@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{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{FrijiaDiLuciaVicedoetal.2012, author = {Frijia, Gianluca and Di Lucia, Matteo and Vicedo, Vicent and G{\"u}nter, Christina and Ziemann, Martin Andreas and Mutti, Maria}, title = {An extraordinary single-celled architect A multi-technique study of the agglutinated shell of the larger foraminifer Mesorbitolina from the Lower Cretaceous of southern Italy}, series = {Marine micropaleontology}, volume = {90-91}, journal = {Marine micropaleontology}, number = {7}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Amsterdam}, issn = {0377-8398}, doi = {10.1016/j.marmicro.2012.04.002}, pages = {60 -- 71}, year = {2012}, abstract = {Orbitolinids are larger foraminifera widespread in Lower Cretaceous shallow-water carbonates of the Tethyan realm. They are among the most important fossil groups used for Biostratigraphy. Despite this and although the structural features of the group have been described in detail, very little is known about the composition of their agglutinated test and the process by which they selected foreign grains. In this study, the test of Orbitolina d'Orbigny, 1850 (subgenus Mesorbitolina Schroeder, 1962) from Aptian shallow-water carbonate deposits of southern Italy has been studied in detail. We combine petrographic techniques (optical microscope and SEM) with energy-dispersive x-ray spectrometry (EDS), electron probe microanalyzer (EPMA), X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy analyses. The results show that the test of Mesorbitolina is composed of carbonate and non-carbonate agglutinated grains with the latter distributed across the test with a specific pattern, moving from the marginal to the central zone. In the marginal zone, non-carbonate grains are found only in the epidermis and along the septa which are composed of quartz, with smaller amounts of illite/muscovite and K-feldspar grains. In the central zone of the test, non-carbonate grains are distributed in two ways. Coarse grains of quartz and K-feldspar are abundant and randomly placed in the endoskeleton embedded in a mosaic of minute carbonate grains. Flat grains, mainly of illite/muscovite constitute the external part of the septa. Our observations indicate that Mesorbitolina did select and place agglutinated grains across its test, mainly according to their shape, whereas it did not select particles according to grain size. The distribution of agglutinated particles according to their mineralogical composition shows some contradictory evidence and therefore, at the moment, grain selection in function of mineralogy cannot be completely confirmed or ruled out. Analogies in the test composition of Mesorbitolina specimens from coeval deposits from different areas of southern Italy indicate that the features of their agglutinated test are typical characters of the genus Mesorbitolina. However, it is still unclear what advantage was obtained by the foraminifer by the described test features.}, language = {en} } @article{VicedoCausFrijia2013, author = {Vicedo, Vicent and Caus, Esmeralda and Frijia, Gianluca}, title = {Late Cretaceous alveolinaceans (larger foraminifera) of the Caribbean palaeobioprovince and their stratigraphic distribution}, series = {Journal of systematic palaeontology}, volume = {11}, journal = {Journal of systematic palaeontology}, number = {1}, publisher = {Routledge, Taylor \& Francis Group}, address = {Abingdon}, issn = {1477-2019}, doi = {10.1080/14772019.2011.637517}, pages = {1 -- 25}, year = {2013}, abstract = {Architectural analysis of the Late Cretaceous alveolinaceans of the Caribbean palaeobioprovince has made it possible to separate four genera: Praechubbina, Chubbinella gen. nov., Chubbina and Caribalveolina. The first three genera belong to the family Rhapydioninidae, while the fourth is placed in the family Alveolinidae. Two species, Praechubbina breviclaustra and P. oxchucensis sp. nov., represent the primitive genus Praechubbina, while the species cardenasensis and obesa, previously ascribed to this genus, must be reassigned respectively to Chubbinella gen. nov. and Caribalveolina. The species Chubbina jamaicensis, C. macgillavryi and C. fourcadei sp. nov. complete the inventory of Chubbina. The alveolinid genus Caribalveolina comprises two species, C. obesa and C. michaudi. Caribbean alveolinaceans include two successive assemblages. The lower assemblage is characterized by Praechubbina oxchucensis, P. brevisclaustra, Chubbinella cardenasensis and Caribalveolina obesa. The upper assemblage is represented by the genus Chubbina, with C. fourcadei, C. jamaicensis and C. macgillavryi, and Caribalveolina michaudi. The age of the lower assemblage is uncertain (probably Late CampanianEarly Maastrichtian), while the upper assemblage has been dated by strontium isotope stratigraphy as Late Maastrichtian.}, language = {en} } @article{VicedoFrijiaParenteetal.2011, author = {Vicedo, Vicent and Frijia, Gianluca and Parente, Mariano and Caus, Esmeralda}, title = {The late creataceous genera cuvillierinella, cyclopseudedomia, andrhapydionina (Rhapydioninidae, Foraminiferida) in shallow-watercarbonates of pylos (Peloponnese, Greece)}, series = {Journal of foraminiferal research}, volume = {41}, journal = {Journal of foraminiferal research}, number = {2}, publisher = {GeoScienceWorld}, address = {Cambridge}, issn = {0096-1191}, pages = {167 -- 181}, year = {2011}, abstract = {Shell architectures of the larger foraminiferal genera cyclopseudedomia, and Rhapydionina were studied by comparing topotypes of previously described species with new specimens retrieved from Late Cretaceous shallow-water carbonates of Pylos (Peloponnese, Greece), where the three genera are found in association. The megalospheric generation of each genus exhibits a distinctive shell shape in adult specimens (i.e., fan-shaped in Cyclopseudedomia, conical in Rhapydionina, and cylindrical in Cuvillierinella). Although their microspheric adults are similarly thin, flat, and discoidal, they can be identified at the genus level by means of a detailed structural analysis. Cavillierinella shows the septula to be interrupted by a large preseptal space, while Cyclopseudedomia and Rhapydionina exhibit continuous, non-interrupted septula. In addition, Cyclopseudedomia presents only one row of medullar chamberlets, whereas Rhapydionina shows numerous medullar chamberlets distributed in a thick basal layer. Two new species, Cuvillierinella pylosensis and Rhapydionina fleuryi, are described. The former is a more complex taxon than the type species, C salentina, while the latter corresponds to a more primitive species, R. liburnica. Strontium-isotope stratigraphy indicates an uppermost Campanian-lowermost Maastrichtian age for these new species.}, language = {en} }