Resumen de Benthic Foraminifers from DSDP Site 219 (Eocene-Pleistocene, Arabian Sea)
Benthic foraminifers in the size fraction greater than 0.063mm were studied in 63 lower Eocene to Quaternary samples from Deep Sea Drilling Project Site 219 (Arabian Sea, Laccadive-Chagos Ridge). In total 281 taxa were identified 244 of therm to species, subspecies or forma. The most constant and abundant species were: Cassidulina subglobosa, C. Cf. C. Inflata, Epistominella exigua, E. Cf. E. Exigua, Eponides bradyi, E. Weddellensis, Bolivina pusilla, Oridorsalis umbonatus, s.l., Pullenia osloensis. The most long rangigng taxa recorded (early Eocene to Quaternary) were: Anomalina globulosa, Cassidulina cf. C. Inflata, C. Subglobosa, Epistominella Exigua, E. Cf. E. Exigua, Eponides bradyi, Gyroidina acuta, C. Heronallenia howitti, H. Toddae, Oridorsalis umbonatus, Orthomorphina challengeriana, Osangularia culter, Robulus, s.l., Stilostomella abyssorum, S. Annulifera. Clustering of the samples on the basis of the 39 most abundant foraminifers allowed recognition of two assemblages zones. The boundary between these zones is located between samples 23 and 24, around the middle or late Miocene. In the upper zona (samples 1-23) and additional minor faunal turnover was present in the early Pliocene (samples 11-12). The lower zone (samples 24-63 yielded a rather confusing picture in foraminiferal assemblanges. Several unconformities and the poor state of test preservation made it impossible to trace faunal turnovers in these deposits.
