Planktonic foraminiferal biostratigraphy and faunal turnover events during the Late Cretaceous-Early Tertiary along the Red Sea Coast, Egypt

Planktonic foraminiferal assemblages from the Late Cretaceous-Early Tertiary sedimentary sequence in Quseir (Hammadat section), Safaga (Wasif section) and Esh El-Mellaha (Esh El-Mellaha section) areas along the Red Sea Coast, provide a database for biostratigraphical subdivisions and marking of faunal changes. Ten planktonic foraminiferal zones were found. These are, from base to top, the Fate Cretaceous Globotruncana aegyptiaca and Gansserina gansseri Zones and the Early Tertiary Parasubbotina pseudobulloides, Praemurica trinidadensis, P. uncinata, Morozovella angulata, Igorina pusilla, Globanomalina pseudomenardii, Morozovella velascoensis and M. edgari zones. Two intervals of non-deposition of sediments (hiatuses) in the study areas are recorded, indicating tectonic events. The first hiatus occurred all over the study areas near the Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary. The second hiatus is restricted to the Late Palaeocene of the Safaga area. Two global planktonic foraminiferal faunal turnover events are identified, reflecting major palaeoceanographic changes. The faunal turnover event I occurred near the M. angulata/l. pusilla zonal boundary. The faunal turnover event II occurred near the M. velascoensis/M. edgari zonal boundary near the Palaeocene/Eocene boundary. These turnovers are characterised by the appearance and disappearance of species and changes in relative abundance, diversity and richness of species. Oscillation in the mean sea level in the study areas during the Late Cretaceous-Early Tertiary may be related to a true eustatic change in addition to the evidence for local tectonic control. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Limited. All rights reserved.