Geol. vol. 119-124 2 Leiden, 1987 Meded. Werkgr. Tert. Kwart. 24(1-2) pp. figs June Distribution of Monspeliensina pseudotepida in north-western Germany and adjacent countries (Foraminifera, Tertiary, Late Miocene-Pliocene) by Franz Gramann Niedersachsisches Landesamt fur Bodenforschung, Hannover, F.R.G. Gramann, Franz. Distribution of Monspeliensina pseudotepida in north- western Germany and adjacent countries (Foraminifera, Tertiary, Late Miocene-Pliocene). — Meded. Werkgr. Tert. Kwart. Geol., 24 (1-2): 119-124, 2 figs. Leiden, June 1987. The benthonic foraminiferMonspeliensina pseudotepida van Voorthuysen, 1950), hitherto known from the Late Neogene of France, the United Kingdom, Belgium, The Netherlands and the southern North Sea off- shore is described here in from region, as occurring many samples shallow wells in the Emsland area of Lower Saxony. The stratigraphic age (Late Miocene-Pliocene) and the position within the hitherto of north-western is discussed. known sequences Germany Dr F. Gramann, Niedersachsisches Landesamt fur Bodenforschung, Postfach 510153, D-3000 Hannover 51, Federal Republic of Germany. 119 Contents: Samenvatting, p. 120 Introduction, p. Previous knowledge, p. 120 120 Biostratigraphy of the Emsland occurrences, p. 123 Origin of the samples, p. 123 Acknowledgements, p. 124 References, p. Samenvatting landen Verspreiding van Monspeliensina pseudotepida in noordwest Duitsland en aangrenzende (Foraminifera, Tertiair, Laat Mioceen-Plioceen). heden Van de benthonische foraminifeer Monspeliensina pseudotepida (Van Voorthuysen, 1950), tot op het Nederland het bekend uit het Laat Neogeen van Frankrijk, Verenigd Koninkrijk, België, en de wordt het voorkomen in vele uit zuidelijk offshore-gedeelte van Noordzee, beschreven monsters ondiepe boringen in het Eemsland-gebied in Nedersaksen. De stratigrafische ouderdom (Laat de relatie reeds bekende Mioceen-Plioceen) en tot secties in NW Duitsland worden besproken. 120 Introduction several wide in Emsland of Lower marine At places, covering a area the region Saxony, glauconitic silts have been which microfauna. The of these and silty clays drilled, yield a peculiar general aspect assemblages does not differ much from the complex of the so-called Late Miocene microfauna of Staesche & Hiltermann (1940) or the same of Spiegler (1974). As uvigerinids are absent, the attribu- tion of the described Daniels is The to one zones by von & Spiegler (1977, 1979) impossible. presence of the epistomariid foraminifer Monspeliensina pseudotepida (van Voorthuysen, 1950) in these samples first indication the gives a on age. PREVIOUS KNOWLEDGE described from borehole Den dwarfed Monspeliensina pseudotepida was initially a pre-war at Haag, as a " variety of “Streblus” beccarii (Linne). It has been encountered in the meantime inLate Neogene beds wide areal distribution. The mentioned in of a stratigraphic position the original paper was ''Poederlian-Scaldisian''. Margerel (1968) identified the species in the crag-like lithologies of the Redonian in France both sides of the Loire It is also known from the and sand of (Basse Loire), on estuary. clay sequence Bosc d'Aubigny of the Cotentin Peninsula (Margerel, 1970, 1972). In Great Britain, the species is described and figured from the clays of the St. Erth Beds in Corn- The wall and from the Coralline Crag of Norfolk by Hughes & Jenkins (1981). St. Erth Beds are con- sidered be than the Coralline and both into the Pliocene to younger Crag are placed (Jenkins, 1987). of with in and the The Antwerpen area Belgium, crag layers sandy sequences, western with further of Netherlands, beds of the same lithology, are occurrences Monspeliensina pseudotepida, as and Their known since van Voorthuysen (1958) van Voorthuysen & Toering (1969). lithostratigraphic be described the Sand Formation of and Breda position can as Kattendijk Belgium the Upper or Lower Oosterhout Formation of The Netherlands. In the meantime, the stratigraphie position of these beds can also be indicated in terms of BFN 4 modern biostratigraphic zonation. The Belgian equivalent is the Zone of Doppert, Laga & de in boueanus- Meuter (1979), originally described by de Meuter & Laga 1976 as Florilus Monspeliensina pseudotepida Assemblage Zone. In the Netherlands beds with this foraminifer are 1 the FB In placed into the subzone FC and zone of Doppert (1980). the southern North Sea the species indicates the NSB 14 Zone of King (1983). The the Redonian from the Rennes assemblages of type area near in France are highly diverse, abundance known connected with an of taxa to be with the phytal environment, or generally in- dicating shallow water. Other peculiarities of the western sediments with Monspeliensina pseudotepida the of and the Alliatina. are presence Faujasina species genus BIOSTRATIGRAPHY OF THE EMSLAND OCCURRENCES Contrary to the high diversity of the assemblages from France and the United Kingdom, the beds of Planorbuhna. The the Emsland region contain no Faujasina, Alliatina, Rosalina, Glabratella or only 121 Fig. 1. Occurrence of Monspeliensina pseudotepida van Voorthuysen, 1950 in NW- Europe; approximate areas in black. is which is unknown from the other It for in- peculiar taxon a large Pyrgo, not occurrences. is present the and in Dam Reinhold stance in Cotentin Peninsula (Margerei, 1970) was already figured ten & (1941) as Pyrgo bradyi (Schlumberger) from the "Scaldisian". Presence of rather well-developed Ammonia beccarii indicates near-shore is (Linne, 1758) conditions. The same known from most of the assemblages with Monspeliensina pseudotepida, also outside Germany. Toering & van Voorthuysen (1973) described Early Pliocene foraminiferal faunae from the eastern provinces Overijssel and Gelderland of The Netherlands. Unfortunately they did not give but complete lists, noted only peculiarities. Among these, Lagena costairregularis Toering & van Voort- It has been also in the huysen is no foraminifer, but a Bolboforma (algae; see Spiegler, 1987). found Emsland the beds of the Emsland the area, so probably Monspeliensina pseudotepida are easternmost continuationof these strata from the north-eastern Netherlands. 122 Fig. 2. Approximate area of Monspeliensina pseudotepida beds in the Emsland region of Lower Saxony. the from the Emsland with the of have Comparing assemblages region system Doppert zones, we to consider the co-occurrence of Monspeliensina pseudotepida with Globobuliminaauriculata (Bailey, 1851), " Valvulineria mexicana grammensis Langer, 1963 and “Lagena” costairregularis, which is more in favour of an attribution to the FC 1 Subzone, than to the FB Zone. The within the German is difficult describe. The hitherto micro- position sequence to youngest fauna from the Mica Fine from the Neogene of Germany was figured Sand Formation of Sylt by Staesche & Hiltermann (1940). This is the Syltian Stage of Staesche (1930). Its fauna is similar, but contrary to Hinsch (1986) it lacks Monspeliensina pseudotepida. Also this assemblage does not contain Uvigerina species, but is observed to overlie beds of the Uvigerina saxonica Zone. In terms of foraminiferalbiostratigraphy the Mica Fine Sand of Sylt is closely related to the other Late Miocene beds of north-western Europe. The benthonic foraminifers from the subsequent Morsumian Stage of Hinsch (1958) are largely unknown, because of intense recrystallization. Probably they are of the same, or slightly older age. 123 the ostracod fauna further evidence. The Perhaps may yield "Syltian" contains, according to Uffenorde (1981) Muellerina latimarginata parvipunctata Uffenorde, 1981, whereas in the beds with latter Monspeliensina pseudotepida the species Muellerina lacunosa (Jones, 1857) is present. This species was originally described from the Coralline Crag and recognized by Wouters (1979) in the Kattendijk formations the and Lillo of Antwerpen area. Presence or absence of the foraminifer Pararotalia serrata (ten Dam & Reinhold, 1941) is regarded criterion between earlier later within the Pliocene of the the as a differenciating or assemblages area, beds with for instance those from and St. the In Pararotalia, as Bosq d'Aubigny Erth, being younger. the Emsland is As is occurrences this form generally absent. the species highly dependant on facies, be rather unsafe index. The be connected this seems to a genus as a whole, however, seems to closely the in of the with warm sea-water, as is demonstratedby occurrences the Lutetian Paris Basin and ad- for the St. jacent areas. A higher temperature is supposed by Jenkins (1987) Erth planktonic foraminiferal assemblage in comparison with the Coralline Crag. Though there are only a few planktonic Foraminifera and no short-ranging nannoplankton available from correlationwith the Coralline and the species our German samples, a Crag Kattendijk Formation of Early Pliocene age seems to be rather probable. ORIGIN OF THE SAMPLES The marker species of the German Monspeliensina pseudotepida beds has been identified from a large in the Emsland Most the have been recorded from shallow area region. of occurrences groundwater wells. The usual clastic of the survey procedure was to penetrate the coarser sequences Quaternary by of the flush-drilling and to core some meters subsequent fine-grained Tertiary sediments. Very few wells have also penetrated into the levels below the Monspeliensina pseudotepida beds, encountering either Late Miocene in the of of Langenfeldian/Gramian affinities ("Obermiozan" sense Staesche & older At rather Eocene Hiltermann, 1940), or strata. Haseliinne, fossiliferous