Lower Cretaceous Calcareous Agglutinated Foraminifera from Southern Dobrogea, Romania
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363 Lower Cretaceous Calcareous Agglutinated Foraminifera from Southern Dobrogea, Romania. Part II. Early Cretaceous Cuneolinidae THEODOR NEAGU University of Bucharest, Laboratory of Paleontology, B-dul Nicolae BaIcescu 1, 70111 Bucharest, Romania ABSTRACT This paper presents a detailed study of the cuneoliniform group of foraminifera from the Lower Cretaceous (uppermost Berriasian to Lower Hauterivian) of Southern Dobrogea (Romania). Detailed study of the external morphology of the test and the inner structure in the primary chambers, enables new genera to be separated from the classical genus Cuneolina. Two new genera are described: Scythiolina n.gen. with the species S. flabellii n.sp., S. infundibuliformae n.sp., S. crumenaeformae n.sp., S. cuneata n.sp., S. filiformae n.sp., S. camposauri (Sartoni & Crescenti); and Histerolina n.gen. with the species: H. paxilliformae n.sp., H. ellipsiformae n.sp., H. pileiformae n.sp. INTRODUCTION Cllneolina tenllis Velic & CUSiC, 1971 (probably In the Lower Cretaceous carbonate deposits of the Hauterivian). northern Tethyan area, diverse agglutinated Taking into account only the thin section informa foraminiferal taxa are observed in thin sections, tion the diagnostical content of the genus Cuneolina some of which are described and figured here as new was altered. The very rich and well-preserved genera and species. The major drawback of many material in the Lower Cretaceous of Southern micropalaeontological studies is the fact that a Dobrogea proves that the inner structure of the test limited or very limited number of specimens are only cannot stand alone as a discriminatory feature. often used, and only a few of them represent an ideal Studies of internal structure observed in thin section section. Moreover, it is difficult to accept nowadays must be closely correlated with studies of external in the population concept of a species the practice of morphology on isolated specimens. Such studies describing a new taxon using a reduced or very show that inner structure may be identical or almost reduced number of specimens that do not enable other identical in specimens with a clearly different researchers to understand its intraspecific external morphology. variability. The identification of a taxon by com bining the features of a specimen axially sectioned Study Area: Biostratigraphical remarks with another transversally sectioned appears to be Samples for this study were collected from outcrops preferred. However, the external morphological situated on the right bank of the Danube River near features of the test, the shape, position, and struc Cernovoda, from a quarry in nearby Aliman, and ture of the aperture and the early stage are from boreholes drilled between Poarta Alba and impossible to observe in thin section. Ovidiu near Constanta (Figure 1). In southern This is also the case with the so-called Dobrogea the exposed Upper Berriasian to Cllneolina group from the Lower Cretaceous, for Valanginian marine deposits are succeeded by which an accurate and correct delineation of taxa "Purbeckian" continental-lacustrine or lagoonal (genera or species) cannot be accomplished without deposits. The latter are found in boreholes in the data offered by the external morphology and the Carasu Valley. Lithologically, the Purbeckian aperture. This is because the inner structure visible facies includes anhydrite beds (more than 100 m in thin sections is practically identical (or very thick in places) that overlie the Kimmeridgian similar) in distinct morphological groups. limestones. These anhydrites are in turn overlain by In the Valanginian-Hauterivian interval, the alternating marls and multi-coloured clays that con following species considered to belong to the genus tain a rich association of ostracods (Cypridea) and Cuneolina have been described using only thin sec characeans (Flabellochara, Nodosoclavator, tions: Cuneolina camposallri Santoni & Crescenti, Clavator) typical of the Upper Purbeckian. Detrital 1962, (Valanginian-Aptian), Cuneolina laurentii limestones with "Nerinea" and ostreids gradually Santoni & Crescenti, 1962 (Valanginian-Aptian), appear at the top of these beds. In: Hart, M.B., Kaminski, M.A., & Smart, C.W. (eds) 2000. Proceedings of the Fifth International Workshop on Agglutinated Foraminifera. Grzybowski Foundation Special Publication, 7, 363--386 364 Theodor Neagu Legend HB3 Peletililimestone I::::. ~J C/~y :mr/ m3r/ fl(1-1 Hilrly lime, tone E2Il l1icrite/pelmicrilt C!:EJ P./Jp.t~,.te ..J..,O:;l..I. $/J,Ilct 01 ru6er,rtion z . ffi!l OOlp6rite <I: ~ s,lt~ehatflo /iftl /IJnnel$ 1m3 r/"/ofSSJnoidu > 1·4 "HI 8rtcia ;wJ inlmp4ri/t ~O::. l~wi=1 Clay Ytilh calrmolJJ ~oo!JItJ Z ~W -JI- (- -I Clay l1,"croc0"9/ofTIu,te <! :::J B ~ O"""f'O"1w <I: ~ (CI,. , 'tiidU ~.spon'~IIU" ) I rn Ht>ta~oNII, ~ SPOIlSt Z m P6chiodontl rn .}Jnir,; ---- -- ........ [~ I 0Ylle,. Z 1 SO I Ph.L:iJ.",yof ~ <I: rn Trig'nll Z r Z IT] Saul", ~ }I,iica Donube 1cm ·lm level ~ [TI Neri"" Z il odll r 1"1 jU"fJ 9 <I: ~ P.~lch·rte' (R,.R2 .R,. ~ . ,) <! ....J ~ P.uhiodonlr lutls <I: (R'91J;'nid. rOllwi,,) ..-J > F t1icrOfJdllonl%SJc.:J1 J.:Jmp/er <! > Z <I: COHHANTA V; If) I----r--i g <I: k---'=::-l ~o:: §:o:: :::JW (J) Figure 1. Lithostratigraphy and palaeontology of Lower Cretaceous deposits at Cernavoda Pod and Alimanu Quarry, after Dragastan (1978). Early Cretaceous Cuneolinidae from Southern Dobrogea 365 The zoogenic limestones crop out on the right bank of From this description it is possible to separate the the Danube at Cernavoda as well as in the Alimanu following features that can be used to delineate the Adancata-Sipote area to the south. genus Cuneo/ina: The macrofauna of these deposits is quite rich, and represented by sponges, bivalves, gastropods • the very short and trochospiral early stage; and echinoids pointing to a typical Upper • the wall of the primary chambers is made up of Berriasian to Valanginian Tethyan facies. an epidermal thin layer, followed by a Dragastan (1978) also cites a rich algal microflora hypodermal one which is thicker and has a represented by Salpingoporel/a anmtlata Carozzi, S. reticulate structure; steinhauseri Conrad et al., Aciclliaria elongata Carozzi, Likanella bertheli (Bernier) and A. • the compressed shape of the biserial part of the eolisacus inconstans Radocic. test parallel to the plane of biseriality; The microfauna associated with these deposits is • the aperture represented by a row of pores at the also very rich. The numerous soft clay interbeds base of the apertural face of the last chamber; contain associations of foraminifera and ostracods. • the interior of primary chambers is subdivided by The most important species are Anchyspirocyclina vertical and horizontal septula into chamberlets; net/manae Bernier et al., Ammocycloloclllina and erratica (Jouk & Favre), Everticyclammina virgll/iana (Kochlin), Pselldocyciammina lituus • the stratigraphic distibution of this genus is (Yabe & Hanz) which sometimes reach mm-size, Barremian to Senonian. Freixialina planispira Ramalho, Melatrokerion spirale Gorbatchik, Feurtilia jrequells Mayne, Given all the above-mentioned features, in thin Gerochella cylilldrica Neagu, Danubina obtusa section one can notice only the inner structure of the Neagu, Verneuilinoides poloniclls (Cushman & primary chambers. This fea ture is not enough to Glazewski), as well as various species of allow the correct and clear discrimination of taxa, Arenoblllimilla, Decussoioclllina, Axiopolina, especially on Lower Cretaceous material. Scythilocu Ii na, Is tril oculi na, RlImanoloculina, The exceptionally rich and well-preserved Oanllbiella, Oobrogeiina, Anderseno/ina, Ichnus material (including washed samples) from the ella, and diverse trocholinids. uppermost Berriasian to Lower Hauterivian of Southern Dobrogea, makes it possible to obtain a clear correlation between external morphology, wall The Lower Cretaceous cuneolinids structure, and the inner structure of the primary chambers. This it was thus possible to establish In 1839, Alcide d'Orbigny (in R. de la Sagra's that the studied material cumulates a number of the volume) was the first to present the genus Cuneolina. characteristic features of the genus Cuneolina, but In this monographic study of the Tertiary also possesses distinctive features that enable the foraminiferal fauna in the Vienna Basin, d'Orbigny erection of new taxa. The inner structure of the (using Upper Cretaceous material from Charente, primary chambers and the wall structure are France), described and figured this genus in detail. features that confirm the affiliation of these taxa to Since d'Orbigny's time, the concept regarding this the family Cuneolinidae. genus has changed a great deal, as new data were By taking into account all the above mentioned successively added. The most accurate and complete features it was possible to separate the cuneolini description was given by Loeblich & Tappan (1987, form species into three distinct groups: p. 148) as a synthesis of the previous information on this subject: 1. The first group comprises specimens with a test compressed parallel to the plane of biseriality; "Test free, compressed, conical to flabelliform, with a very short planispiral early stage with early trochospire of about five chambers 3-5 chambers, The apertural face of the last two followed by a very broad and low biserially chambers is clearly convex. The inner part of the arranged chambers, commonly compressed primary chambers is divided only by radial parallel to the plane of biseriality,