Maastrichtian inoceramid bivalves from central Chiapas, southeastern Mexico

In central Chiapas (southeastern Mexico) the last occurrence of inoceramid bivalves was recorded in strata of the predominantly terrigenous Ocozocoautla Formation. The inoceramids are associated with foraminifers of the Gansserina gansseri Zone (Late Campanian to Early Maastrichtian). The described species are: Cataceramus? cf. barabini (Morton, 1834), Caraceramus? cf. subcircularis (Meek, 1876), Trochoceramus aff. costaecus (Khalafova, 1966), Trochoceramus nahorianensis (Kociubynskij, 1968), and Trochoceramus tricostatus n. sp. Based on the inoceramid and foraminifer species present, the assemblage is assigned to the Early Maastrichtian. This age is important because at this level most of the typical inoceramids globally disappeared. This is the first report of the genus Trochoceramus in Mexico, which is a good index fossil for the Early Maastrichtian and has a cosmopolitan distribution.