Taxonomy, biostratigraphy, and phylogeny of Eocene Turborotalia

The taxonomy, phylogeny and biostratigraphy of Eocene Turborotalia is reviewed. A total of nine species are recognized as distinct, namely Turborotalia altispiroides Bermudez, 1961, Turborotalia ampliapertura (Bolli, 1957), Turborotalia cerroazulensis (Cole, 1928), Turborotalia cocoaensis (Cushman, 1928), Turborotalia cunialensis (Toumarkine and Bolli, 1970), Turborotalia frontosa (Subbotina, 1953), Turborotalia increbescens (Bandy, 1949), Turborotalia pomeroli (Toumarkine and Bolli, 1970), and Turborotalia possagnoensis (Toumarkine and Bolli, 1970). We support the view of Samuel and Salaj (1968) and Toumarkine and Bolli (1970) that Turborotalia frontosa, an enigmatic species that evolved in the early Eocene, was the first true member of the genus. Despite having a more globular morphology, T. frontosa shares several characters with other members of the genus, including its pustulose wall which has a strong tendency to defoliate, and high arched aperture. There is also a complete morphological intergradation between T. frontosa and later species of the genus. Studies of wall texture and ontogeny (Hemleben and Olsson Chapter 4, this volume) reveal the similarity of neanic T. frontosa with adult Globanomalina australiformis, a high latitude species that first evolved in the late Paleocene. We hypothesize that T. frontosa was descended from Globanomalina australiformis by the heterochronic process of hypermorphosis, and hence include Turborotalia in the Family Hedbergellidae

Microfauna and nannoplankton below the Paleocene/Eocene transition in hemipelagic sediments at the southernslope of Mt. Nanos (NW part of the PaleogeneAdriatic carbonate platform, Slovenia)

This paper describes deeper water clastic to hemipelagic sediments from the Adriatic microcontinent, at the contact zone between the Adriatic and Dinaric carbonate platforms. The flysch section from Mt. Nanos contains a sedimentary sequence deposited close to the Paleocene/Eocene boundary. We dated this section biostratigraphically, reconstructed the paleoenvironments, and established a correlation with the northern part of the central Tethys. Samples were studied for calcareous nannoplankton, planktonic foraminifera, small and large benthic foraminifera, and ostracods. Calcareous nannoplankton assemblages of the Nanos section belong to the Discoaster multiradiatus zone NP 9 in the uppermost Paleocene. Planktonic foraminiferal assemblages allow the assignment to the biozone Morozovella velascoensis (P 5) in the uppermost Paleocene as well. Both nannoplankton and planktonic foraminifera are consistent with a period of global warming in the latest Paleocene just below the PETM. Nannoplankton assemblages are relatively rich in discoasters which suggests that they were deposited in a warm oligotrophic environment. Planktonic foraminifera indicate oligotrophic habitats, warm surface water and a well stratified water column with stable thermocline. Predominance of planktonic foraminiferal species and the presence of the deep-sea ostracod species Cytherella sp suggest sedimentation in deeper opensea environments. A peculiar sphaerical benthic foraminifer Aberisphaera sp., which has been found in the NE Himalayas and in the Nanos section, possibly indicates a connection between these two geographically remote areas

Recent advances in the study of Eocene planktonic foraminifera

Borbála Zsuzsanna Török: Describe and Govern. Statistics and State Building in the Composite Habsburg States, 1770–1867 FWF Lise-Meitner-Stipendium: 1. 7. 2017 – 30. 6. 2019 My project inquires into the intellectual foundation of state building in the Habsburg Monarchy from the late 18th century until the Austro-Hungarian Compromise. It focuses on factual knowledge about the state in descriptive statistics (Staatenkunde, state description). Historians have ignored the study of this knowledge..

Atlas of Eocene Planktonic Foraminifera.

The Atlas of Eocene Planktonic Foraminifera contains a fundamental re-assessment of the taxonomy, paleoecology, evolutionary relationships and stratigraphic distributions of planktonic foraminifera from the Eocene Epoch based on new scanning electron micrographs of most of the type specimens and extensive illustration of well-preserved material from around the world. In total 166 species from 36 genera are described, of which ten species and three genera are new. Analysis of wall structures provides the basis for the higher taxonomy, dividing the species into microperforate, spinose and non-spinose groups. Several new subtypes of wall microstructure are described for the first time. Eocene normal perforate planktonic foraminifera are divided into the Families Globigerinidae, Hantkeninidae, Truncorotaloididae, Hedbergellidae and on a new family which contains the genus Turborotalia. Eocene microperforate species, which are less well known, are divided in the Families Candeinidae, Cassigerinellidae, Chiloguembelinidae, Guembelinidae and Heterhelicidae. Detailed range charts and phylogenetic charts of all the species are presented relative to revised biostratigraphic zonation schemes for the tropics and high southern latitudes. The available stable isotope data for each species is synthesized, and some new data are presented. This atlas also identifies areas for future research on the study of Eocene planktonic foraminifera