Calcareous nannofossil and planktonic foraminifera biostratigraphy through the Middle to Late Eocene transition of Fayum area, Western Desert, Egypt

The Eocene sequence exposed at Gebel Naalun (Fayum-Nile divide), Guta section-I (West of Birket Qarun near Guta Village) and Guta section-II (Northwest of Birket Qarun near Guta Village) is differentiated, from base to top, into two formations; Gehannam Formation (Middle-Late Eocene) and Birket Qarun Formation (Late Eocene), respectively. Two calcareous nannofossil zones were recognized from the Eocene succession at Gebel Naalun; Discoaster saipanensis (NP17) and Chiasmolithus oamaruensis (NP18) zones as well as one planktonic foraminiferal zone; Truncorotaloides (Acaranina) rohri (P14) zone. However, at Guta section-I, two nannofossil zones were defined; Discoaster saipanensis (NP17) and Chiasmolithus oamaruensis (NP18) zones; the preservation of planktonic foraminiferal assemblage is too poor to enable us to recognize marker species as a result of many diagenetic processes. At Guta section-II, two nannofossil zones; Chiasmolitus oamaruensis (NP18) and Isthmolithus recurvus (NP19) and two planktonic foraminiferal zones; T. pseudoampliapertura zone and G. semiinvoluta zone are recorded. Several authors found that the lowest occurrence of Chiasmolithus oamaruensis is a poor criterion for defining the base of NP18 Zone, which is confirmed here. The same criticism has been applied to the lowest occurrence of Isthmolithus recurvus which defines the NP18/NP19 zonal boundary. It is generally agreed that NP19 Zone falls in the Priabonian (Late Eocene). As a result of the occurrence of the nannofossil marker species; Isthmolithus recurvus only in side views below and above the first appearance of Chiasmolithus oamaruensis at both Naalun and Guta section-I, this species is not reliable to define the NP18/NP19 zonal boundary. At Guta section-II, the Middle/Upper Eocene boundary can be delineated by the first appearance of Globigerinatheka semiinvoluta above the first occurrence of Isthmolithus recurvus in both plane and side views. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.