Acta Geologica Polonica, Vol. 63 (2013), No. 1, pp. 89–104 DOI: 10.2478/agp-2013-0003 Palaeoenvironmental evolution of the Southern Alps across the Faraoni Level equivalent: new data from the Trento Plateau (Upper Hauterivian, Dolomites, N. Italy) ALEXANDER LUKENEDER1 AND PATRICK GRUNERT 2 1 Natural History Museum, Geological-Paleontological Department, Burgring 7, A-1010 Vienna, Austria. E-mail:
[email protected] 2 University of Graz, Institute for Earth Sciences, Heinrichstraße 26, A-8010 Graz, Austria. E-mail:
[email protected] ABSTRACT: Lukeneder, A. and Grunert, P. 2013. Palaeoenvironmental evolution of the Southern Alps across the Faraoni Level equivalent: new data from the Trento Plateau (Upper Hauterivian, Dolomites, N. Italy). Acta Geologica Polonica, 63 (1), 89–104. Warszawa. New stratigraphic and palaeoenvironmental data are presented for the northeastern part of the Trento Plateau (Puez area, Southern Alps, Italy). The studied section corresponds to the upper Hauterivian Balearites balearis and “Pseudothurmannia ohmi” ammonite zones and normal palaeomagnetic chron upper M5. A c. 30-cm-thick bed is identified as the equivalent of the Faraoni Level, based on its position within the Pseudothurmannia mortilleti Sub- 13 zone, the composition of its ammonite fauna and the peak of a minor positive trend in the δ Cbulk record. Microfa- cies and geochemical proxies compare well with those of the southeastern part of the Trento Plateau and indicate palaeoceanographic continuity along the eastern margin of the plateau. The abundances of radiolarians and nanno- conids suggest a turnover in the trophic structure from eutrophic conditions around the Faraoni Level equivalent to oligotrophic conditions.