Paleozoogeographic Regionalization of Northern Hemisphere Late Cretaceous Basins Based on Foraminifera
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Paleozoogeographic regionalization of Northern Hemisphere Late Cretaceous basins based on foraminifera VERA M. PODOBINA Department of Paleontology & Historical Geology, Tornsk State University, Lenina 36,634050 Tornsk, Russia ABSTRACT Late Cretaceous foraminifera were studied from separate provinces of three paleobiogeographic belts: Arctic, Boreal, and Tethys. Characteristic planktonic and benthic foraminifera are established for each belt and region. ~egionsof the vario;s belts, as well as the belts themselves, differ by endemism, or in the absence of higher taxa (orders, families). Higher order endemics are character- istic for benthic foraminifera, while among planktonic foraminifera endemism is on a generic level. Provinces are established on the basis of endemic species, and to a lesser degree, endemic genera. The districts of western Siberia are distinguished on the basis of species endemism and the com- position of the foraminifera1assemblages. The study of Cretaceous foraminifera from westem Siberia and contiguous basins permits the establishment of paleobiogeographic subdivisions for the Cenomanian to early Senonian and for the late Senonian. For three timeslices: early Turonian, early Santonian, and early Maastrichtian, paleobiogeographic districts are defined based on characteristic foraminifera. The distribution of western Siberian foraminiferal assemblages are presented for the three time-slices. INTRODUCTION tives of the Lituolidae, Placopsilinidae, Globotrun- Analysis of Late Cretaceous foraminifera from west- canidae, Orbitoididae, Bolivinitidae are not found in em Siberia and to a lesser extent from other regions this belt. and a comparison with paleogeographic reconstruc- tions and published works enable an understanding Bored. Both planktonic and benthic foraminifera are of their distribution in basins of past geological widespread in the Boreal belt. They differ from Arctic stages. These data form the basis of the paleozoologi- belt foraminifera in the diversity and composition of cal subdivision of western Siberia and the other the assemblages. Planktonic foraminifera are repre- basins of the northern Hemisphere. sented here by nine genera: Biglobigerinella, Globiger- Late Cretaceous foraminifera in the northern inelloides, Schackoina, Hedbergella, Globotruncana, Rugo- hemisphere basins comprise three sublatitudinal globigerina, Guembelina, Heterohelix. Benthic foramini- faunas: Polar, Temperate, and Tropical. These Late fera are much more diverse (over 110 genera), among Cretaceous faunas have been studied respectively in whch calcareous forms such as Lagenida, Rotaliida, three paleobiogeographic belts: Arctic, Boreal, and and Buliminida are most numerous. The most Tethyan. widespread genera are: Nodosaria, Dentalina, Mar- ginulina, Lagena, Lenticulina, Planularia, Robulus, PALEOBIOGEOGRAPHIC BELTS Guttulina, Globulina, Discorbis, Valvulineria, Globo- Arctic. Arctic belt foraminifera consist of benthics rotalites, Gyroidinoides, Stensioeina, Eponides, Alaba- and to a lesser extent planktonics. The latter occur as mina, Epistomina, Epistominoides, Reinholdella, Pseudo- single specimens and are represented by two main lamarkina, Ceratobulimina, Cibicides, Gavelinella, genera - Rugoglobigerina and Guembelina (= Heterohelix Anomalina, Brotzenella, Pullenia, Nonionella, Cym- auct.). In comparison with the other provinces, the balopora, Praebulimina, Bulimina, Reussella, Neo- benthic foraminifera of this belt are relatively mono- bulimina, Angulogerina, Pleurostomella, Bolivinoides, tonous (about 40 genera), and dominated by aggluti- Bolivina. nated forms. The most characteristic are representa- The group of agglutinated foraminifera with cal- tives of Rhabdammina, Bathysiphon, Psammosphaera, careous cement is also widely developed: Lituola, Saccammina, Hyperammina, Reophax, Labrospira, Haplo- Verneuilina, Gaudryina, Siphogaudryina, Dorothia, phragmoides, Adercotryma, Recurvoides, Recurvoidella, Clavulina, Orbignyna, Ataxophragmium, Marssonella. Cribrostomoides, Cyclammina, Ammobaculites, Haplo- These belong to families that are usually absent from phragmium, Ammoscalaria, Spiroplectammina, Trocham- the Arctic belt. The boreal agglutinated foraminifera mina, Verneuilinoides, Pseudoclavulina, Gaudyinopsis, are subordinate in the epicontinental seas, but domi- Arenogaudryina, and other genera. The representa- nate the assemblages of the deep basins. On the In: Kaminski, M.A. Geroch, S., 8 Gasinski, M.A.(eds.) 1995. Proceedings of the Fourth International Workshop on Agglu- tinated Foraminifera, Krakow Poland, September 12-19, 1993. Grzybowski Foundation Special Publication no. 3, pp. 239-247. Vera Podobina whole, almost all known Cretaceous foraminifera are to the Haplophragmiidae- Trochamminidae- Ataxo- encountered in the Boreal belt, with the exception of phragmiidae-type assemblage. The location of the Orbitoididae and some Globotrunca~dae. Arctic Region is delineated by the extent of this assemblage in the above basins. In the territory of Tethys. The Late Cretaceous foraminifera are most Kamchatka, agglutinated foraminiferal assemblages abundant and diverse in the Tethyan belt. Here we distinguished by the predominance of Haplophrag- encounter genera such as Helvetoglobotruncana, Prae- miidae and Rzehakminae are observed (N.M. Petrina, globotruncana, Globotruncanella, Rotalipora, and Aba- personal communication). This assemblage appears thomphalus, which are usually lacking in the Boreal restricted to Kamchatka. The conditional estab- belt. Planktonic foraminifera of the Tethyan belt are lishment of a North Pacific region is based on this distinguished by the unusual development of species occurrence (Table 1). of each genus. Benthic foraminifera are similar to the In the Arctic basins, the benthic foraminifera are Boreal belt in systematic composition, but may con- divided into two groups: West Siberian and Cana- tain well-developed Orbitoididae. Of the species dian. The foraminiferal assemblages from northern known from the Boreal belt, the Rotaliida, Bulim- Alaska are considered in the latter group. The simi- inida, and Heterohelicida are best developed. Their larity of the assemblages at the generic and species systematic composition is monotonous and they are levels in these basins and the predominance of agglu- rare in comparison to the planktonic forms (Colom, tinated forms suggest that this fauna was also present 1969; Papp, 1956; Doreen, 1974; Koch, 1968; Said & in the central regions of the Arctic basin, and its Kenawy, 1957). further extent into lower latitudes. Agglutinated foraminifera are widespread in shallow, remote WESTERN SIBERIA & CONTIGUOUS BASINS basins of western Siberia, which is explained by their The study of Cretaceous foraminifera from West unrestricted migration from the Arctic Basin. Agglu- Siberia and contiguous basins allows the establish- tinated forms are represented by species of Psammo- ment of separate paleozoogeographic subdivisions sphaera, Saccammina, Reophax, Ammodiscus, Glomospira, for the Cenomanian to early Senonian and the late Labrospira, Haplophragmoides, Adercotryma, Cribrosto- Senonian timeslices (Figs. 1, 2). These schemes show moides, Cyclammina, Recurvoides, Recurvoidella, Ammo- conditional boundaries between the biogeographical baculites, Haplophragmium, Ammomarginulina, Ammo- belts. Boundaries of regions and provinces are not scalaria, Spiroplectammina, Trochammina, Verneuili- shown because of a shortage of information. noides, Gaudyinopsis, Pseudoclavulina, and Arenogaud- yina. Many of these forms are also encountered in Cenomanian to early Senonian the Canadian and northern Alaskan assemblages. A 1. The Arctic belt. In this belt, I studied different greater similarity is observed in the generic composi- associations of benthic foraminifera from basins in tion of these assemblages, especially where the gen- western Siberia (Figs. 3-5), northern Alaska, the era Eponides, Valvulineria, Cibicides, Cibicidoides, North Pacific, and from a large part of Canada. I can Anomalinoides, Praebulimina, Bulimina, Neobulimina oc- distinguish two regions: an Arctic region and a North cur in the outlying districts of western Siberia where Pacific one (Fig. 1).Planktonic foraminifera in all the the waters of the basins were warmer. regions are similar and characterised by a Guembelina The western Siberian foraminiferal assemblages association (Northern belt according to Morosova, include a great number of endemic species. In the 1973). Due to the predominance of species of Cenomanian-Turonian assemblages the number of Labrospira, Haplophragmoides, Trochammina, Pseudo- endemics does not exceed a quarter of the total. In clavulina, Gaudryinopsis, and Verneuilinoides, the sediments of this age, western Siberian subspecies of benthic foraminifera of the western Siberian, the above-mentioned Canadian forms have been Canadian, and northern Alaskan basins are referred recog~sed(Podobina, 1978). In the lower Senonian Belt Regions Benthic Foram Associations Planktonic Foram Assoc. Arc tic Arctic Haplophragrniidae- Trochamminidae - Ataxophragmiidae Guembelina I North Pacific Haplophragmiidae- Rzehakininae Boreal Boreal Atlantic Discorbidae- Anomalinidae- Buliminidae Hedbergella - Rugoglobigerina - I1 Boreal Pacific Nodosariidae- Discorbidae- Guembelina Rzehakininae Tethyan Mediterranean Nodosariidae- Bolivinitidae- Orbitoididae Globotruncana- 111 Central Pacific not established Rugoglobigerina Table 1. Paleozoographic subdivisions and types of foraminiferal associations in