Catastrophic Events Conference 3081.pdf THE CRETACEOUS-TERTIARY BUONDARY “COCKTAIL” IN WESTERN CUBA, GREATER AN- TILLES. C. Díaz Otero(1), M. Iturralde-Vinent(2) and D.García Delgado(1).1Instituto de Geología y Paleontología, Via Blanca y Linea de Ferrocarril, San Miguel de Padron, CP 11000 La Habana, Cuba ([email protected]); 2Museo Nacional de Historia Natural, Obispo #61, 10100 La Habana, Cuba ([email protected]) Recently Bralower and Leckie (1998) described the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary (KTB) in the Caribbean as characterized by a “cocktail”of fossils elements reworked from strata older than Paleocene. A similar distinctive mixture of reworked foraminifers was found in several formations of western Cuba, associate with shocked quarz, spherules and an enrichment of Ir. The fossiliferous composicion of both the Moncada calcarenites and the Peñalver formation in western Cuba, confirm the model of the “cocktail”, as reworked micro- and macrofossils of different ages within the Cretaceous are found in the samples. The Moncada calcarenites (Iturralde-Vinent, 1997), and the Peñalver Formation (Pszczolkowski, A.; 1986 and Iturralde-Vinent, 1992) were generally characterized as calcareous clastics strata probably related with the KTB impact. The Moncada calcarenites overlie black indiferentiated Cretaceoous limestones, and contein planktic foraminif- era and radiolaria of Aptian, Albian-Cenomanian, Santonian, Campanian and Maastrichtian in age. No Paleocene taxa were found (Table I). The Peñalver Formation overlies the Campanian-Maastrichtian Via Blanca Formation and include both bentic and planktic foraminifera, radiolaria, nannofossils, etc. The larger amount of reworked microfossils belong to the Campanian-Maastrichtian interval, probably eroded from the Via Blanca Formation; both also contain older Creta- ceous fossils of different ages. No Paleocene taxa were found (Table I). The recognition of the paleontological “cocktail” in different formationas of western Cuba, strongly suggest that these units probably belong to the KTB References Caron, M., 1985. Cretaceous planktic foraminifera in: Plankton stratigraphy (ed. H. M. Bolli, J. B. Saunders y Perch-Nielsen. Cambridge University Press (4): 17-86. Iturralde-Vinent, M.1992. A short note on the Cuban late Maastrichtian megaturbidite (an impact-derived deposit?): Earth & Planetary Science Letters, 109: 225-228. Iturralde-Vinent, M., 1997. Field Guide. Sedimentary Geology of Western Cuba. 1st SEPM Congress on Sedimen- tary Geology, St. Pete Beach, Florida, 21 pp. Premoli Silva, I. And Sliter, W. V.; 1995. Paleontographia Italica. LXXXII. Psczczlkowski, A., 1986. Megacapas del Maestrichtiano en Cuba occidental y central. Bulletin of the Polish Acad- emy of Earth Science, 34(1): 82-94. Sliter, W. V.; 1989. Bioestratigraphy zonation for Cretaceous planctonic foraminifers examinad in thin section. Journal of Foraminiferal Research. 19(1): 1-19. Sliter, W. V.; 1999. Cretaceous planctonic foraminifers examinad in thin section. U.S. Geological Survey . Special Publication. Catastrophic Events Conference 3081.pdf THE CRETACEOUS-TERTIARY BOUNDARY: C. Ciaz Otero et al. Table I. Foraminiferal assemblage found in the Moncada calcarenites and Peñalver Formation. (*) species which do not occur at the top of the Maastrichtian Planktic Foraminiferes Age Moncada Peñalver calcarenites Formation Abathomphalus mayaroensis Late Maastrichtian X X Archaeoglobigerina cretacea Coniacian-Early Maastrichtian X X Dicarinella hagni Turonian X - Globigerinelloides barri Albian X - Globigerinelloides bentonensis Albian X - Globotruncana arca Late Santonian-Maastrichtian* X X Globotruncana bulloides Late Santonian-Early Maastrichtian X X Globotruncana falsostuarti Late Campanian-Maastrichtian* - X Globotruncana linneiana Cenomaniaan-Early Maastrichtian X X Globotruncana mariei Santonian-Early Maastrichtian X X Globotruncanella havanensis Late Campanian-Maastrichtian X X Globotruncanella petaloidea Late Maastrichtian X X Globotruncanita calcarata Late Campanian - X Globotruncanita conica Late Maastrichtian X X Globotruncanita elevata Late Santonian-Late Maastrichtian* X - Globotruncanita stuarti Late Campanian-Maastrichtian X X Globotruncanita stuartiformis Campanian-Maastrichtian* X X Guembelitria cretacea Late Maastrichtian X - Hedbergella delrioensis Albian-Early Santonian X - Hedbergella excelsa Albian X - Hedbergella holmdelensis Coniacian-Maastrichtian - X Heterohelix striata Campanian-Maastrichtian - X Marginotruncana sp. Turonian-Santonian X - Planoglobulina glabatra Santonian-Early Campanian - X Praeglobotruncana stephani Albian-Turonian X - Praeglobotruncana delrioensis Albian-Cenomanian X - Pseudotextularia elegans Late Campanian-Maastrichtian X X Racemiguembelina fructicosa Late Maastrichtian X X Rotalipora cf. brotzeni Cenomanian X - Contusotruncana contusa Late Maastrichtian ? X Contusotruncana fornicata Late Santonian-Maastrichtian* X X Contusotruncana walfischensis Late Maastrichtian - X Rugoglobigerina macrocephala Late Maastrichtian X - Rugoglobigerina cf. reicheli Late Maastrichtian - X Rugoglobigerina rugosa Late Campanian-Maastrichtian X X Rugoglobigerina scotti Late Maastrichtian X - Ventilabrella cf. multicamerata Late Maastrichtian* X -.