A new priabonian heterostegina from the eastern tethys (sulaiman fold belt, west Pakistan): Implications for the development of eastern tethyan heterostegines and their paleobiogeography

Ercan Özcan*, Nowrad Ali, Muhammad Hanif, Syed Irfanullah Hashmi, Abdullah Khan, Ali Osman Yücel, Iftikhar Ahmed Abbasi

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

11 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The stratigraphie utility of Eocene Hetewstegina in the Western Tethys prompts an interest in the Eastern Tethyan domain, where virtually no information exists on this group. The classic Eocene sections, Zinda Pir and Rakhi Naia, in West Pakistan offer a unique opportunity to fill this information gap. The genus here is confined only to the upper part of the Drazinda Formation ('Pellatispira beds' of the obsolete Kirthar series) associated with Pellatispira, Silvestriella, reticulate Nummulites, rare orthophragmin-ids and other less significant larger benthic foraminifera. Heterostegina specimens are characterised by notably small, nearly flat to flat tests with fine granulation over the test surface, a small proloculus and tight early spirals. The early operculinid chambers, few in number, are followed by the heterosteginid stage consisting of rectangular chamberlets, developed only in the median part of the test, but not in alar prolongations. The latter are remarkably wide and extend to the umbilical part of the test. A combination of these features permits their differentiation from the Western Tethyan and Pacific Eocene Heterostegina, also demonstrated mor-phometrically, and a new species, H. indusensis n. sp., is erected. Our data favor the polyphyletic origin for the Eocene heterostegines in the Tethys and do not support a previous hypothesis that the genus was confined to the high-latitutes in Priabonian times.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)393-408
Number of pages16
JournalJournal of Foraminiferal Research
Volume46
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Oct 2016

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Microbiology
  • Palaeontology

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