Turonian-Santonian radiolarians and planktonic foraminifers of the Upper Cretaceous sequences between Trabzon and Giresun areas in the Eastern Pontides, NE Turkey

In the “Eastern Pontides” (NE Turkey), the intense volcanic activity accompanying carbonate-siliceous sedimentation during the Late Cretaceous period ensured the occurrence of thick volcano-sedimentary sequences. Seventy-one radiolarian species belonging to 26 genera were identified from five stratigraphic sections of the Upper Cretaceous sequences between Trabzon and Giresun areas in NE Turkey. These species were obtained from the lower Turonian-lower Coniacian strata of the Çeşmeler Formation, the Coniacian-lower Santonian strata of the Elmalı Dere Formation and the upper Santonian strata of the Çağlayan Formation. Coniacian-Campanian fauna, consisting of planktonic foraminifera Hedbergella, Marginotruncana, Globotruncana, Whiteinella and biserial heterohelicids as well as radiolarians, was recovered from the red pelagic limestones of the Elmalı Dere Formation known as marker horizon.