Mediterranean faunal evolution and biochronological events during the last 24 kyr

• Published in: Marine Micropaleontology
• Main Authors: Zouari, Sonda, Boussetta, Soumaya, Siani, Giuseppe, Tisnerat-laborde, Nadine, Thil, François, Kallel, Abdelaziz, Michel, Elisabeth, Kallel, Nejib
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier BV 2021
• Subjects: Mediterranean Sea; Planktonic foraminifera; SST; LGM; Bio-event; AMS(14)C; Greenland; ice core; NGRIP; North Atlantic
• Online Access: https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00691/80342/83427.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marmicro.2021.101997; https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00691/80342/

We generated high-resolution biochronological records in the Mediterranean Sea covering the period extending to the Late-glacial. The present study is based on micropaleontological, sea-surface temperature (SST) and oxygen isotopic analyses performed along three well-dated deep-sea cores: REC13–53, KET80–19 and MD84–641 recovered in the Siculo-Tunisian Strait, Tyrrhenian Sea and Levantine Basin, respectively. The quantitative distributional patterns of planktic foraminifera permitted to identify seven biozones based on the apparition and/or disappearance of the main specific taxa or by their noticeable abundance peaks. Abundance records display that major changes in planktic foraminiferal assemblages have a similar pattern mainly in central and western basins. In particular, four recognized bio-events can be used to establish or to improve the chronology of Mediterranean deep-sea cores. The comparison of the SST estimates and foraminiferal records with those of NGRIP ice-core shows a similarity between the Greenland climate and the Mediterranean hydrology. This indicates that the main climate changes recorded in the North Atlantic are globally in phase with those observed in the Mediterranean region.