Lowermost Cretaceous biostratigraphy and paleoenvironmental features of the central-western Getic Carbonate Platform (Pui-Ba=nita zone, Southern Carpathians, Romania): A holistic approach

We carried out combined micropaleontological, microfacies and multivariate statistical analyses of benthic foraminiferal assemblages on a previously undocumented lowermost Cretaceous carbonate succession from the western part of the Getic Carbonate Platform (Pui-Ba = nita zone, Southern Carpathians). The microfacies analysis and interpretations suggest that these limestones were developed under peritidal settings within different zones of a shallow-water inner platform paleoenvironment (bioclastic grainy bars, subtidal-intertidal flats and intertidal-supratidal ponds), where benthic foraminifera, microbial microstructures and calcareous algae were the main carbonate producers. The wellpreserved micropaleontological content (mostly benthic foraminiferal assemblages) is important for lowermost Cretaceous Neotethyan biostratigraphy and allows the recognition of the Valanginian stage within this part of the Getic Carbonate Platform. The multivariate data processing (diversity indices, cluster analyses and principal components analyses) performed on the benthic foraminifera assemblages provide valuable information about their compositional patterns, diversity trends and spatial distribution with respect to the main facies zones. The results obtained through these analyses are extremely useful for the recognition of common/different paleoecological features and for a more precise interpretation of depositional paleoenvironments. (c) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

The study conducted comprehensive analyses on a lowermost Cretaceous carbonate succession, revealing valuable information about benthic foraminiferal assemblages and microfacies. The results contribute to a better understanding of Neotethyan biostratigraphy and depositional paleoenvironments in the Getic Carbonate Platform through multivariate statistical approaches.