@article{CausParenteVicedoetal.2013, author = {Caus, Esmeralda and Parente, Mariano and Vicedo, Vicent and Frijia, Gianluca and Martinez, Ricard}, title = {Broeckina gassoensis sp nov., a larger foraminiferal index fossil for the middle Coniacian shallow-water deposits of the Pyrenean Basin (NE Spain)}, series = {Cretaceous research}, volume = {45}, journal = {Cretaceous research}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {London}, issn = {0195-6671}, doi = {10.1016/j.cretres.2013.08.002}, pages = {76 -- 90}, year = {2013}, abstract = {The Upper Cretaceous shallow-water carbonates of the Pyrenean Basin (NE Spain) host rich and diverse larger foraminiferal associations which witness the recovery of this group of protozoans after the dramatic extinction of the Cenomanian-Turonian boundary interval. In this paper a new, large discoidal porcelaneous foraminifer, Broeckina gassoensis sp. nov., is described from the middle Coniacian shallow-water deposits of the Collada Gasso Formation, in the Boixols Thrust Sheet. This is the first complex porcelaneous larger foraminifer of the Late Cretaceous global community maturation cycle recorded in the Pyrenean bioprovince. It differs from the late Santonian-early Campanian B. dufrenoyi for its smaller size in A and B generations and the less developed endoskeleton, which shows short septula. Broeckina gassoensis sp. nov. has been widely employed as a stratigraphic marker in the regional geological literature, under the name of "Broeckina", but its age was so far controversial. Its middle Coniacian age (lowermost part of the Peroniceras tridorsatum ammonite zone), established in this paper by strontium isotope stratigraphy, indicates that it took about 5 My after the Cenomanian-Turonian boundary crisis to re-evolve the complex test architecture of larger foraminifera, which is functional to their relation with photosymbiotic algae and K-strategy.}, language = {en} } @article{BoixFrijiaVicedoetal.2011, author = {Boix, Carme and Frijia, Gianluca and Vicedo, Vicent and Bernaus, Josep M. and Di Lucia, Matteo and Parente, Mariano and Caus, Esmeralda}, title = {Larger foraminifera distribution and strontium isotope stratigraphy of the La Cova limestones (Coniacian-Santonian, "Serra del Montsec", Pyrenees, NE Spain)}, series = {Cretaceous research}, volume = {32}, journal = {Cretaceous research}, number = {6}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {London}, issn = {0195-6671}, doi = {10.1016/j.cretres.2011.05.009}, pages = {806 -- 822}, year = {2011}, abstract = {The Upper Cretaceous La Cova limestones (southern Pyrenees, Spain) host a rich and diverse larger foraminiferal fauna, which represents the first diversification of K-strategists after the mass extinction at the Cenomanian-Turonian boundary. The stratigraphic distribution of the main taxa of larger foraminifera defines two assemblages. The first assemblage is characterised by the first appearance of lacazinids (Pseudolacazina loeblichi) and mean-dropsinids (Eofallotia simplex), by the large agglutinated Montsechiana montsechiensis, and by several species of complex rotalids (Rotorbinella campaniola, Iberorotalia reicheli, Orbitokhatina wondersmitti and Calcarinella schaubi). The second assemblage is defined by the appearance of Lacazina pyrenaica, Palandrosina taxyae and Martiguesia cyclamminiformis. A late Coniacian-early Santonian age was so far accepted for the La Cova limestones, based on indirect correlation with deep-water fades bearing planktic foraminifers of the Dicarinella concavata zone. Strontium isotope stratigraphy, based on many samples of pristine biotic calcite of rudists and ostreids, indicates that the La Cova limestones span from the early Coniacian to the early-middle Santonian boundary. The first assemblage of larger foraminifera appears very close to the early-middle Coniacian boundary and reaches its full diversity by the middle Coniacian. The originations defining the second assemblage are dated as earliest Santonian: they represent important bioevents to define the Coniacian-Santonian boundary in the shallow-water facies of the South Pyrenean province. By means of the calibration of strontium isotope stratigraphy to the Geological Time Scale, the larger foraminiferal assemblages of the La Cova limestones can be correlated to the standard biozonal scheme of ammonites, planktonic foraminifers and calcareous nannoplankton. This correlation is a first step toward a larger foraminifera standard biozonation for Upper Cretaceous carbonate platform facies.}, language = {en} } @article{AlbrichFrijiaParenteetal.2014, author = {Albrich, Sergi and Frijia, Gianluca and Parente, Mariano and Caus, Esmeralda}, title = {The evolution of the earliest representatives of the genus Orbitoides: Implications for Upper Cretaceous biostratigraphy}, series = {Cretaceous research}, volume = {51}, journal = {Cretaceous research}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {London}, issn = {0195-6671}, doi = {10.1016/j.cretres.2014.04.013}, pages = {22 -- 34}, year = {2014}, abstract = {The biostratigraphy of Campanian-Maastrichtian carbonate platforms is largely based on the larger foraminiferal genus Orbitoides. However, while the taxonomy and the chronostratigraphic age of the younger species of this genus are well established, there are still many controversies on the earliest species. We have restudied their morphological characters using a large collection of samples from the type-localities and from continuous sections in the southern Pyrenees. Based on these new observations, the long forgotten species O. sanctae-pelagiae is reinstated, while O. dordoniensis is considered a junior synonym. Successive populations of O. hottingeri, O. sanctae-pelagiae and O. douvillei show gradual morphological changes in time marked by an increase in the size and complexity of the macrospheric embryonal apparatus, an increase of the size of the adult specimens of both generations and the progressive appearance and development of true lateral chamberlets. The Font de les Bagasses Unit in the southern Pyrenees preserves a high-resolution archive of the evolution of the earliest Orbitoides. Strontium isotope stratigraphy indicates that the oldest species, O. hottingeri, made its first appearance in the earliest Campanian, close to the Santonian-Campanian boundary, and was replaced by O. sanctae-pelagiae at a level closely corresponding to the boundary between the Placenticeras bidorsatum and Menabites delawarensis ammonite zones. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.}, language = {en} }