FROM TIME TO TIME: CENOZOIC PLANKTONIC FORAMINIFERAL BIOCHRONOLOGY (Invited Presentation)

The recent enhancements in deep sea drilling recovery, multiple coring and high resolution sampling both offshore and onshore, has improved planktonic foraminiferal calibrations to magnetostratigraphy, cyclostratigraphy and/or modified species ranges. This accumulated new information has allowed many of the planktonic foraminiferal bioevents of the Cenozoic to be revised and a reassessment of the planktonic foraminiferal calibrations. Wade et al. (2011) synthesized and presented an amended low-latitude (tropical and subtropical) Cenozoic planktonic foraminiferal zonation with calibrations to both the geomagnetic polarity time scale (GPTS) of the Cenozoic and astronomical time scale (ATS) of the Neogene and late Paleogene. This synthesis led to major adjustments to the duration of some biochrons. Here I discuss future progress in the Cenozoic planktonic foraminiferal biochronology as well as highlight some of the ongoing problems, with case studies of recent advances.

Reference

Wade, B.S., Pearson, P.N., Berggren, W.A. and Pälike, H., 2011. Review and revision of Cenozoic tropical planktonic foraminiferal biostratigraphy and calibration to the geomagnetic polarity and astronomical time scale. Earth Science Reviews, 104: 111-142.