The Badenian-Sarmatian Extinction Event in the Carpathian foredeep basin of Romania: Paleogeographic changes in the Paratethys domain

The Badenian-Sarmatian boundary interval is marked by a major extinction event of marine species in the Central Paratethys. The exact age of the boundary is debated because many successions in marginal basins show erosional features and fauna reworking at the boundary level. Here, we selected the Tisa section in the Carpathian foredeep basin of Romania, which is continuous across this Badenian-Sarmatian Extinction Event (BSEE). Quantitative biostratigraphic records of planktic and benthic foraminifera and calcareous nannofossils allow to accurately locate the Badenian-Sarmatian boundary and indicate a major paleoenvironmental change from open marine to brackish water conditions. Magnetostratigraphic results reveal a polarity pattern that uniquely correlates to the time interval between 12.8 and 12.2 Ma. Interpolation of constant sedimentation rates determines the age of the BSEE in the Carpathian foredeep at 12.65 +/- 0.01 Ma, in good agreement with several earlier estimates. We conclude that the extinction event took place in less than 10 kyr, and that it was most likely synchronous across the Central Paratethys. It corresponds to a major paleogeographic change in basin connectivity with the Eastern Paratethys, during which the nature of the Barlad gateway switched from a passive to a full connection. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.