A New Epistemological Insight of the Coniacian-Santonian Oceanic Anoxic Event (OAE3)

Abstract

Eighteen planktic and eleven benthic foraminiferal species were recorded from the dark grey to black shale facies of the Matulla Formation in Abu Zeneima area, West-Central Sinai, Egypt. The faunal assemblage is dominated by cosmopolitan whiteinellids, marginotruncanids, Dicarinellids, Contusotruncanids and Heterohelicids. The planktic species with high taxonomic diversity were used to zone the Coniacian and Santonian stages, as well as define the Coniacian/ Santonian boundary, while benthic foraminifera is of minor contribution in age assignment. The stratigraphic analysis of the relations and ranges of these fauna led to the recognition of five biozones; Dicarinella primitiva or Huberella huberi or Marginotruncana sinuosa for the Coniacian, while Dicarinella concavata and Dicarinella asymetrica for the Santonian. Also, the Coniacian/Santonian boundary was delineated, considering the appearance of Dicarinella concavata and disappearance of Huberella huberi, as well as the increase of Marginotruncanids (M. renzi, M. sigali, M. marginata, M. pseudolinneiana….etc.). Furthermore, the black shales found in the middle part of the Matulla Formation were attributed to the Coniacian-Santonian Oceanic Anoxic Event (OAE3). The occurrence of black shales with planktic foraminifera during the Coniacian–Santonian interval in several countries belonging to five continents, was the main impetus to render this event a global event.