Miocene foraminiferal paleontology of western taurides (finike)

Abstract

The Early Miocene Western-Tethyan fauna is mainly represented by existence of Lepidocyclina, Nummulites, Operculina, Heterostegina, Cycloclypeus and Miogypsina genuses. Altough the paleobiogeographic distribution of larger hyaline foraminifera in the Early Micoene is well known, lack of biometric data and requirement of more detailed morphometric analyses are reported by many researchers. Tethyan fauna is mainly subdivided in two: Mediterrenean and Indo-Pacific. Moreover studies from the western Taurides, Sivas and Eastern Anatolia, co-occurence of both Mediterrenean and Indo Pacific fauna is reported by many studies. In same studies existence of Eulepidina aff. formosa and Spiroclypeus blanckerhorn are interpreted as result of the Burdigalian migration. In this study, biometric analyses of the Early Miocene larger hyaline foraminifera assemblages belonging to the shallow marine packages of Karabayır Fm. which unconformably overlines the Cretaceous age Beydağları Fm. are done. N. praemarginata, N. morgani, N. ex. interc morgani-tourneri and N. tourneri are in Yeşilköy section. Based on the biometric analysis, Amean values for these species were determined as 37,27, 42,44, 46,74 and 51.35, respectively. D (deuteroconch size) values are in the range of 185-665 µm, 205-710 µm, 270-645 µm and 250-655 µm, respectively. Furthermore existence of E. aff. formosa and E. dilatata in these shallow marine environment represents the Burdigalian migration of Indo-Pacific fauna to Mediterrenean region. Biometric data and existence of M.globulina and M. globulina-tani indicates the Aquitanian-Burdigalian age. For M. globulina, X values (number of chambers in the first spiral) were measured in the range of 6-14, and ɣ values in the range of 0-54. ɣ values for M. globulina-tani are measured in the range of (-125) – (-14). There is no evidence for existence of Miolepidocyclina which is diagnostic assemblage for European fauna. In Yeşilköy section, just single population of Cycloclypeus eidae is observed. Within these, existence of such genuses as Heterostegina asiilinoides, Opertorbitolites sp. , Operculina complanata, N. bormidiensis and Miliolipora sp. are determined. Spiroclypeus is not recorded in Yeşilköy section.