Laffitteina from the Maastrichtian-Paleocene shallow marine carbonate successions of the Eastern Pontides (NE Turkey): biozonation and microfacies

Microfacies and benthic foraminiferal assemblages from the Maastrichtian-Paleocene shallow-marine carbonate successions of the Eastern Pontides (NE Turkey) are described and illustrated. Microfacies comprise fossiliferous intrasparites, packed biomicrites/biosparites, rudistid biosparites, gastropod-biosparites, miliolid biomicrites/biosparites, coralline algal biosparites and intrabiosparites. Dolomite horizons occur in the Maastrichtian-Danian and Lower-Upper Paleocene transitions. Microfacies and microfossil content indicate deposition in shallow marine to lagoonal environments all within same sedimentary basin. The Shallow Benthic Foraminiferal Zonal (SBZ) Scheme proposed for the Tethyan Paleogene is tested on Eastern Pontian material. It cannot be applied to the Paleocene in the Eastern Pontides due to the presence of the large number of endemic taxa, and variable stratigraphic ranges of some benthic foraminifera. Various species of Laffitteina have been used to produce a biozonation through the Maastrichtian-Thanetian. Laffitteina marsicana FARINACCI and Laffitteina oeztuerki INAN occur in the lower and upper parts of the Upper Maastrichtian, respectively. Laffitteina turcica INAN occurs in the uppermost Maastrichtian. Laffitteina bibensis MARIE appears in the Lower Paleocene (Danian), Laffitteina erki (SIREL) in the Upper Paleocene (Selandian) and they coexist from the Selandian to the lower part of the Thanetian.