GeolCarp_Vol66_No3_181

www.geologicacarpathica.com

GEOL

EOL

EOLOGICA CARPA

OGICA CARPA

OGICA CARPATHICA

THICA

, JUNE 2015, 66, 3, 181—195 doi: 10.1515/geoca-2015-0019

Last occurrence of Abathomphalus mayaroensis (Bolli)

foraminiferid index of the Cretaceous—Paleogene boundary:

the calcareous nannofossil proof

MARIUSZ KĘDZIERSKI

, M. ADAM GASIŃSKI and ALFRED UCHMAN

Institute of Geological Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Oleandry 2a, 30-063 Kraków, Poland;

mariusz.kedzierski@uj.edu.pl; adam.gasinski@uj.edu.pl; alfred.uchman@uj.edu.pl

(Manuscript received June 22, 2014; accepted in revised form March 12, 2015)

Abstract: In the Gaj section (Polish Carpathians, Skole Nappe, Ropianka Formation), the Late Maastrichtian calcareous
nannofossil biostratigraphy is compared with foraminiferal zonation based on the occurrence of the planktonic foraminiferid
index species Abathomphalus mayaroensis. It appears that the LO of A. mayaroensis, which has been used previously in
the studied section as the possible K/Pg boundary indicator is located below the boundary. The disappearance of
A. mayaroensis along with other planktonic foraminiferids before the Cretaceous—Paleogene (K/Pg) boundary mass
extinction event may be a consequence of the Late Maastrichtian rapid warming pulses. Moreover, the Paleogene age
cannot be supported by the FO of the benthic foraminiferid Rzehakina fissistomata, because it first appears together with
the nannofossil Ceratolithoides kamptneri (zonal marker for the latest Maastrichtian UC20c

Zone). According to the

present study, the whole studied section represents the lower Upper to the upper Upper Maastrichtian UC20b

and UC20c

nannofossil zones, so that it corresponds to the lower-middle part of the planktonic foraminiferal A. mayaroensis Zone,
which, according to the scheme by Caron (1985), should extend up to the K/Pg boundary.

Key words: biozonation, Cretaceous—Paleogene boundary, nannofossils, foraminiferids, late Maastrichtian warming.

Introduction

Biostratigraphy is often based on an incomplete stratigraphic
record which depends on taphonomic processes or the paleo-
ecological  preferences  of  fossils  used  as  stratigraphic  tools.
More  accurate  data  can  be  obtained  from  integrated  strati-
graphy  combining  multiple  methods  of  dating,  for  instance
magnetostratigraphy  and  biostratigraphy  based  on  different
groups  of  fossils.  This  approach  sometimes  allows  recogni-
tion of diachronic first or last occurrences of index taxa and
more precise definition of their chronostratigraphic position
(Huber  &  Watkins  1992;  Bergen  &  Sikora  1999;  Petrizzo
2003; Nifuku et al. 2008; Thibault et al. 2010, 2012; Petrizzo
et al. 2011). A good example of such problems comes from a
combined application of the Late Maastrichtian foraminiferid
and  nannofossil  zones.  Among  them,  the  most  problematic
seems  to  be  the  topmost  Maastrichtian  planktonic  foramin-
iferid  Abathomphalus  mayaroensis  Zone,  the  upper  bound-
ary  of  which  corresponds  to  the  Cretaceous—Paleogene
(K/Pg) boundary and can be used as a proxy for the bound-
ary when the boundary layer with the iridium anomaly is not
developed or preserved, for instance in a case of flysch de-
posits.  It  appears  that  the  first  and  last  occurrences  of  this
important index species are controlled by Late Maastrichtian
environmental  changes  (Huber  &  Watkins  1992;  Keller  &
Abramovich  2009).  Moreover,  definition  of  the  upper
boundary  of  the  A.  mayaroensis  Zone  has  changed  many
times  since  Caron  (1985)  proposed  this  zone  as  the  total
range zone of the index and eponym species Abathomphalus
mayaroensis.  For  instance,  Premoli-Silva  &  Verga  (2004)

defined its upper boundary at the level of “the extinction of
most of the Cretaceous planktonic foraminifers”. Such defi-
nition, however, is imprecise, and it does not necessarily co-
incide  with  the  K/Pg  boundary,  as  is  shown  by  Ogg  et  al.
(2004; p. 355), where the last occurrence of A. mayaroensis
appears  below  the  K/Pg  boundary  (see  also  Robaszynski  &
Caron 1995). Similar problems concern the nannofossil bio-
stratigraphy. Diachronism of the first appearances of the in-
dex  taxa  is  well  recognized  in  the  case  of  Nephrolithus
frequens, which is used as the index species of the last Maas-
trichtian  CC26  Zone  sensu  Sissingh  (1977).  This  bipolar,
high paleolatitude species migrated toward the Equator from
the  latest  early  Maastrichtian  to  the  latest  Maastrichtian
(Pospichal  &  Wise  1990a;  Nifuku  et  al.  2008).  The  nanno-
fossil biozonation proposed by Burnett (1998) tried to avoid
the problem of diachronicity of index species caused by their
paleoenvironmental  preferences  using  the  different  UC
subzones  for  the  Tethyan,  Boreal  and  Austral  provinces.
Nevertheless, the problem of the diachronous appearance of
index  species  remains.  This  can  be  exemplified  by  the  case
of   Micula murus, a low-latitude, warm surface water inhab-
itant, migrating poleward from low to intermediate latitudes
(Thibault  et  al.  2010)  as  well  as  equatorward  shifts  of
Nephrolithus frequens or Abathomphalus mayaroensis (Huber
& Watkins 1992) during the Late Maastrichtian. This shows
that the lower boundary of the UC20b

defined by the first

occurrence of M. murus is diachronous in the Tethyan-Inter-
mediate provinces, at least.

In this paper, the calcareous nannofossil biostratigraphy is

compared to the foraminiferal zonation applied for the Upper

182

KĘDZIERSKI, GASIŃSKI and UCHMAN

GEOL

EOL

EOLOGICA CARPA

OGICA CARPA

OGICA CARPATHICA

THICA

THICA, 2015, 66, 3, 181—195

Maastrichtian  deposits  of  the  Skole  Nappe  (Outer  Car-
pathians)  in  the  previously  studied  Gaj  composite  section
(Husów region – see Gasiński & Uchman 2009). The main
goal of this paper is to verify the position of the K/Pg bound-
ary in the Gaj composite section, which was previously sug-
gested  by  Gasiński  &  Uchman  (2009)  on  the  basis  of
foraminiferids above the range of the index planktonic spe-
cies  Abathomphalus  mayaroensis  and  below  non-index
benthic species which are common in the Paleogene.

Remarks on K/Pg boundary biostratigraphy studies

Many taxa from different groups of both land and marine

organisms suffered a mass extinction in consequence of the
K/Pg boundary event (see D’Hondt 2005; Schulte et al. 2010
for  review),  but  not  necessarily  precisely  at  the  time  of  the
K/Pg boundary event and there are connections with paleo-
latitude  (Keller  2001;  Keller  et  al.  2007).  Therefore,  high-
resolution  determination  of  the  boundary  based  on  them  is
suspicious.  Instead,  the  K/Pg  boundary  is  defined  at  the
El Kef section in Tunisia, fixed as the K/Pg boundary Global
Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP), at the base of a 1—3 mm
thick  rusty  layer  containing  the  maximum  Ir  content  and
overlain by the 0.5 m thick black Boundary Clay (Molina et
al. 2006; Ogg & Hinnov 2012). Fossils, comprising the nan-
nofossils and foraminiferids, serve only as auxiliary criteria
for determining the literal K/Pg boundary in the absence of
the Boundary Clay.

The calcareous nannofossil biostratigraphy of the K/Pg

boundary  is  handicapped  by  the  problem  of  the  reworked
assemblages (Bown 2005; Kędzierski et al. 2011 and references
cited  therein)  and  growing  evidence  of  some  taxa  such  as
Cruciplacolithus  primus,  which  were  previously  considered
as newcomers, but now as Late Maastrichtian in origin (Mai
et  al.  2003).  Similarly,  the  Lower  Paleocene  foraminiferid
assemblages also comprise reworked and survivor taxa (Huber
1996;  Gallala  et  al.  2009;  Slimani  &  Toufiq  2013).  More-
over,  the  post-extinction  Paleogene  recovery  of  planktonic
foraminiferids was polyphasic and began thousands of years
after the terminal event (Coxall et al. 2006; Gallala et al. 2009;
Schulte  et  al.  2010).  The  increase  in  abundance  (bloom)
of survivor or disaster opportunistic taxa, such as the plank-
tonic  foraminiferids  Guembelitria  cretacea,  Hedbergella
holmdelensis,  or  H.  monmouthensis  (Pardo  &  Keller  2008;
Slimani  &  Toufiq  2013),  and  the  calcareous  nannoplankton
Braarudosphaera spp. or  Thoracosphaera spp. (e.g. Gardin
2002;  Keller  et  al.  2007),  characterizes  the  earliest  Danian.
Comparative  studies  by  Gallala  et  al.  (2009;  fig. 6)  showed
that  the  Danian  planktonic  foraminiferal  assemblages  from
different  sections  may  consist  of  up  to  28 %  of  Cretaceous
survivor or disaster species, on average. Also Luciani (2002)
reported  gradual  and  extended  disappearance  of  the  Maas-
trichtian  planktonic  foraminiferids  across  the  K/Pg  bound-
ary.  Therefore,  the  recognition  of  the  exact  position  of  the
K/Pg  boundary  on  the  basis  of  calcareous  nannofossil  or
planktonic foraminiferids requires quantitative studies diffi-
cult to perform in turbiditic deposits generally characterized
by  redeposition.  However,  the  sharp  decrease  in  abundance

and  diversity  of  planktonic  foraminiferids  is  usually  ob-
served just above the K—Pg boundary in sections with a con-
tinuous record of deposition across the boundary (Gallala &
Zaghbib-Turki 2010). The benthic foraminiferids did not ex-
perience  a  mass  extinction  during  the  K/Pg  boundary  event
(Culver 2003; Alegret & Thomas 2013) and are almost use-
less  for  biostratigraphy  around  this  boundary  event  (see
Geroch & Nowak 1984).

Fig. 1. Geological map with location of the studied section and strati-
graphy of the Skole Nappe (after Gasiński & Uchman 2009 – modi-
fied).

183

LO FORAM INDEX OF THE CRETACEOUS—PALEOGENE BOUNDARY: CALCAREOUS NANNOFOSSIL PROOF

GEOL

EOL

EOLOGICA CARPA

OGICA CARPA

OGICA CARPATHICA

THICA

THICA, 2015, 66, 3, 181—195

Geological setting

The research was carried out in the Skole Nappe, in an anti-

clinal  structure  of  the  Marginal  Thrust  Sheet,  a  few  hundred
meters from the frontal Carpathian overthrust, bordering with
the Miocene Carpathian Foredeep basin succession (Fig. 1A).
The studied section embraces the upper part of the Ropianka
Formation  known  also  as  the  Inoceramian  Beds  (e.g.  Tietze
1883; Uhlig 1888; Wdowiarz 1936, 1949; Bromowicz 1974).
Kotlarczyk  (1978,  1985)  distinguished  the  Cisowa,  Wiar,
Leszczyny and Wola Korzeniecka members (given in ascend-
ing order) in the Ropianka Formation and provided the com-
prehensive  information  about  the  history  of  its  research,
outline  of  the  stratigraphy,  lithology  and  facies  development

(for details see also Gasiński & Uchman 2009). The Wola
Korzeniecka Member of the Ropianka Formation, overlain by
the Eocene Variegated Shale Formation, represents the Paleo-
cene. Therefore, the K/Pg interval occurs within the underly-
ing Leszczyny Member of the Ropianka Formation.

The studied area is located in the Gaj forest (GPS coordi-

nates:  N 49°59.729’,  E 22°15.135’;  Fig. 1B),  between  the
villages of Husów, Handzlówka and Albigowa, about 10 km
south  of  the  city  of  Łańcut.  The  rocks  outcrop  along  the
Gajowy stream and its left tributary. The fourth-partial sec-
tions,  based  on  isolated  natural  outcrops,  named  Gaj  A—D
were  sampled  for  the  purpose  of  the  study  by  Gasiński  &
Uchman  (2009),  which  contains  more  detailed  information
on the section and the geological background (Fig. 2).

Fig. 2. The Gaj composite section (after Gasiński & Uchman 2009 – modified).

184

KĘDZIERSKI, GASIŃSKI and UCHMAN

GEOL

EOL

EOLOGICA CARPA

OGICA CARPA

OGICA CARPATHICA

THICA

THICA, 2015, 66, 3, 181—195

Methods

A qualitative study of calcareous nannofossil assemblages

has  been  conducted  on  16  rock  samples  Gaj 4.1—6  (Fig. 3).
The  nannofossil  microscopic  slides  were  prepared  using  the
simple smear slide method and inspected at a magnification of
×1000 under the light microscope Nikon Eclipse E600 Pol us-
ing cross-polarized light (see Bown & Young 1998). The state
of  preservation  of  the  nannofossil  assemblages  was  deter-
mined using the scale proposed by Kędzierski & Leszczyński
(2013). This scale describes the total degree of damage (D1—4)
of  the  specimens  studied,  such  as  etching,  overgrowth,  etc.,
causing problems in taxonomic identification. D1 means a lit-

Fig. 3. The occurrence of the foraminiferids and selected nannofossil taxa in the studied section (foraminiferid
occurrences after Gasiński & Uchman 2009 – modified).

tle damage and D4 strong damage, in this scale. No other fora-
miniferid preparation treatment, besides these carried out by
Gasiński & Uchman (2009), has been done for this study.

Results

The results described below refer exclusively to the calcar-

eous nannofossils. All the data concerning foraminiferids are
taken from Gasiński & Uchman (2009).

All the samples, except for Gaj 6, contain generally moder-

ately preserved calcareous nannofossils. States of preservation
range from D2 to D4 (Table 1), where 2 means medium and 4

185

LO FORAM INDEX OF THE CRETACEOUS—PALEOGENE BOUNDARY: CALCAREOUS NANNOFOSSIL PROOF

GEOL

EOL

EOLOGICA CARPA

OGICA CARPA

OGICA CARPATHICA

THICA

THICA, 2015, 66, 3, 181—195

strong  damage  (see  Kędzierski  &  Leszczyński
2013).  Fifty  six  taxa  belonging  to  thirty  five
genera  have  been  recognized.  The  nannofossil
assemblages  are  dominated  by  Micula  spp.,
Arkhangelskiella spp. (mainly A. cymbiformis),
Prediscosphaera  spp.,  and  additionally  by
Watznaueria  barnesiae  in  some  samples  (Ta-
ble 1,  Fig. 4).  Among  stratigraphically  impor-
tant  species,  Micula  murus  was  found  in
samples Gaj 5.4A, 5.6(?). 5.7A and 5.9(?) (the
question mark is due to poor preservation), and
Ceratolithoides kamptneri in sample Gaj 5.7A.
Prediscosphaera stoveri is common and occurs
continuously throughout samples Gaj 5.6A—5.9.
Some specimens of Braarudosphaera sp. have
been  found  in  one  sample  Gaj 5.2.  Thora-
cosphaera  spp.  occur  in  the  samples  Gaj 4.1,
5.3, 5.7, 5.8 and 14. These taxa were found in
low amount, never exceeding a few specimens,
therefore, no record of their blooming, regarded
as  indicative  of  the  K/Pg  boundary  event  and
the base of the Danian, has been observed. The
results  of  study  carried  out  by  Gasiński  &
Uchman  (2009)  on  foraminiferal  assemblages
in the Gaj section are shown in Figs. 3 and 5.

Discussion

In the Gaj section, Gasiński & Uchman

(2009)  distinguished  the  planktonic  foramin-
iferal  A.  mayaroensis  Zone  with  its  top
marked  by  the  last  occurrence  of  the  index
species in sample Gaj 5.7 (Fig. 3). The last oc-
currences of other planktonic, typically Upper
Cretaceous foraminiferids, such as Globotrun-
cana  arca,  Racemiguembelina  fructicosa,
Pseudotextularia  elegans,  were  also  noted  in
this  sample.  Moreover,  these  samples  contain
only  the  agglutinated  benthic  foraminiferid
Rzehakina  fissistomata,  except  for  the  last
samples  Gaj 6  and  Gaj 6a,  which  also  con-
tained  agglutinated  foraminiferids,  such  as
Conglophragmium irregularis and Karrerulina
spp. This last occurrence of A. mayaroensis, the
absence of other planktonic foraminiferids and
the  presence  of  R.  fissistomata  suggested  that
the  part  of  the  section  above  sample  Gaj 5.7
may  represent  the  Paleogene.  Therefore,  the
K/Pg  boundary  was  provisionally  identified
just  above  the  sample  Gaj 5.7  (Fig. 3).  How-
ever,  some  doubts  concerning  this  indication
were discussed by Gasiński & Uchman (2009)
and  the  present  calcareous  nannofossil  study
aims to clarify them.

At El Kef, GSSP of the K/Pg boundary, the

top of the planktonic foraminiferal Abathom-
phalus mayaroensis and nannofossil Micula
prinsii zones are situated exactly at the bound-

Table 1:

Distribution

the

calcareous

nannofossils

the

study

material.

Abbreviations

used

column

abundance

categories

roposed

Burnett

(1998).

–

rar

specimen

fields

view

(or

traverse),

–

specime

/2—50

fields

view,

–

barren

nannofossils.

Preservation

means

specimen

destruction

follows

the

procedure

Kędzierski

Leszczyński

(2013).

187

LO FORAM INDEX OF THE CRETACEOUS—PALEOGENE BOUNDARY: CALCAREOUS NANNOFOSSIL PROOF

GEOL

EOL

EOLOGICA CARPA

OGICA CARPA

OGICA CARPATHICA

THICA

THICA, 2015, 66, 3, 181—195

Fig. 4. Calcareous nannofossils in cross-polarized light. A – Prediscosphaera grandis Perch-Nielsen, sample 5.9; B – Prediscosphaera
stoveri (Perch-Nielsen), sample 5.7; C – Prediscosphaera cf. P. incohatus (Stover), sample 5.7; D – Prediscosphaera cretacea (Arkhan-
gelsky), sample 5.7; E – Ahmuellerella octoradiata (Górka), sample 5.7; F – Cribrosphaerella ehrenbergii (Arkhangelsky), sample 5.7;
G – Arkhangelskiella cymbiformis (Vekshina), sample 5.9; H, I – Broinsonia ex gr. B. parca, sample 5.9; J – Biscutum melaniae (Górka),
sample 5.7A; K – Markalius inversus (Deflandre in Deflandre & Fert), sample 5.7A; L – Nephrolithus frequens Górka, sample 5.7;
M – Placozygus cf. fibuliformis (Reinhardt) Hoffmann, sample 5.7; N – Micula staurophora Gardet, sample 5.7; O—Q – Micula murus
(Martini), sample 5.7A; R – Ceratolithoides kamptneri Bramlette & Martini, sample 5.7A.

ary,  which,  in  turn,  is  defined  by  the  presence  of  the  rusty
layer at the base of the Boundary Clay (Molina et al. 2006).
Strictly according to this statement, the absence of the K/Pg
Boundary Clay layer precludes precise determination of the
upper boundary of the A. mayaroensis Zone equivocally syn-
chronous  with  the  K/Pg  boundary  in  the  study  section,
hence, the undeniable indication of K/Pg boundary. The sec-
tion  studied  is  composed  mostly  of  turbiditic  deposits,  in
which finding of the clay boundary layer is unlikely. There-
fore, the approximation of the K/Pg boundary can be deter-
mined  here  only  by  means  of  qualitative  paleontological
data.  For  this  purpose  we  used  combined  foraminiferid  and
calcareous  nannofossil  data.  Moreover,  some  discrepancies
concerning these groups of fossils are discussed here.

Planktonic foraminiferal biostratigraphy around the K/Pg
boundary

In the studied section, the Upper Cretaceous planktonic

foraminiferal  A.  mayaroensis  Zone  is  recognized  based  on
the presence of the index species. Part of the section studied
below the FO of A. mayaroensis is not zoned in the present
work  (Fig. 3),  contrary  to  Gasiński  &  Uchman  (2009)  who
distinguished the preceding Gansserina gansseri Zone based
on  species  that  in  fact  have  a  wider  stratigraphic  range
encompassing  at  least  the  Globotruncana  aegyptiaca  and
Gansserina  gansseri  zones  (Gasiński  &  Uchman  2009;
fig. 5).  So  far,  Gansserina  gansseri  has  been  found  in  the
adjacent  thrust  sheet  of  the  same  unit  in  the  Bąkowiec  sec-
tion (Gasiński & Uchman 2011).

The younger planktonic foraminiferal Guembelitria creta-

cea  Zone,  which  indicates  the  lowermost  Paleocene,  that  is
the  interval  just  above  the  K/Pg  boundary,  was  not  recog-
nized in the study section. The G. cretacea Zone is an acme
biozone characterized by abundant occurrence of the Maas-
trichtian  survivor  or  disaster  species  that  bloomed  after  the
K/Pg boundary event (e.g. Smit & Romein 1985; Canudo et
al. 1991; Arenillas et al. 2006; Molina et al. 2006; Gallala et
al. 2009; Ogg & Hinnov 2012) and by an abrupt increase in
abundance of G. cretacea just above the K/Pg boundary. Its
lowest  interval,  called  the  P0  Zone  (e.g.  Berggren  et  al.
1995; Ogg & Hinnov 2012), was recently replaced with the
planktonic foraminiferal Hedbergella holmdelensis Subzone
forming  the  lower  subzone  of  the  G.  cretacea  Zone.  The
H. holmdelensis Subzone is also an acme biozone, similarly
to the whole G. cretacea Zone (Arenilllas et al. 2004, 2006;
Gallala et al. 2009). Such blooms of the planktonic foramin-
iferids  are  a  characteristic  feature  of  the  Danian,  in  which
three acme stages have been recognized. The first stage, em-

bracing  the  G.  cretacea  Zone,  concerns  only  the  blooms  of
the survivor or disaster taxa, such as G. cretacea or H. holm-
delensis.  The  next  two  stages  encompass  blooms  of  the
newcomer Danian taxa, such as Palaeoglobigerina or Woo-
dringina   (Canudo et al. 1991; Arenillas et al. 2006; Gallala
et  al.  2009;  Gasiński  &  Uchman  2011;  Slimani  &  Toufiq
2013).  None  of  these  blooms  were  observed  in  the  studied
Gaj section as the samples above the LO of A. mayaroensis
do  not  contain  any  planktonic  foraminiferids  either  Creta-
ceous  or  Paleogene.  Such  disappearance  of  all  Cretaceous
planktonic  foraminiferid  taxa  is  consistent  with  the  defini-
tion  of  the  upper  boundary  of  the  A.  mayaroensis  Zone  by
Premoli-Silva  &  Verga  (2004).  The  Late  Maastrichtian  is
known as a time of pronounced mantle plume volcanism in-
fluencing marine biota, especially calcareous nanno- and mi-
croplankton (e.g. Gale 2000; Keller 2002, 2008; Keller et al.
2007;  Pardo  &  Keller  2008;  Keller  &  Abramovich  2009;
Tantawy et al. 2009). According to Frank & Arthur (1999), a
tectonically driven global climate change begun in the Early
Maastrichtian  and  resulted  in  a  major  reorganization  of
ocean circulation during the Late Maastrichtian. That might
have strongly influenced the Late Maastrichtian marine biota.
For instance, the planktonic foraminiferid A. mayaroensis is
a bathypelagic K-strategy species requiring proper and stable
environmental  conditions  (Keller  &  Abramovich  2009).  A
shift in ecological setting, especially the increase in environ-
mental stress inferred by climate changes, led to its absence
in some basins (see Keller & Abramovich 2009). Generally,
A.  mayaroensis  is  a  very  rare  species,  even  at  the  El  Kef
GSSP,  so  its  application  for  biostratigraphy  is  somewhat
problematic  (see  Molina  et  al.  2006;  Keller  &  Abramovich
2009; and references cited therein). As a result, Li & Keller
(1998) replaced the   A. mayaroensis Zone with the CF zones
numbered  in  the  descending  order  (CF1  is  the  latest  Maas-
trichtian  zone),  which  are  based  on  other  planktonic  fora-
miniferids.  Finally,  the  A.  mayaroensis  Zone  sensu  Caron
(1985)  comprises,  in  stratigraphically  ascending  order,  the
following  zones:  upper  part  of  CF4  Zone  based  on  the  FO
of Raceguembelina fructicosa; CF3 Zone based on the FO of
Pseudoguembelina hariaensis; CF2 Zone based on the LO of
G. gansseri and the last CF1 Zone based on the FO of Plum-
merita hantkeninoides Bronnimann. The CF2 and CF1 zones
correspond  to  the  latest  Maastrichtian  greenhouse  period
from  which  the  foraminiferal  assemblages  are  dominated  by
dwarfed disaster species (as a result of the so-called Lilliput
effect)  in  some  volcanically  affected  areas  (Keller  &  Abra-
movich 2009; Tantawy et al. 2009). The CF2—1 zones time
is also characterized by rapid decrease in surface, intermedi-
ate and deep foraminiferid species richness (Keller 2001). In

189

LO FORAM INDEX OF THE CRETACEOUS—PALEOGENE BOUNDARY: CALCAREOUS NANNOFOSSIL PROOF

GEOL

EOL

EOLOGICA CARPA

OGICA CARPA

OGICA CARPATHICA

THICA

THICA, 2015, 66, 3, 181—195

general,  the  whole  latest  Maastrichtian  is  considered  as  a
time of climate disturbances, due to the global warming peri-
ods  interrupted  by  global  cooling,  which  resulted  in  pro-
nounced  sea-level  changes  and  shifts  in  oceanic  column
temperature composition (Miller et al. 2005, 2008; MacLeod
et al. 2011). These definitely triggered a floral and faunal mi-
gration,  including  planktonic  foraminiferids  and  calcareous
nannoplankton (Thibault et al. 2010). Overall, such environ-
mental  changes,  if  they  did  not  induce  a  disappearance  of
some  species  immediately,  greatly  reduced  foraminiferid
populations, hence their ability to reproduce (D’Hondt et al.
1996) and their disappearance in consequence, but in a longer
perspective. Therefore, we argue that paleoecological pertur-
bations combined with sea-level change scenarios can be ap-
plied  to  the  Gaj  section  studied  as  a  primordial  general
cause.  Taphonomic  filtering  contributed  to  scarcity  or  ab-
sence of planktonic foraminiferids, especially if the Lilliput
effect, facilitating destruction of foraminiferid tests, is taken
into account. It is worth noting that observation of the rate of
accumulated of modern planktonic foraminiferids show that
only  1—3 %  of  carbonates  of  foraminiferid  origin  reach  the
deep-seafloor  below  700 m  of  depth,  because  they  are  dis-
solved  while  settling  through  the  water  column  (Schiebel
2002). Thus, the absence of A. mayaroensis and other plank-
tonic foraminiferids would result from hostile environmental
conditions occurring in the CF2—1 zones, namely during the
latest  Maastrichtian,  as  a  primordial  reason,  which  entailed
the disappearance of some taxa directly and caused the scar-
city of  others  which  have  been lost  while settling or due to
taphonomical processes. In fact, the section studied provides
no  complete  record  of  the  CF2—1  zones  up  to  the  K/Pg
boundary,  so  re-entry  of  the  latest  Maastrichtian  planktonic
foraminiferid  assemblages  in  possible  more  complete  sec-
tions of the Skole Nappe is expected.

Benthic foraminiferal biostratigraphy around the K/Pg
boundary

In the study of the Gaj section, the FO of the benthic ag-

glutinated  foraminiferid  Rzehakina  fissistomata  has  been
proposed as proof supporting the Paleogene age of the inter-
val  studied  above  the  LO  of  A.  mayaroensis  (Gasiński  &
Uchman 2009; fig. 4). This may be consistent with the bio-
stratigraphic  scheme  proposed  by  Olszewska  (1997),  where
the acme Rzehakina fissistomata Zone, characterized by fre-
quent  occurrence  of  its  eponym  species,  is  proposed  as  the
first Paleogene foraminiferal zone comprising the whole Pa-
leocene. Moreover, R. fissistomata is also commonly accepted
as  the  Paleocene  age  indicator  in  the  Carpathians  (Geroch
&  Koszarski  1988;  Bubík  1995;  Bąk  &  Wolska  2005;

Fig. 5. Foraminiferids (bars = 100 µm). A – Ataxophragmium cf. fertile Woloshyna, sample 5.7A; B – Hormosina velascoensis (Cushman),
sample 5.8B; C – Caudammina ovula (Grzybowski), sample 5.8; D – Karrerulina conversa (Grzybowski), sample 6; E—F – Rzehakina
fissistomata (Grzybowski), sample 5.9; G – Hedbergella monomouthensis (Olsson), sample 5.6A; H – Heterohelix striata (Ehrenberg) sam-
ple 5; I – Heterohelix navarroensis Ehrenberg, sample 5.6A; J – Racemiguembelina fructicosa (Egger), sample 5.6A; K – Planoglobulina
acervulinoides (Egger), sample 5; L – Globotruncanella petaloidea (Gandolfi), sample 5; M – Contusotruncana contusa (Cushman),
sample 5.6A; N – Globotruncanita stuarti (de Lapparent), sample 5.2; O – Globotruncana arca (Cushman), sample 5; Q – Globotruncana
bulloides (Vogler), sample 5.7; P, R—T – Abathomphalus mayaroensis (Bolli) = P – sample 5, R—S – sample 5.6A, T – sample 5.4.

Waśkowska-Oliwa 2005, 2008; Bindiu & Filipescu 2011;
Cieszkowski & Waśkowska 2011; Cieszkowski et al. 2012).

However, there are some discrepancies concerning the

time of the first appearance of R. fissistomata. For instance,
according to Skupien et al. (2009, fig. 6), the first occurrence
of  this  species  is  marked  below  the  K/Pg  boundary,  within
the  uppermost  part  of  the  Upper  Maastrichtian  between  the
first occurrences of the nannofossils Cruciplacolithus primus
(which  appears  a  little  above  the  K/Pg  boundary  in  that
study)  and  Micula  prinsii,  the  index  species  of  the  Upper
Maastrichtian  nannofossil  UC20d

Zone. The possible

Maastrichtian  origin  of  R.  fissistomata  is  also  suggested  by
Kaminski & Gradstein (2005). The exact chronostratigraphic
position  of  the  first  occurrence  of  R.  fissistomata  has  been
equivocal. In the study section, R. fissistomata first occurs in
sample  Gaj 5.7A,  together  with  the  first  appearance  of  the
nannofossil  Ceratolithoides  kamptneri,  which  is  the  index
species of the upper Late Maastrichtian nannofossil UC20c

Zone. This is consistent with reports pointing out the Maas-
trichtian origin of R. fissistomata and similar to its strati-
graphic position in respect to the calcareous nannofossil
biostratigraphy by Skupien et al. (2009).

Calcareous nannofossil biostratigraphy

The K/Pg boundary event is known as one of the most dev-

astating  events  in  the  calcareous  nannoplankton  phylogeny,
since  it  brought  about  the  almost  complete  extinction  of
these mostly pelagic autotrophs. Only nine species of calca-
reous  nannoplankton  are  considered  as  survivor  or  disaster
species,  and  most  of  these  gradually  became  extinct  during
the  Early  Paleocene  (Bown  et  al.  2004;  Bown  2005).  The
K/Pg  boundary  event  is  recorded  in  the  normal  marine  set-
tings as the peak of abundance of Braarudosphaera spp. and
the calcareous dinoflagellates Thoracosphaera spp. or calci-
sphere  fragments  (Pospichal  1995;  Bown  2005;  Lamolda
et  al.  2005),  which  replaced  coccolithophores  during  their
low production post-event times (Fornaciari et al. 2007). The
nannofossil  assemblage  occurring  directly  above  the  K/Pg
boundary,  marked  at  the  base  of  the  Boundary  Clay,  how-
ever,  mostly  consists  of  reworked  Cretaceous  specimens
(Pospichal  1994;  Bown  2005;  Rodríguez-Tovar  et  al.  2010;
Kędzierski et al. 2011). The abrupt appearance of the Paleo-
cene  species  is  recorded  just  above  the  reworking  horizon
(Thierstein 1981; Pospichal 1995, 1996; Gardin 2002; Bown
2005).  The  early  Paleocene  post-extinction  recovery  of  the
calcareous  nannoplankton  brought  new  evolutionary  lines
starting from the so-called newcomer taxa, such as the genera
Neobiscutum,  Chiasmolithus  and  Cruciplacolithus  (Bown  et
al. 2004). The recovery took place during the global increase

190

KĘDZIERSKI, GASIŃSKI and UCHMAN

GEOL

EOL

EOLOGICA CARPA

OGICA CARPA

OGICA CARPATHICA

THICA

THICA, 2015, 66, 3, 181—195

of thermal stratification in the ocean, the condition which ad-
vantaged  the  oligotrophic  genera  such  as  Neobiscutum  or
Cruciplacolithus.  They  could  became  dominant  and  bloom
in  competitor  free  environments  forming  the  highly-domi-
nant  and  low  diverse  assemblages  during  the  Early  Paleo-
cene  (Jiang  et  al.  2010).  Nonetheless,  the  first  newcomer
taxa are very small in size and thus are called dwarfed taxa.
Their first occurrence used to be a marker of the base of the
Lower  Danian  nannofossil  zone  (see  discussion  in  Romein
et al. 1996). However, Mai et al. (2003) noted the Maastrich-
tian  occurrence  of  Neobiscutum  romeinii,  N.  parvulum  and
Cruciplacolithus primus in many sections around the world,
2—12 m  below  the  K/Pg  boundary,  and  claimed  that  none
of these species can be used as the indicator of the Paleocene
(see  also  Mai  1999;  Gardin  2002).  Instead,  the  first  occur-
rence of Biantholithus sparsus should be used as the certain
age marker as is proposed in the zonation scheme by Varol
(1998). Generally, this species is considered as rarely found
(Mai  et  al.  2003;  Molina  et  al.  2006),  however,  it  was  also
noted  in  the  Carpathians  (Oszczypko  et  al.  1995;  Bubík  et
al. 1999; Summesberger et al. 1999). On the other hand, van
Heck  &  Prins  (1987)  and  Švábenická  (2001)  claimed  the
occurrence  of  B.  sparsus  even  in  the  Upper  Maastrichtian.
Nevertheless,  this  may  be  a  case  of  a  reworked  Paleocene
nannofossil  pulled  down  into  a  burrow  disturbing  the  K/Pg
boundary,  as  was  described  by  Pospichal  &  Wise  (1990b)
who noticed the occurrence of B. sparsus in the Upper Maas-
trichtian.

Interestingly, the latest Maastrichtian time of origin of the

nannoplankton  dwarfed  taxa  coincides  with  the  time  of  oc-
currence  of  the  so-called  Lilliput  effect  in  planktonic  fora-
miniferids.  This  can  be  related  to  a  common  source,
supposedly the Late Maastrichtian mantle plume volcanism,
leading to a biotic stress in marine environments resulting in
a biocalcification crisis in planktonic foraminiferids and cal-

careous nannoplankton (Abramovich & Keller 2003; Thibault
& Gardin 2007, 2010; Keller & Abramovich 2009; Tantawy
et al. 2009). Moreover, according to the conclusion concern-
ing  the  paleoecology  of  Prediscosphaera  stoveri  presented
by Sheldon et al. (2010), the common occurrence of this spe-
cies  in  the  material  studied  suggests  a  rather  warm  period.
The  appearance  of  the  tropical  C.  kamptneri  also  supports
the  influence  of  generally  warm  surface  waters.  Neverthe-
less, this species is often reported from other sections in the
Outer  Carpathians  (Bubík  et  al.  1999;  Jugowiec-Nazar-
kiewicz 2007), therefore, there may be evidence of its long-
term  occurrence  in  the  northern  Tethys.  Moreover,  it  is
worth  emphasizing  here,  that  the  mixed  influence  of  the
high-  and  low-latitude  nannofossils,  namely  Boreal  and
Tethyan, seems to be the typical feature of the Maastrichtian
in  the  Outer  Carpathians  (Bubík  et  al.  1999;  Švábenická
2001; Švábenická et al. 2002). Perhaps, the further prolonga-
tion  of  the  warming  may  have  caused  the  planktonic  fora-
miniferid  devouring  biocalcification  crisis  observed  in  the
Gaj  section  above  the  last  occurrence  of  A.  mayaroensis,
where  only  benthic  foraminiferids  occur.  Some  taphonomic
filtering may also have played a role, especially in the rede-
posited flysch deposits. Chiu and Broecker (2008) found that
calcareous nannoplankton is ten times more resistant to dis-
solution  than  foraminifera,  hence,  one  may  reckon  the  ab-
sence  of  fragile  tests  of  planktonic  foraminiferids  and
presence of nannofossils as an effect of taphonomic filtering.
Such a conclusion will be more probable if these tests belong
to the Lilliput planktonic foraminiferids. Therefore, the sup-
posed  taphonomic  filtering  also  proves  the  biocalcification
crisis, though indirectly.

None of the calcareous nannofossil indicators of the K/Pg

boundary  or  its  stratigraphic  proximity,  such  as  Bian-
tholithus  sparsus  or  peak  in  abundance  of  Thoracosphaera
and/or  Braarudosphaera  spp.,  have  been  noted  in  the  sec-

Fig. 6. Correlation of the calcareous nannofossil and foraminiferal zones against the chronostratigraphy in the studied section.

191

LO FORAM INDEX OF THE CRETACEOUS—PALEOGENE BOUNDARY: CALCAREOUS NANNOFOSSIL PROOF

GEOL

EOL

EOLOGICA CARPA

OGICA CARPA

OGICA CARPATHICA

THICA

THICA, 2015, 66, 3, 181—195

tion studied (Table 1). On the contrary, all samples are domi-
nated by the Upper Cretaceous taxa. The interval between
samples Gaj 5.6A and 5.7 contains the occurrence of Micula
murus, the index species for the UC20b

Zone, which first

occurs  in  sample  Gaj 5.4A  (Figs. 3,  6).  Moreover,  the  suc-
cession of the uppermost Maastrichtian calcareous nannofossil
index  species  corresponds  to  their  succession  used  in  the
standard nannofossil UC zones proposed by Burnett (1998).
Therefore, the interval above the LO of A. mayaroensis, sug-
gested by Gasiński & Uchman (2009) as the Paleogene, indi-
cates  the  nannofossil  UC20c

Zone defined by the first

occurrence of C. kamptneri (Gaj 5.7A). This is synchronous
with the upper part of the planktonic foraminiferal CF3 Zone
(Tantawy et al. 2009). The samples Gaj 5.8 and Gaj 5.9 have
also been ascribed to the UC20c

Zone due to no other

stratigraphic premises (Fig. 6). Sample Gaj 6 is barren in cal-
careous nannofossils. This period corresponds well with the
beginning of the end-Maastrichtian warm event dated to the
end of the nannofossil UC20c Zone (Thibault & Gardin
2007, 2010), which is also characterized by a decline in
planktonic foraminiferid occurrence followed by an invasion
of the dwarfed taxa (Abramovich & Keller 2003). The latter
event has not been observed in the studied section, likely due
to tectonic displacement of the younger sediments, including
the K/Pg boundary.

Conclusions

1. The interval studied represents the Upper Maastrichtian

deposits belonging to the nannofossil zones UC20b

–

marked at the base by the first occurrence of Micula murus,
and UC20c

– marked at the base by the FO of Cera-

tolithoides kamptneri. Thus, the interval studied embraces
part of the planktonic foraminiferal Abathomphalus maya-
roensis Zone and is synchronous with the CF4—3 zones.

2. The virtual K/Pg boundary interval is cut off by tectonic

displacement noted at the top of the section studied and over-
lain by the Variegated Shale Formation ascribed to the Eocene
on the basis of abundant occurrence of benthic agglutinated
foraminiferids Glomospira spp. and Karrurelina spp.

3. The benthic agglutinated Rzehakina fissistomata first

occurs around the boundary between the nannofossil
UC20b

—UC20c

zones, and so in the Late Maastrichtian.

4. The absence of Abathomphalus mayaroensis and other

planktonic foraminiferids is probably caused by adverse en-
vironmental conditions during the end-Maastrichtian warm
event.

5. Integrated nannofossil and foraminiferid biostratigraphy

is a useful tool for a more precise dating of flysch deposits
impoverished in the stratigraphic markers.

Acknowledgments: The research was sponsored by the Polish
National Science Centre (Grant NN 307038840) and sup-
ported by the Jagiellonian University (DS funds Project No.
K/2DS/001673). We are also indebted to Lilian Švábenická
for her efforts helping us to improve the manuscript, to an
anonymous reviewer for comments and remarks, and to the
Editors of Geologica Carpathica for their kindness.

References

Abramovich S. & Keller G. 2003: Planktonic foraminiferal re-

sponse to the latest Maastrichtian abrupt warm event: a case
study from South Atlantic DSDP Site 525A. Mar. Micropaleont.
48, 225—249.

Alegret L. & Thomas E. 2013: Benthic foraminifera across the Cre-

taceous/Paleogene boundary in the Southern Ocean (ODP Site
690): Diversity, food and carbonate saturation. Mar. Micro-
paleont. 105, 40—51.

Arenillas I., Arz J.A. & Molina E. 2004: A new high-resolution

planktic foraminiferal zonation and subzonation of the lower
Danian. Lethaia 37, 79—95.

Arenillas I., Arz J.A., Grajales-Nishimura J.M., Murillo-Muñetón G.,

Alvarez  G.,  Camarago-Zanoguera  A.,  Molina  E.  &  Rosales-
Domínguez  C.  2006:  Chicxulub  impact  event  is  Cretaceous/
Paleogene  boundary  in  age:  New  micropaleontological  evi-
dence. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 249, 241—257.

Bąk K. & Wolska A. 2005: Exotic orthogneiss pebbles from Paleo-

cene flysch of the Dukla Nappe (Outer Eastern Carpathians,
Poland). Geol. Carpathica 56, 205—221.

Bergen J.A. & Sikora P. J. 1999: Microfossil diachronism in south-

ern Norwegian North Sea chalks: Valhall and Hod fields. Geol.
Soc. London, Spec. Publ. 152, 1, 85—111.

Berggren W.A., Kent D.V., Swisher C.C. & Aubry M.P. 1995: A

revised Cenozoic geochronology and chronostratigraphy. In:
Berggren W.A., Kent D.V., Aubry M.P. & Hardenbol J. (Eds.):
Geochronology, time scales and global stratigraphic correla-
tion. SEPM Spec. Publ. 54, 130—212.

Bindiu R. & Filipescu S. 2011: Agglutinated foraminifera from the

Northern Tarcău Nappe (Eastern Carpathians, Romania). Stud.
Univ. BabeW-Bolyai, Geol. 56, 31—41.

Bown P.R. 2005: Selective calcareous nannoplankton survivorship

at the Cretaceous—Tertiary boundary. Geology 33, 653—656.

Bown P.R. & Young J.R. 1998: Techniques. In: Bown P.R. (Ed.):

Calcareous nannofossil biostratigraphy. Kluwer Academic Pub-
lisher, Dordrecht, Boston, London, 16—28.

Bown P.R., Lees J.A. & Young R.J. 2004: Calcareous nannoplank-

ton evolution and diversity through time. In: Thierstein H.R. &
Young J.R. (Eds.): Coccolithophores, from molecular processes
to global impact. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York,
481—508.

Bromowicz J. 1974: Facial variability and lithological character of

Inoceramian Beds of the Skole Nappe between Rzeszów and
Przemyśl. Prace Geol. Pol. Akad. Nauk, Oddział w Krakowie,
Komisja Nauk Geologicznych 84, 1—83 (in Polish, with English
summary).

Bubík M. 1995: Cretaceous to Paleogene agglutinated Foraminifera

of the Bílé Karpaty Unit (West Carpathians, Czech Republic).
In: Kamiński M.A., Geroch S. & Gasiński M.A. (Eds.): Pro-
ceedings of the Fourth International Workshop on Aglutinnated
Foraminifera, Kraków, Poland, September 12—19, 1993. Grzy-
bowski Foundation Spec. Publ. no. 3, Kraków, 71—116.

Bubík M., Bąk M. & Švábenická L. 1999: Biostratigraphy of the

Maastrichtian to Paleocene distal flysch sediments of the Rača
Unit in the Uzgruň section (Magura Group of Nappes, Czech
Republic). Geol. Carpathica 50, 1, 33—48.

Burnett J.A. 1998: Upper Cretaceous. In: Bown P.R. (Ed.): Calcare-

ous nannofossil biostratigraphy. Kluwer Academic Publisher,
Dordrecht, Boston, London, 132—199.

Canudo J.I., Keller G. & Molina E. 1991: Cretaceous/Tertiary

boundary extinction pattern and faunal turnover at Agost and
Caravaca, S.E. Spain. Mar. Micropaleont. 17, 319—341.

Caron M. 1985: Cretaceous planktic foraminifera. In: Bolli H.M.,

Saunders J.B. & Perch-Nielsen K. (Eds.): Plankton stratigraphy.
Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 17—86.

192

KĘDZIERSKI, GASIŃSKI and UCHMAN

GEOL

EOL

EOLOGICA CARPA

OGICA CARPA

OGICA CARPATHICA

THICA

THICA, 2015, 66, 3, 181—195

Chiu T.-C. & Broecker W.S. 2008: Toward better paleocarbonate

ion reconstructions: new insights regarding the CaCO

size in-

dex. Paleoceanography 23, PA2216.

Cieszkowski M. & Waśkowska A. 2011: The Żurawnica Sandstone

and Skawce Sandstone members of the Łabowa Formation in
the northern zone of the Magura Basin. In: Bąk M., Kaminski
M.A. & Waśkowska A. (Eds.): Integrating microfossil records
from the oceans and epicontinental seas. Grzybowski Founda-
tion Spec. Publ. 17, 45—52.

Cieszkowski M., Golonka J. & Waśkowska A. 2012: An olistolith

interpretation for the Paleocene Szydłowiec sandstones in the
stratotype area (Outer Carpathians, Poland). Austrian J. Earth
Sci. 105, 240—247.

Coxall H.K., D’Hondt S. & Zachos J.C. 2006: Pelagic evolution and

environmental recovery after the Cretaceous—Paleogene mass
extinction. Geology 34, 297—300.

Culver S.J. 2003: Benthic foraminifera across the Cretaceous—Tertiary

(K—T) boundary: a review. Mar. Micropaleont. 47, 177—226.

D’Hondt S. 2005: Consequences of the Cretaceous/Paleogene mass

extinction for marine ecosystems. Annual Review of Ecology,
Evolution, and Systematics 36, 295—317.

D’Hondt S., Herbert T.D., King J. & Gibson C. 1996: Planktic fora-

minifera, asteroids, and marine production: death and recovery
at the Cretaceous—Tertiary boundary. In: Ryder G.T., Fastovsky
D.E. & Gartner S. (Eds.): New developments regarding the
K/T event and other catastrophes in Earth history. Geol. Soc.
Amer., Boulder, 303—317.

Fornaciari E., Giusberti L., Luciani V., Tateo F., Agnini C., Back-

man J., Oddone M. & Rio D. 2007: An expanded Cretaceous—
Tertiary transition in a pelagic setting of the Southern Alps
(central-western Tethys). Palaeogeogr. Palaeoclimatol. Palaeo-
ecol. 255, 98—131.

Frank T.D. & Arthur M.A. 1999: Tectonic forcings of Maastrichtian

ocean-climate evolution. Paleoceanography 142, 103—117.

Gale A.S. 2000: The Cretaceous world. In: Culver S.J. & Rawson

P.F. (Eds.): Biotic response to global change: the last 145 mil-
lion years. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 4—19.

Gallala N. & Zaghbib-Turki D. 2010: High resolution biostratigraphy

based on planktic foraminifera across the Cretaceous—Paleo-
gene transition at the Bidart section (SW France). Acta Geol.
Pol. 60, 243—255.

Gallala N., Zaghbib-Turki D., Arenillas I., Arz J.A. & Molina E.

2009: Catastrophic mass extinction and assemblage evolution
in  planktic  foraminifera  across  the  Cretaceous/Paleogene
(K/Pg)  boundary  at  Bidart  (SW  France).  Mar.  Micropaleont.
72,   196—209.

Gardin S. 2002: Late Maastrichtian to early Danian calcareous nan-

nofossils at Elles (Northwest Tunisia): A tale of one million
years across the K/T boundary. Palaeogeogr. Palaeoclimatol.
Palaeoecol. 178, 211—231.

Gasiński M.A. & Uchman A. 2009: Latest Maastrichtian foramin-

iferal assemblages from the Husów region (Skole Nappe, Outer
Carpathians, Poland). Geol. Carpathica 60, 283—294.

Gasiński M.A. & Uchman A. 2011: The Cretaceous—Paleogene

boundary in turbiditic deposits identified to the bed: a case study
from the Skole Nappe (Outer Carpathians, southern Poland).
Geol. Carpathica 62, 333—343.

Gasiński M.A., Olshtynska A. & Uchman A. 2013: Late Maastrich-

tian  foraminiferids  and  diatoms  from  the  Polish  Carpathians
(Ropianka  Formation,  Skole  Nappe):  a  case  study  from  the
Chmielnik—Grabówka  composite  section.  Acta  Geol.  Pol.  63,
515—525.

Geroch S. & Koszarski L. 1988: Agglutinated foraminiferal strati-

graphy of the Silesian Flysch Trough. Abh. Geol. Bundesanst.
41, 73—79.

Geroch S. & Nowak W. 1984: Proposal of zonation for the Late Ti-

thonian—Late Eocene based upon arenaceous foraminifera from
the Outer Carpathians, Poland. In: Oertli H.J. (Ed.): Benthos’83:
2nd International Symposium on Benthic Foraminifera (Pau,
France). Elf-Aquitaine, ESSO REP and Total CFP, Pau & Bor-
deaux, 225—239.

Huber B.T. 1996: Evidence for planktonic foraminifer reworking ver-

sus survivorship across the Cretaceous—Tertiary boundary at
high latitudes. In: Ryder G., Fastovsky D. & Gartner S. (Eds.):
The Cretaceous-Tertiary event and other catastrophes in Earth
history. Geol. Soc. Amer., Spec. Pap. 307, 319—334.

Huber B.T. & Watkins D.K. 1992: Biogeography of Campanian—

Maastrichtian calcareous plankton in the region of the South-
ern Ocean: Paleogeographic and paleoclimatic implications.
In: Kennett J.P. & Warnke D.A. (Eds.): The Antarctic paleoen-
vironment: A perspective on global change. Amer. Geophys.
Union Antarctic Res. Series 56, 31—60.

Jiang S., Bralower T.J., Patzkowsky M.E., Kump L.R. & Schueth

J.D. 2010: Geographic controls on nannoplankton extinction
across the Cretaceous/Palaeogene boundary. Nature Geoscience
3, 280—285.

Jugowiec-Nazarkiewicz M. 2007: Calcareous nannoplankton from

Upper Cretaceous pelagic facies of the Subsilesian Unit, Polish
Outer Carpathians. Biul. Panstw. Inst. Geol. 426, 53—90 (in
Polish, with English summary).

Kaminski M.A. & Gradstein F.M. 2005: Atlas of Paleogene cosmo-

politan deep-water Foraminifera. Grzybowski Foundation Spec.
Publ. 10, 1—547.

Keller G. 2001: The end-Cretaceous mass extinction in the marine

realm: year 2000 assessment. Planetary and Space Science 49,
817—830.

Keller G. 2002: Guembelitria-dominated late Maastrichtian planktic

foraminiferal assemblages mimic early Danian in central
Egypt. Mar. Micropaleont. 47, 71—99.

Keller G. 2008: Cretaceous climate, volcanism, impacts, and biotic

effects. Cretaceous Research 29, 754—771.

Keller G. & Abramovich S. 2009: Lilliput effect in late Maastrich-

tian planktic foraminifera: Response to environmental stress.
Palaeogeogr. Palaeoclimatol. Palaeoecol. 284, 47—62.

Keller G., Adatte T., Tantawy A.A., Berner Z., Stinnesbeck W.,

Stueben D. & Leanza H.A. 2007: High stress late Maastrich-
tian—early Danian palaeoenvironment in the Neuquen Basin,
Argentina. Cretaceous Research 28, 939—960.

Kędzierski M. & Leszczyński S. 2013: A paleoceanographic model

for the Late Campanian—Early Maastrichtian sedimentation in
the Polish Carpathian Flysch basin based on nannofossils.
Mar. Micropaleont. 102, 34—50.

Kędzierski M., Uchman A. & Rodríguez-Tovar F.J. 2011: Vertical

displacement and taphonomic filtering of nannofossils by bio-
turbation in the Cretaceous—Palaeogene boundary section at
Caravaca, SE Spain. Lethaia 44, 321—328.

Kędzierski M., Machaniec E., Uchman A. & Rodríguez-Tovar F.J.

2012: Bio-events, foraminiferal and nannofossil biostratigra-
phy of the Cenomanian/Turonian boundary interval in the Sub-
silesian Nappe, Rybie section, Polish Carpathians. Cretaceous
Research 35, 181—198.

Kotlarczyk J. 1978: Stratigraphy of the Ropianka Formation or of

Inoceramian Beds in the Skole Unit of the Flysch Carpathians.
Prace Geol. Pol. Akad. Nauk, Oddział w Krakowie, Komisja
Nauk Geologicznych 108, 1—82 (in Polish, with English sum-
mary).

Kotlarczyk J. 1985: An outline of the stratigraphy of marginal tecton-

ic  units  of  the  Carpathian  Orogen  in  the  Rzeszów—Przemyśl
area.  In:  Kotlarczyk  J.  (Ed.):  Geotraverse  Kraków—Baranów—
Rzeszów—Przemyśl—Ustrzyki  Dolne—Komańcza—Dukla.  Guide
to  Excursion  4.  Carpatho-Balkan  Geological  Association  XIII
Congress. Kraków, Poland 1985. Geol. Inst., Warszawa, 39—63.

193

LO FORAM INDEX OF THE CRETACEOUS—PALEOGENE BOUNDARY: CALCAREOUS NANNOFOSSIL PROOF

GEOL

EOL

EOLOGICA CARPA

OGICA CARPA

OGICA CARPATHICA

THICA

THICA, 2015, 66, 3, 181—195

Lamolda M.A., Melinte M.C. & Kaiho K. 2005: Nannofloral ex-

tinction and survivorship across the K/T boundary at Caravaca,
southeastern Spain. Palaeogeogr. Palaeoclimatol. Palaeoecol.
224, 27—52.

Li L. & Keller G. 1998: Maastrichtian climate, productivity and

faunal turnovers in planktic foraminifera in South Atlantic
DSDP sites 525 and 21. Mar. Micropaleont. 33, 55—86.

Luciani V. 2002: High-resolution planktonic foraminiferal analysis

from the Cretaceous—Tertiary boundary at Ain Settara (Tunisia):
evidence of an extended mass extinction. Palaeogeogr. Palaeo-
climatol. Palaeoecol. 178, 299—319.

Mai H. 1999: Paleocene coccoliths and coccospheres in deposits of

the Maastrichtian stage at the type locality and type area in SE
Limburg, The Netherlands. Mar. Micropaleont. 36, 1—12.

Mai H., Speijer R.P. & Schulte P. 2003: Calcareous index nanno-

fossils (coccoliths) of the lowermost Paleocene originated in
the late Maastrichtian. Micropaleontology 49, 189—195.

Miller K.G., Wright J.D., Katz M.E., Browning J.V., Cramer B.S.,

Wade B.S. & Mizintseva S.F. 2008: A view of Antarctic Ice-
Sheet evolution from sea-level and deep-sea isotope changes
during the Late Cretaceous—Cenozoic. In: Cooper A.K., Barrett
P.J., Stagg H., Storey B., Stump E., Wise W. & the 10

ISAES

editorial team (Eds.): Antarctica: a keystone in a changing
world. Proceedings of the 10

International Symposium on

Antarctic Earth Sciences. The National Academies Press,
Washington, 55—70.

Miller K.G., Kominz M.A., Browning J.V., Wright J.D., Mountain

G.S., Katz M.E., Sugarman P.J., Cramer B.S., Christie-Blick
N. & Pekar S.F. 2005: The Phanerozoic record of global sea-
level change. Science 310, 1293—1298.

Molina E., Alegret L., Arenillas I., Arz J.A., Gallala N., Hardenbol

J., von Salis K., Steurbaut E., Vandenberghe N. & Zaghbib-
Turki D. 2006: The global boundary stratotype section and
point for the base of the Danian Stage (Paleocene, Paleogene,
“Tertiary”, Cenozoic) at El Kef, Tunisia – original definition
and revision. Episodes 29, 263—273.

Nifuku K., Kodama K., Shigeta Y. & Naruse H. 2008: Faunal turn-

over at the end of the Cretaceous in the North Pacific region:
Implications from combined magnetostratigraphy and bio-
stratigraphy of the Maastrichtian Senpohshi Formation in the
eastern Hokkaido Island, northern Japan. Palaeogeogr. Palaeo-
climatol. Palaeoecol. 271, 84—95.

Ogg J.G. & Hinnov L.A. 2012: Chapter 28: Cretaceous. In: Grad-

stein F.M., Ogg J.G., Schmitz M. & Ogg G. (Eds.): The Geo-
logic Time Scale 2012. Elsevier, Oxford, Amsterdam, Waltham,
793—853.

Ogg J.G., Agterberg F.P. & Gradstein F.M. 2004: The Cretaceous

period. In: Gradstein F.M., Ogg J.G. & Smith A.G. (Eds.): A
geologic time scale 2004. Cambridge University Press, Cam-
bridge, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, 344—383.

Olszewska B. 1997: Foraminiferal biostratigraphy of the Polish

Outer Carpathians: a record of basin geohistory. Ann. Soc. Geol.
Pol. 67, 325—337.

Oszczypko N., Malata E., Bąk K., Kędzierski M. & Oszczypko-

Clowes M. 2005: Lithostratigraphy and biostratigraphy of the
Upper Albian—Lower/Middle Eocene flysch deposits in the
Bystrica and Rača subunits of the Magura Nappe; Western Flysch
Carpathians (Beskid Wyspowy and Gorce Ranges, Poland).
Ann. Soc. Geol. Pol. 75, 27—69.

Pardo A. & Keller G. 2008: Biotic effects of environmental catas-

trophes at the end of the Cretaceous and early Tertiary: Guem-
belitria and Heterohelix blooms. Cretaceous Research 29,
1058—1073.

Petrizzo M.R. 2003: Late Cretaceous Planktonic foraminiferal bio-

events in the Tethys and in the southern ocean record: an over-
view. J. Foram. Res. 33, 330—337.

Petrizzo M.R., Falzoni F. & Premoli Silva I. 2011: Identification of

the base of the lower-to-middle Campanian Globotruncana
ventricosa Zone: Comments on reliability and global correla-
tions. Cretaceous Research 32, 387—405.

Pospichal J.J. 1994: Calcareous nannofossils at the K/T boundary,

El Kef: No evidence for stepwise, gradual, or sequential ex-
tinctions. Geology 22, 99—102.

Pospichal J.J. 1995: Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary calcareous nan-

nofossils from Agost, Spain. In: Flores J.A. & Sierro F.J.
(Eds.): Proceedings of the 5th International Nannoplankton
Association Conference in Salamanca. University of Salamanca
Press, Salamanca, 185—217.

Pospichal J.J. 1996: Calcareous nannofossils and clastic sediments

at the Cretaceous—Tertiary boundary, northeastern Mexico.
Geology 24, 255—258.

Pospichal J.J. & Wise S.W. Jr. 1990a: Maastrichtian calcareous

nannofossil biostratigraphy of Maud Rise, ODP Leg 113 Sites
689 and 690, Weddell Sea. Proceedings of the Ocean Drilling
Program, Scientific Results 113, 465—488.

Pospichal J.J. & Wise S.W. Jr. 1990b: Paleocene to Middle Eocene

calcareous nannofossils of ODP sites 689 and 690, Maud Rise,
Weddell Sea. Proceedings of the Ocean Drilling Program,
Scientific Results 113, 613—638.

Premoli-Silva I. & Verga D. 2004: Practical manual of Cretaceous

planktonic foraminifera. In: Verga D. & Rettori R. (Eds.): In-
ternational school on planktonic foraminifera, 3rd course: Cre-
taceous. Universites of Pergugia and Milano, Perugia, 1—283.

Robaszynski F. & Caron M. 1995: Foraminifères planctoniques du

Crétacé: commentaire de la zonation Europe-Méditerranée.
Bull. Soc. Géol. France 166, 681—692.

Rodríguez-Tovar F.J., Uchman A., Molina E. & Monechi S. 2010:

Bioturbational redistribution of Danian calcareous nannofos-
sils in the uppermost Maastrichtian across the K—Pg boundary
at Bidart, SW France. Geobios 43, 569—579.

Romein A.J.T., Willems H. & Mai H. 1996: Calcareous nanno-

plankton of the Geulhemmerberg K/T boundary section, Maas-
trichtian type area, the Netherlands. In: Brinkhuis H. & Smit J.
(Eds.): The Geulhemmerberg Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary
section (Maastrichtian type area, SE Netherlands). Geol. En
Mijnb. 75, 231—238.

Schiebel R. 2002: Planktic foraminiferal sedimentation and the ma-

rine calcite budget. Global Biogeochemical Cycles 16, 3-1—3-21.

Schulte P., Alegret L., Arenillas I., Arz J.A., Barton P.J., Bown P.R.,

Bralower T.J., Christeson G.L., Claeys P., Cockell C.S., Collins
G.S.,  Deutsch  A.,  Goldin  T.J.,  Goto  K.,  Grajales-Nishimura
J.M., Grieve R.A.F., Gulick S.P.S., Johnson K.R., Kiessling W.,
Koeberl C., Kring D.A., MacLeod K.G., Matsui T., Melosh J.,
Montanari  A.,  Morgan  J.V.,  Neal  C.R.,  Nichols  D.J.,  Norris
R.D.,  Pierazzo  E.,  Ravizza  G.,  Rebolledo-Vieyra  M.,  Reimold
W.U.,  Robin  E.,  Salge  E.,  Speijer  R.P.,  Sweet  A.R.,  Urrutia-
Fucugauchi J., Vajda V., Whalen M.T. & Willumsen P.S. 2010:
The Chicxulub asteroid impact and mass extinction at the Creta-
ceous—Paleogene boundary. Science 327, 1214—1218.

Sheldon E., Ineson J. & Bown P. 2010: Late Maastrichtian warming

in the Boreal Realm: Calcareous nannofossil evidence. Palaeo-
geogr. Palaeoclimatol. Palaeoecol. 295, 55—75.

Sissingh W. 1977: Biostratigraphy of the Cretaceous calcareous

nannoplankton. Geol. En Mijnb. 56, 37—65.

Skupien P., Bubík M., Švábenická L., Mikuláš R., Vašíček Z. &

Matýsek D. 2009: Cretaceous Oceanic Red Beds in the Outer
Western Carpathians, Czech Republic. SEPM Spec. Publ. 91,
99—109.

Slimani H. & Toufiq A. 2013: A Cretaceous—Palaeogene boundary

geological site, revealed by planktic foraminifera and dino-
flagellate cysts, at Ouled Haddou, eastern externel Rif Chain,
Morocco. J. Afr. Earth Sci. 88, 38—52.

194

KĘDZIERSKI, GASIŃSKI and UCHMAN

GEOL

EOL

EOLOGICA CARPA

OGICA CARPA

OGICA CARPATHICA

THICA

THICA, 2015, 66, 3, 181—195

Smit J. & Romein A.J.T. 1985: A sequence of events across the

Cretaceous—Tertiary boundary. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 74,
155—170.

Summesberger H., Švábenická L., Čech S., Hradecká L. & Hof-

mann  T.  1999:  New  palaeontological  and  biostratigraphical
data  on  the  Klement  and  Pálava  Formations  (Upper  Creta-
ceous) in Austria (Waschberg—Ždánice Unit).  Ann. Naturhist.
Mus., Wien 100A, 39—79.

Švábenická L. 2001: Late Campanian/Late Maastrichtian penetra-

tion of high-latitude nannoflora to the Outer Carpathian depo-
sitional area. Geol. Carpathica 52, 23—40.

Švábenická L., Wagreich M. & Egger H. 2002: Upper Cretaceous

calcareous  nannofossil  assemblages  at  a  transect  from  the
northern Tethys to the temperate realm in Central Europe. In:
Michalík J. (Ed.): Tethyan/Boreal Cretaceous correlation. Medi-
terranean  and  Boreal  Cretaceous  paleoceanographic  areas  in
Central  and  Eastern  Europe.  Publishing  House  of  the  Slovak
Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, 187—212.

Tantawy A.A.A., Keller G. & Pardo A. 2009: Late Maastrichtian

volcanism in the Indian Ocean: Effects on calcareous nanno-
fossils and planktic foraminifera. Palaeogeogr. Palaeoclima-
tol. Palaeoecol. 284, 63—87.

Thibault N. & Gardin S. 2007: The late Maastrichtian nannofossil

record of climate change in the South Atlantic DSDP Hole
525A. Mar. Micropaleont. 3—4, 163—184.

Thibault N. & Gardin S. 2010: The calcareous nannofossil response

to the end-Cretaceous warm event in the Tropical Pacific.
Palaeogeogr. Palaeoclimatol. Palaeoecol. 291, 239—252.

Thibault N., Gardin S. & Galbrun B. 2010: Latitudinal migration of

calcareous nannofossil Micula murus in the Maastrichtian: Im-
plications for global climate change. Geology 38, 203—206.

Thibault N., Husson D., Harlou R., Gardin S., Galbrun B., Huret E. &

Minoletti F. 2012: Astronomical calibration of upper Campa-

nian—Maastrichtian carbon isotope events and calcareous plank-
ton biostratigraphy in the Indian Ocean (ODP Hole 762C): Im-
plication for the age of the Campanian—Maastrichtian boundary.
Palaeogeogr. Palaeoclimatol. Palaeoecol. 337—338, 52—71.

Thierstein H. 1981: Late Cretaceous nannoplankton and the change

at the Cretaceous—Tertiary boundary. SEPM Spec. Publ. 32,
355—394.

Tietze E. 1883: Beiträge zur Geologie von Galizien. Jb. K.—Kön.

Geol. Reichsanst. 33, 443—560.

Uhlig V. 1888: Ergebnisse geologischer Aufnahmen in den west-

galizischen Karpathen. I. Theil. Die Sandsteizone zwischen dem
penninischen Klippenzuge und dem Nordrande. Jb. K.—Kön.
Geol. Reichsanst. 38, 83—264.

van Heck S.E. & Prins B. 1987: A refined nannoplankton zonation

for the Danian of the Central North Sea. Abh. Geol. Bundesanst.
39, 285—303.

Varol O. 1998: Palaeogene. In: Bown P.R. (Ed.): Calcareous nanno-

fossil biostratigraphy. Kluwer Academic Publisher, Dordrecht,
Boston, London, 200—224.

Waśkowska-Oliwa A. 2005: Foraminiferal palaeodepth indicators

from the lower Palaeogene deposits of the Subsilesian Unit
(Polish Outer Carpathians). Stud. Geol. Pol. 124, 297—324.

Waśkowska-Oliwa A. 2008: The Paleocene assemblages of aggluti-

nated  foraminifera  from  deep-water  basin  sediments  of  the
Carpathians  (Subsilesian  Unit,  Poland)  –  biostratigraphical
remarks.  In:  Kaminski  M.A.  &  Coccioni  R.  (Eds.):  Proceed-
ings of the Seventh International Workshop on Agglutinated for-
aminifera. Grzybowski Foundation Spec. Publ. 13, 227—265.

Wdowiarz S. 1936: Report of geological investigations in the Car-

pathians in 1936 in the area of SE from Rzeszów. Sprawozdania
Państwowego Instytutu Geologicznego 45, 20—22 (in Polish).

Wdowiarz S. 1949: Structure géologique des Karpates Marginales

au sud—est de Rzeszów. Biul. Panstw. Inst. Geol. 11, 1—51.

195

LO FORAM INDEX OF THE CRETACEOUS—PALEOGENE BOUNDARY: CALCAREOUS NANNOFOSSIL PROOF

GEOL

EOL

EOLOGICA CARPA

OGICA CARPA

OGICA CARPATHICA

THICA

THICA, 2015, 66, 3, 181—195

List of taxa

Foraminiferids

Abathomphalus mayaroensis (Bolli)
Conglophragmium irregularis (White)
Globigerinelloides prairiehillensis Pessagno
Globotruncana arca Cushman
Globotruncana bulloides (Vogler)
Globotruncana stuarti (de Lapparent)
Globotruncana stuartiformis Dalbiez
Globotruncanella havanensis (Voorwijk)
Globotruncanella petaloidea (Gandolfi)
Glomospira charoides (Jones & Parker)
Contusotruncana contusa (Cushman)
Guembelitria cretacea Cushman
Hedbergella holmdelensis Olsson
Hedbergella monmouthensis (Olsson)
Heterohelix navarroensis Ehrenberg
Heterohelix striata (Ehrenberg)
Karrerulina conversa (Grzybowski)
Karrerulina horrida (Mjatliuk)
Planoglobulina acervulinoides (Egger)
Pseudotextularia elegans (Rzehak)
Racemiguembelina fructicosa (Egger)
Rzehakina fissistomata (Grzybowski)

Nannofossils

Ahmuerelella octoradiata (Górka) Reinhardt & Górka
Arkhangelskiella cymbiformis Vekshina
Arkhangelskiella sp.
Biscutum constans (Górka) Black in Black & Barnes
Bisctum dissimilis Wind & Wise in Wise & Wind
Biscutum melaniae (Górka) Reinhardt
Biscutum sp.
Braarudosphaera sp.
Broinsonia sp.
Broinsonia ex gr. parca (Stradner) Bukry
Calculites obscurus (Deflandre) Prins & Sissingh in Sissingh
Ceratolitoides aculeus (Stradner) Prins & Sissingh in Sissingh
Ceratolitoides kamptneri Bramlette & Martini
Chiastozygus litterarius (Górka) Manivit
Chiastozygus sp.
Cretarhabdus sp.
Cribrosphaerella ehrenbergii (Arkhangelsky) Deflandre in
Piveteau
Cribrosphaerella daniae Perch-Nielsen

Ellipsogelosphaera sp.
Eiffellithus sp.
Eiffellithus  turriseiffelii  (Deflandre  in  Deflandre  &  Fert)
Reinhardt
Eprolithus floralis (Stradner) Stover
Helicolithus sp.
Helicolithus trabeculatus (Górka) Verbeek
Gartnerago obliquum (Stradner) Noël
Kamptnerius magnificus Deflandre
Lucianorhabdus sp.
Markalius  inversus  (Deflandre  in  Deflandre  &  Fert)  Bram-
lette & Martini
Micula concava (Stradner in Martini & Stradner) Verbeek
Micula murus (Martini) Bukry
Micula praemurus (Bukry) Stradner & Steinmetz
Micula sp.
Micula staurophora Gardet
Neochiastozygus sp.
Neocrepidolithus cf. neocrassus (Perch-Nielsen) Romein
Nephrolithus frequens Górka
Petrarhabdus copulatus (Deflandre) Wind & Wise in Wise
Placozygus fibuliformis (Reinhardt) Hoffmann
Prediscosphaera arkhangelskyi (Reinhardt) Perch-Nielsen
Prediscosphaera cretacea (Arkhangelsky) Gartner
Prediscosphaera incohatus (Stover) Burnett
Prediscosphaera grandis Perch-Nielsen
Prediscosphaera stoveri (Perch-Nielsen) Shafik & Stradner
Prediscosphaera sp.
Quadrum gartneri Prins & Perch-Nielsen in Manivit et al.
Quadrum sp.
Reinhardtites levis Prins & Sissingh in Sissingh
Retecapsa angustiforata Black
Retecapsa sp.
Rhagodiscus sp.
Rhagodiscus indistinctus Burnett
Staurolithites sp.
Thoracosphaera sp.
Tranolithus orionatus (Reinhardt) Reinhardt
Watznaueria  barnesiae  (Black  in  Black  &  Barnes)  Perch-
Nielsen
Zeugrhabdotus embergeri (Noël) Perch-Nielsen
Zeugrhadbotus  erectus  (Deflandre  in  Deflandre  &  Fert)
Reinhardt
Zeugrhabdotus sp.