in detail here. Fossils studied include foraminifera (115 samples representing 6 micropaleontologic zones, see chart) and ammonites. The biohorizons established are based on the first (FO) or last occurrence (LO) of certain species of planktonic foraminifers in addition to the FO of already established foraminiferal zonal markers. Ammonite markers found include both the FO and LO of some forms, or just one or the other. The location of the Campanian-Maastrichtian (Cp-Ma) boundary time line at Elles is established by comparison with that determined at Kalaat-Senan and with that of the international stratotype of Tercis (France), ratified by the International Union of Geological Sciences. At Kalaat-Senan the Cp-Ma boundary is set at the lower third of the upper indurated limestone bar of the Abiod Formation - the Ncham Member. Its location at Kalaat-Senan is based on the upper limit of occurrence of Nostoceras (Nostoceras) hyatti and Pseudokossmaticeras brandti together with the FO of Nostoceras magdadiae, a Maastrichtian ammonite. At Elles several of these same markers are present, along with the respective planktonic foraminiferal zones. The length in years of some lithologic units and paleontologic zones in the Upper Cretaceous succession of wadi Ed Dam was calculated using cyclostratigraphy. The Abiod Formation represents 13.2 Ma, the Radotruncana calcarata zone 0.79 Ma, and the Nostoceras (Bostrychoceras) polyplocum zone 0.97 Ma. A proposed subdivision of the Upper Campanian is recommended at the base of the Bostrychoceras zone. Li et alii's 1999 proposal for fixing the location of the Cp-Ma boundary at the top of a limestone bed in the El Haria marls is reviewed.

Biostratigraphy of the Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary in the Sirwan Valley (Sulaimani Region, Kurdistan, NE Iraq)

Biostratigraphy of the Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary in the Sirwan Valley (Sulaimani Region, Kurdistan, NE Iraq)The Cretaceous/Tertiary (K/T) boundary sequence, which crops out in the studied area is located within the High Folded Zone, in the Sirwan Valley, northeastern Iraq. These units mainly consist of flysch and flysch-type successions of thick clastic beds of Tanjero/Kolosh Formations. A detailed lithostratigraphic study is achieved on the outcropping uppermost part of the Upper Cretaceous successions (upper part of Tanjero Formation) and the lowermost part of the Kolosh Formation. On the basis of the identified planktonic foraminiferal assemblages, five biozones are recorded from the uppermost part of Tanjero Formation and four biozones from the lower part of the Kolosh Formation (Lower Paleocene) in the Sirwan section. The biostratigraphic correlations based on planktonic foraminiferal zonations showed a comparison between the biostratigraphic zones established in this study and other equivalents of the commonly used planktonic zonal scheme around the Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary in and outside Iraq.

ONSET OF SEAWATER 87SR/86SR EXCURSION PRIOR TO CENOMANIAN-TURONIAN OCEANIC ANOXIC EVENT 2? NEW LATE CRETACEOUS STRONTIUM ISOTOPE CURVE FROM THE CENTRAL PACIFIC OCEAN

A seawater Sr isotopic excursion toward lower values across the Cenomanian/Turonian boundary has been interpreted to indicate an episode of mantle plume volcanism that might have ultimately triggered Oceanic Anoxic Event (OAE) 2. However, the standard Sr isotope curve is not definitive enough to confirm the exact coincidence of the onset of the 87 Sr/ 86 Sr excursion and the genesis of OAE 2, as revealed by the black shale deposition or positive δ 13 C excursion. New high-precision 87 Sr/ 86 Sr data from Upper Cretaceous chalks in a diagenetically well-constrained Pacific deep-sea section (Deep Sea Drilling Project Site 463), in conjunction with δ 13 C stratigraphy and revised planktonic foraminiferal zonation, show that the onset of the 87 Sr/ 86 Sr shift might have predated OAE 2, presumably by >0.6 m.y. Our results point to the possibility that the massive volcanism and associated Cenomanian–Turonian global change might have preconditioned the climatic and oceanic regimes for OAE 2, but not have actually triggered the event.

Hemipelagic cephalopods from the Maastrichtian (late Cretaceous) Parras Basin at La Parra, Coahuila, Mexico, and their implications for the correlation of the lower Difunta Group

Abstract Few biostratigraphic data exist from the Parras and La Popa basins, mainly due to the absence of index fossils. This paper describes 19 ammonoid species from 15 genera and 1 nautilid from La Parra, southeastern Coahuila, Mexico. The assemblage consists of Tethyan [(Baculites ovatus, Brahmaites (Anabrahmaites) vishnu, Fresvillia constricta, Hauericeras rembda, Pachydiscus (P.) ex gr. neubergicus, Solenoceras reesidei, Tetragonites cf. superstes], cosmopolitan (Anagaudryceras politissimum, Desmophyllites diphylloides, Diplomoceras cylindraceum, Gaudryceras kayei, Phyllopachyceras forbesianum, Pseudophyllites indra), and cold water taxa [Fresvillia teres, Hypophylloceras (Neophylloceras) surya, H. (N.) hetonaiense, Pachydiscus (P.) cf. egertoni]. Eutrephoceras sp. and Menuites juv. sp. were not determined to species level. A similar assemblage was recently described from the coeval Mendez Formation at Cerralvo, Nuevo Leon. Species endemic to North America, particularly the Western Interior Seaway, are absent at La Parra. The ammonoid assemblage and associated planktonic foraminifers allow for precise biostratigraphic assignation to the early Maastrichtian planktonic foraminiferal zone CF 5, and thus provide an important marker level for correlation of the lower Difunta Group. The new biostratigraphic data presented herein allow for the first time precise dating of the Canon del Tule Formation of the Difunta Group. Their combination with existing sequence- and magnetostratigraphic data improve the correlation of the lower Difunta Group with time-equivalent lithostratigraphic units such as the Cardenas Formation in Mexico. They also provide new insight into ammonoid migration patterns induced by sea-level changes. Baculites ovatus migrated into the La Popa Basin as a result of the sea-level highstand documented at La Parra.

Biostratigraphy of larger foraminifera in the Eocene (upper Ypresian-lower Bartonian) sequences of the Southern Slope of the Western Caucasus (Russia, NE Black Sea). Correlation with regional and standard planktonic foraminiferal zones

The biostratigraphic analysis of two Eocene (Upper Ypresian-Lower Bartonian) sections located on the Southern Slope of the Western Caucasus (Inal and Loo sections in the Tuapse and Sochi districts, respectively) was carried out using planktonic and larger foraminifera. The planktonic foraminiferal assemblages recorded in these southern sections were similar to those recorded in the North Caucasian region and enabled to recognize the lower Ypresian to lower Bartonian zones of the local Caucasian biostratigraphic scale. The turbiditic sedimentary processes recorded in these sections affected the composition of larger foraminiferal assemblages, which is mostly represented by nummulitids and orthophragmines. Although the larger foraminiferal assemblages are typical of the Peritethys and also resemble those reported in the Northern Caucasian region, the Tethyan SBZ zonal scheme could be applied and SBZ11 to 15/16 zones were identified (at least late Ypresian to middle Lutetian). This integrated study improves the correlation between the planktonic and benthonic local biostratigraphic scales in the Caucasus and allows their correlation with the standard and other biostratigraphic scales in neighbouring Tethyan regions.

Biostratigraphic characterization by means of ammonoids of the lower Aptian Oceanic Anoxic Event (OAE 1a) in the eastern Iberian Chain (Maestrat Basin, eastern Spain)

It is now generally accepted that the Oceanic Anoxic Event 1a [OAE 1a] correlates with the lower part of the Leupoldina cabri planktonic foraminiferal Zone. Its calibration against the standard ammonite scale, however, seems to be more problematic. This is due, in part, to the fact that ammonites are scarce and/or of little diagnostic value from a biochronological viewpoint in the lower Aptian pelagic successions where the black shale horizons are better developed. We have been able to characterize OAE 1a geochemically in the relatively shallow water deposits of the eastern Iberian Chain (Maestrat Basin, eastern Spain), where ammonite faunas are rich. The interval corresponding to this event is dominated by the genera Roloboceras and Megatyloceras, accompanied by Deshayesites forbesi and Deshayesites gr. euglyphus/spathi. This assemblage is characteristic of the middle/upper part of the Deshayesites weissi Zone. The first occurrence of the species Deshayesites deshayesi (d'Orbigny), which marks the base of the overlying zone, takes place in our sections some metres above the OAE 1a interval. In the historical stratotype region of Cassis-La Bédoule (southern Provence Basin, southeastern France), the OAE 1a interval is also characterized by the presence of Roloboceras and Megatyloceras. Nevertheless, it has usually been correlated with the D. deshayesi Zone. In our opinion, this discrepancy is due to divergences in the taxonomic assignments of the deshayesitids present in these beds. In fact, the specimens attributed by French authors [Ropolo, P., Conte, G., Gonnet, R., Masse, J.P., Moullade, M., 2000. Les faunes d'Ammonites du Barrémien supérieur/Aptien inférieur (Bédoulien) dans la région stratotypique de Cassis-La Bédoule (SE France): état des connaissances et propositions pour une zonation par Ammonites du Bédoulien-type. Géologie Méditerranéenne 25, 167–175; Ropolo, P., Moullade, M., Gonnet, R., Conte, G., Tronchetti, G., 2006. The Deshayesitidae Stoyanov, 1949 (Ammonoidea) of the Aptian historical stratotype region at Cassis-La Bédoule (SE France), Carnets de Géologie / Notebooks on Geology Memoir 2006/01, 1–46.] to D. deshayesi and D. dechyi can be reinterpreted as belonging to D. forbesi. Following this reinterpretation, the Roloboceras beds (equivalent of OAE 1a) of Cassis-La Bédoule would also correspond to the D. weissi Zone. This age is additionally corroborated by data from southern England [Casey, R., 1961a. The stratigraphical palaeontology of the Lower Greensand. Palaeontology 3, 487–621; Casey, R., 1961b. A Monograph of the Ammonoidea of the Lower Greensand, part III. Palaeontographical Society, London, pp. 119–216], and by our recent observations in Le Teil (Ardèche Platform, southeastern France), where the Roloboceras faunas are also associated with Deshayesites consobrinus and Deshayesites gr. euglyphus, taxa that are characteristic of the D. weissi Zone.