A review of the Upper Campanian and Maastrichtian belemnite biostratigraphy of Europe

The conventional belemnite zonation of northwest Europe includes three Upper Campanian Belemnitella zones, two Lower Maastrichtian Belemnella zones, in addition to the lower Upper Maastrichtian Belemnitella junior Zone and upper Upper Maastrichtian Belemnitella casimirovensis Zone. These zones are critically assessed. Recent belemnite subdivisions of the Upper Campanian and Lower Maastrichtian are reviewed. The Upper Campanian of Norfolk has been subdivided into seven informal Belemnitella zones and subzones, and the Lower Maastrichtian of northwest Germany into six formal Belemnella zones. The timespan of the Early Maastrichtian zones is estimated and the duration varies from 0.12-0.60 Ma. It is shown that the base of the basal Maastrichtian Belemmella lanceolata Zone is slightly diachronous, and the base of the B. casimirovensis Zone is highly diachronous across Europe. (C) 1996 Academic Press Limited