FORAMINIFERS AND RADIOLARIANS ACROSS THE ALBIAN-CENOMANIAN AND CENOMANIAN-TURONIAN BOUNDARIES (NORTHERN PERI-TETHYS)

Abstract

Changes in morphological diversity and taxonomic composition of late Albian-early Turonian foraminiferal and radiolarian assemblages from the northern Peri-Tethys are considered. Several stages are defined in evolution of planktonic foraminifers: polytaxic (Albian-Cenomanian), oligotaxic (Cenomanian-Turonian boundary period), and polytaxic (Turonian). The Albian-Cenomanian stage was characterized by intense development of rotaliporids representing an intricate group of planktonic foraminifers, which became extinct in the terminal Cenomanian. An intense speciation of the radiolarian genus Crolanium and last occurrences of its most species, the index species C. cuneatum included, was characteristic of the terminal Albian. Spheroid and discoid radiolarians were dominant in the Cenomanian, while the Turonian was marked by intense development of all the radiolarian morphotypes. © MAIK "Nauka/Interperiodica" 2006.