Paleocene/Eocene benthonic foraminiferal biostratigraphy, events and paleoecology in the Sinai (Egypt)

The benthonic foraminifera of the Paleocene/Eocene Esna, Thebes and Darat formations of the Sinai are subdivided into three biostratigraphic units: Anomalinoides rubiginosus Zone, Loxostomoides applinae-Frondicularia phosphatica Assemblage Zone and Uvigerina jacksonensis-Bulimina jacksonensis Assemblage Zone. The Paleocene/Eocene boundary is marked by the extinction of many taxa. The lower part of the Esna Shales has been deposited in relatively deep water, whereas the depositinal environment became increasingly shallower in the upper part. Within the Darat Formation, a deepening trend is observed.