Neogene and Quaternary planktonic foraminiferal biostratigraphy of the Canary Island region

Abstract

We examined planktonic foraminifers from Sites 953 and 954 in the Canary Island region. Site 953 is stratigraphically the best site with a complete Quaternary to middle Miocene sequence of pelagic and volcaniclastic sediments deposited in the sedimentary basin north of Gran Canaria. At Site 954, on the island flank, several distinct unconformities disrupt the sequence, complicating the biostratigraphy. We adopted the zonation of Berggren (1973, 1977) and Berggren et al. (1983, 1995b) and recognized several of Berggren's zones, although some difficulties arose because of the absence of many zonal markers from the area and the diachronism of several species. Additionally, preservation is poor in the Miocene, hindering zonal assignment by reducing or eliminating the more solution-susceptible species. We placed the Pliocene/Pleistocene boundary above the last occurrence of Globigerinoides obliquus extremus Bolli and Bermudez following the suggestion of Berggren et al. (1995b), because Globigerinoides fistulosus, whose last occurrence defines the base of Zone PT1, does not occur in our samples. We did not use the first occurrence of Globorotalia truncatulinoides (d'Orbigny) because it is diachronous in the Atlantic Ocean. We consider the highest occurrence of the planktonic foraminifer Globorotalia juanai Bermudez and Bolli a useful datum marker to define the Miocene/Pliocene boundary in the Canary Island region, where the last occurrence of Globoquadrina dehiscens (Chapman, Parr, and Collins), recorded within upper Chron C5n at Sites 953 and 954, and the first occurrence of Globorotalia tumida (Brady), which is rare and sporadic, are not useful for this purpose.

Geology and stratigraphy of the Neogene section along the Oued Beth between Dar bel Hamri and El Kansera (Rharb Basin, northwestern Morocco) and its otolith-based fish fauna: a faunal inventory for the Early Pliocene remigration into the Mediterranean

“…No fossils were found in the conglomerate and the sediments on the flanks of the Jebels. Samples taken from the outcrop at Sidi bou Sensal, the highest part of this unit, which may not be much thicker than 10-20 m in total, contained planktonic foraminifera, most commonly Sphaerodinellopsis Aze et al (2011) and Maniscalco and Brunner (1998) for the Globorotalia margaritae plexus. Occurrences in studied sections and related regional biostratigraphic events mainly after Wernli (1988), Barhoun and Bachiri Taoufiq (2008) and Yousfi et al (2013).…”

“…5,6r). The FOD of G. m. margaritae is given as 5.90 Ma by Maniscalco and Brunner (1998) and 5.95 Ma by Wade et al (2011), respectively, in the late Messinian and that of G. crassula (Fig. 6) within zone N18, but Chaisson and Pearson (1997) show it commencing only in the Early Pliocene.…”

“…Absolute range charts vary to some extent in the literature. I have followed mikrotax.org (Young et al, 2022) and Aze et al (2011) for the main part and Maniscalco and Brunner (1998) for the Globorotalia margaritae plexus. Occurrences in studied sections and related regional biostratigraphic events follow Wernli (1988), Bachiri Taoufiq (2008), andYousfi et al (2013).…”

“…6a) were found not associated with G. margaritae margaritae. The first occurrence date (FOD) of both subspecies is within the Messinian, but that of G. m. primitiva is considered by Maniscalco and Brunner (1998) to be earlier at about 6.55 Ma. This level at Kef Nsour and certain higher levels in various sections also contained a Globorotalia species apparently not reported in Wernli (1988) and interpreted here as possibly representing G. juanai?…”

Revision of the Messinian-Early Zanclean Sediments from ODP Hole 953C (Canary Island Archipelago, North-Eastern Atlantic): Biostratigraphy, Cyclostratigraphy, and Astronomical Tuning

“…The aim of this paper is (i) to present an biostratigraphy for the Messinian-early Zanclean of the Hole 953C, based on quantitative data of planktonic foraminifera (previous studies by [67,68] are to be considered inadequate for this research); (ii) to compare the bioevents recognized, with those occurring in other astronomically calibrated sections; (iii) to recognize other cyclic patterns for using as further control of the obtained astronomical calibration.…”