Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School 1997 Biostratigraphic and Paleoenvironmental Significance of Jurassic Microfossils From Romania. Andrei Tudoran Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Recommended Citation Tudoran, Andrei, "Biostratigraphic and Paleoenvironmental Significance of Jurassic Microfossils From Romania." (1997). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 6530. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/6530 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. INFORMATION TO USERS This manuscript has been reproduced from the microfilm master. 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BIOSTRATIGRAPHIC AND PALEOENVIRONMENTAL SIGNfflCANCE OF JURASSIC MICROFOSSILS FROM ROMANIA A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Department of Geology and Geophysics by Andrei Tudoran M.S., University of Bucharest, 1987 August 1997 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number: 9808787 UMI Microform 9808787 Copyright 1997, by UMI Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. UMI 300 North Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, MI 48103 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank my supervisor Dr. Joseph E. Hazel for providing necessary insights, support and encouragement throughout this investigation. This study has been made possible by the financial support of Amoco Production Company. In this respect, special thanks go to Ms. Trary Ikltonic (Houston) and Dr. John Huckerby (New Plymouth) for their interest and support of this investigation. I would also want to thank Dr. Heinz Malz (Frankfurt), Dr. Allan Lord (London), Dr. Ian Boomer Qforwich), Dr. Christiane Ruget (Lyon) and Dr. Joachim Blau (Giessen) for reviewing the ostracod and foraminifer identifications of the Lower and Middle Jurassic, as well as for their interest and cooperation. I gratefully acknowledge the help of Dr. Ovidiu Dragastan (Bucharest), who made available to me samples from the Popa-Patrulius-Dragastan collection, and for his most useful advice concerning the Upper Jurassic microfossils and bibliographic references. I also warmly thank Dr. Theodor Neagu (Bucharest) for the advice concerning the collection of outcrop material and review of identifications and Dr. Aurelia Barbulescu (Bucharest) for providing the material from Piatra Tasaul section. I am grateful to Dr. Paul Sikora (Houston) for his advice concerning the quantitative analysis of the data. Dr. Megan Jones (Baton Rouge) is thanked for introducing me to the JMP software; warm thanks also go to Dr. Xiaogong Xie (Baton Rouge) for his help in capturing SEM images and to Mr. Rick Young for his assistance with thin sections. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS........................................................................... ü LIST OF TABLES..........................................................................................v LIST OF FIGURES...................................................................................... vi ABSTRACT...................................................................................................ix CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCnON ................................................................. I Objectives............................................................... I Plate tectonic setting ................................................. I Geologic setting ...................................................... 4 E*revious studies ...................................................... 9 2 MATERIALS AND METHODS......................................... 12 Material and sample preparation ......................... 12 Microfaunal parameters .................... 12 Quantitative analysis ............................................. 13 3 SINEMURIAN - PLŒNSBACHIAN (LOWER JURASSIC) FORAMINIFERA AND OSTRACODS FROM ROM ANIA....................................................................... 16 Lithology .............................................................. 16 Biostratigraphy..................................................... 17 Paleoenvironments ................................................ 19 Paleobiogeography ................................................ 24 4 TOARCIAN (LOWER JURASSIC ) FORAMINIFERA AND OSTRACODS FROM BRATCA, NORTHERN APUSENI MOUNTAINS. ROMANIA.............................................. 27 Biostratigraphy..................................................... 27 Taphonomic observations .................................... 34 Paleoenvironments and sea-Ievel variations 36 Paleobathymetric model for microfauna distribution ............................................................ 48 Paleobiogeography ................................................ 53 Systematics............................................................ 54 5 BAJOCIAN (MIDDLE JURASSIC) FORAMINIFERA AND OSTRACODS FROM STRUNGULTTA, EASTERN CARPATHIANS, ROMANIA......................................... 70 L ith o lo ^ .............................................................. 70 Biostratigraphy..................................................... 72 Paleoenvironments ................................................ 73 Paleobiogeography ................................................ 77 Systematics............................................................ 78 6 B ATHONIAN - CALLOVIAN (MIDDLE JURASSIC) FORAMINIFERA AND OSTRACODS FROM ROM ANIA........................................................................ 82 Lithology and biostratigraphy ................................ 82 III Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Taphonomic observations .................................... 83 Paleoenvironments ................................................ 87 Eustatic co n tex t .................................................... 89 Paleobiogeography ................................................ 91 Systematics............................................................ 92 7 OXFORDIAN-KIMMERIDGIAN (UPPER JURASSIC) FORAMINIFERA AND OSTRACODS FROM THE PREDOBROGEAN DEPRESSION (SCYTHIAN PLATFORM, ROMANIA).............................................. 96 Geologic setting and lithology ............................ 96 Biostratigraphy..................................................... 97 Paleoenvironments and sea-level variations 103 Paleobathymetric m o d el ..................................... 107 Paleobiogeography ................................................ 109 Systematics............................................................ I ll 8 CONCLUSIONS. JURASSIC EVOLUTION OFTHE CENTRAL TETHYS: MICROFAUNAL EVIDENCE .... 124 Evolutionary events and biostratigraphy ................. 124 Lower Jurassic .......................................... 124 Middle Jurassic ............................................127 Upper Jurassic...............................................128 Paleogeography ........................................................130 Lower Jurassic ......................................... 130 Middle Jurassic ............................................136 Upper Jurassic ............................................ 138 Paleoenvironments