MAASTRICHTIAN-EARLY DANIAN RADIOLARIANS AND OSTRACODES FROM ODP SITE 1001B, CARIBBEAN SEA

The ODP, Site 1001B (Leg 165), located in the Caribbean Sea, presents a well preserved sedimentary succession ranging from the Cretaceous to the Neogene that consists predominantly of pelagic limestone. The main objective of this article is to study taxonomically the Maastrichtian radiolarian and the Maastrichtian-early Danian ostracode faunas recovered in the studied site and to compare them to faunas previously described elsewhere. Despite the discontinuity of the occurrences and the scarcity of specimens, 45 radiolarian species and seven ostracode species assigned to six genera, were identified. The radiolarians were recovered only in the cores 21R and 20R and correspond to a typical Upper Cretaceous fauna, containing even species considered as index fossils such as Orbiculiforma renillaeformis (Campbell & Clark) Pessagno. The seven ostracode taxa occur in the Maastrichtian-early Danian interval. The single specimen of Paleoabyssocythere sp. here recorded could not be ascribed to none of the described species and possibly constitutes a new taxon. The presence of the ostracode association Paleoabyssocythere-Krithe-Bairdoppilata-Cytherella suggests deposition in a bathyal or outer shelf environment.