Problems in Paleogene and Neogene Correlations Based on Planktonic Foraminifera

• Published in: Micropaleontology
• Main Authors: Bolli, H. M., Krasheninnikov, V. A.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: American Museum of Natural History 1977
• Subjects: Pacific; Planktonic foraminifera
• Online Access: https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/35657/; https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/35657/1/Bolli1.pdf; https://doi.org/10.2307/1485408

Paleogene and Neogene world-wide distribution patterns of planktonic foraminifera are discussed. Differences in environmental conditions, mainly changing water temperatures, are regarded as the principal factors controlling the occurrence and distribution of individual species. Species associations caused by natural barriers, such as the Isthmus of Panama, may also develop at similar latitudes. Furthermore, anomalous distribution patterns, resulting from the exclusion of certain species at the expense of others are also known within the same area. As a result of all these differing species distributions numerous zonal schemes were proposed, some of which are herein shown on figures 1 and 6. Correlation problems that necessarily arise from this are discussed for a number of selected areas and sections. For the Paleogene, examples are discussed from the Caucausus-Crimea and eastern Mediterranean, where faunal differences are caused by climatic and facies changes. In the Neogene of the Caribbean-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific, different faunal developments and distribution patterns may occur at similar latitudes. A good example of temporary exclusion of certain species is found within the Caribbean, where during the presence of Globorotalia miocenica Palmer, G. exilis, and G. pertenuis Beard in the Middle Pliocene, Pulleniatina sp. and to a large degree also Globorotalia menardii (d'Orbigny) have disappeared, to return only after the extinction of the first named group of species.