Title Information

Münchner Geowissenschaftliche Abhandlungen
Reihe A: Geologie und Paläontologie

Volume 24

KUHN, Winfried: Paleozäne und untereozäne Benthos-Foraminiferen des bayerischen und salzburgischen Helvetikums – Systematik, Stratigraphie und Palökologie 1992. [in German] – 224 pp., 6 figures, 7 tables, 36 plates. 29.7 x 21.0 cm. Paperback ISBN 978-3-923871-51-3 Euro 40.00 series: MGA, Reihe A: Geologie und Paläontologie order now

Abstract

Paleocene and Lower Eocene Foraminifera from the Helvetic Zone of eastern Bavaria and Salzburg, Austria, are described and figured. 334 taxa and 302 species and subspecies belonging to 101 genera and 31 families have been recognized. Three new species Cribrebella traubi, Cibicidoides campanella and Epistomina pozaryskae have been erected. Based on high diversity of the planktonic foraminifera most of the samples were correlated with the international planktonic foraminiferal zonation. The stratigraphic sequence of the studied sediments extends from Lower Paleocene (pseudobulloides-zone, P 1b) to Lower Eocene (? formosa-zone, P 7).

During the Paleocene the rich and high diverse benthonic foraminiferal assemblages had been of Midwayan type corresponding to middle/outer shelf depth. Inner shelf elements are present in most samples which is documented in STEHLI's triangular plots. For every established P-zone benthonic foraminiferal assemblages were developed. The estimated water depth of Paleocene assemblages did not exceed 200 m. Since Upper Paleocene / Lower Eocene times shallow water conditions existed. These features suggest a middle/outer shelf realm, far away from the continent and controlled by islands.

The close faunistic relations to the assemblages of Poland refer to an elongated shelf sea connected across the Polish and Swedish realm with that of the North-Atlantic. On the other hand connections existed to Tunisia and to the USA Gulf Coastal Plain.

Based upon this data it seems that during Paleocene Europe was completely surrounded by shelf seas.