X CONGRESO CUBANO DE GEOLOGÍA (GEOLOGIA´2013 ...redciencia.cu/geobiblio/paper/2013_Pszczolkowski.pdf · 2011 difi d) V i l d l k f d i ( iddii) Figures. 3. Late Aptian limestones

X CONGRESO CUBANO DE GEOLOGÍA (GEOLOGIA´2013) Estratigrafía y Paleontología GEO2-O10

V CONVENCIÓN CUBANA DE CIENCIAS DE LA TIERRA, GEOCIENCIAS´2013 Memorias en CD-Rom, La Habana, 1 al 5 de abril de 2013. ISSN 2307-499X

PLANKTONIC FORAMINIFERS AND NANNOCONID ASSEMBLAGES FROM THE LATE APTIAN AND LATE ALBIAN LIMESTONES OF THE PONS FORMATION (SIERRA DE LOS ORGANOS, WESTERN CUBA) Andrzej Pszczółkowski(1), Dora García Delgado(2), Santa Gil González(2) 1. Institute of Geological Sciences, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw Research Center, Twarda 51/55, 00-818 Warszawa, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] 2. Centro de Investigaciones del Petróleo, Churruca No. 481, Municipio Cerro, Habana 12000, Cuba, e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected] ABSTRACT The Pons Formation (Late Valanginian-Turonian) overlies the Guasasa Formation in the Sierra de los Organos (western Cuba). We have studied the planktonic foraminifera and nannoconids found in thin sections made from samples collected in outcrops from the Infierno tectonic unit. The samples taken at the new quarry near Pons locality contain planktonic foraminifers assigned to the Late Aptian Globigerinelloides ferreolensis Zone. The foraminiferal assemblage found in the sample CP-264a, collected in the old quarry, belongs to the Globigerinelloides algerianus Zone. Taxa reported from the sample CP-264b suggest the Hedbergella trocoidea Zone. The planktonic foraminifera identified in thin section MR-206 correspond to the Late Albian zones Pseudothalmanninella ticinensis-Thalmanninella appenninica and probably correlate with Zone K-17 in the scheme proposed for the western Gulf of Mexico region (Longoria, 1984). Three nannoconid assemblages have been found in the Late Aptian limestones of the Pons Formation. A major change related to disappearance of the narrow-canal taxa occurred between the Ferreolensis and Algerianus Zones. The last appearance of Nannoconus kamptneri kamptneri was registered in the Late Aptian below the Algerianus Zone. Late Albian was the time of enhanced productivity of siliceous zooplankton in the northwestern part of Proto-Caribbean Seaway. The Late Aptian-Albian limestones of the Pons Formation may be a distant facies equivalent of coeval pelagic sediments found at the DSDP Leg 77 Sites 537 and 538. RESUMEN La Formación Pons (Valanginiano Superior-Turoniano), sobreyace la Fm. Guasasa en la Sierra de Los Organos (Cuba occidental). Se expone el resultado del estudio de los foraminíferos planctónicos y Nannoconidos, encontrados en secciones delgadas de muestras colectadas en afloramientos de la Unidad Tectónica Infierno. Dichas muestras fueron tomadas de la cantera situada en las cercanías del poblado de Pons, y contienen foraminíferos planctónicos referidos al Aptiano Superior, Zona de Globigerinelloides ferreolensis. La asociación de foraminíferos encontrada en la muestra CP-264a, collectada en la parte vieja de la cantera, pertenece a la Zona Globigerinelloides algerianus. Taxones reportados de la muestra CP-264b sugieren la Zona Hedbergella trocoidea. Los foraminíferos planctónicos identificados en la sección delgada MR-206 corresponden al Albiano Superior, Zonas Pseudothalmanninella ticinensis-Thalmanninella appenninica y son probablemente correlacionables con la Zona K-17 (Vraconiano) en el esquema propuesto para el oeste del Golfo de Mexico (Longoria, 1984). Tres asociaciones de Nannoconidos han sido encontradas en calizas del Aptiano Superior de la Formación Pons. El cambio más importante es el relacionado con la desaparición de los taxones con el canal estrecho entre las Zonas Ferreolensis y Algerianus. La última aparición del Nannoconus kamptneri kamptneri fue registrada en el Aptiano Superior debajo de la Zona Algerianus. El Albiano Superior fue un periodo de crecimiento de la productividad de zooplancton silíceo en la parte noroccidental del Proto-Caribe. Las calizas del Aptiano-Albiano Superior de la Formación Pons deben constituir una facies distal equivalente a sedimentos pelágicos coevos encontrados en las perforaciones del DSDP 77, pozos 537 y 538. INTRODUCTION The Pons Formation (Hatten, 1957) occurs in the Sierra de los Organos in western Cuba (Fig. 1A, B). This lithostratigraphic unit consists of Late Valanginian-Turonian pelagic limestones about 150m thick in the type section (Pszczółkowski, 1999a; Iturralde-Vinent, Pszczółkowski, 2011). The



Pons Formation overlies the Guasasa Formation and in a few sections occurs beneath the Peñas Formation, Campanian-Maastrichtian in age (Figures. 2). The Aptian-Albian planktonic foraminifers of the Pons Formation were occasionally mentioned in published and unpublished reports, only. The Pons Formation is important for its paleogeographic position south of the entrance to the south-eastern Gulf of Mexico and also from the point of view of oil exploration in the offshore area of western Cuba. We hope that our contribution will stimulate future detailed studies on microfossil stratigraphy of the Pons Formation and other Cretaceous lithostratigraphic units of the Guaniguanico megaunit in western Cuba (Figures. 2). Previous work From the Pons Formation, Hatten (1957) reported planktonic foraminifers of Albian-Turonian age, identified by M. A. Furrer. Moreover, Hatten (1967) recorded Globigerinelloides algeriana and Ticinella roberti from the Aptian to Albian sublithographic limestone. In his “Minas Formation” (=Pons Fm.), Herrera (1961) mentioned taxa identified by Seiglie (1961) in thin sections. Seiglie (1961, lam. VI, fig. 3) referred to Cenomanian-Lower Turonian identified taxa (Globigerina sp. type cretacica, Rotalipora cf. R. appenninica Renz, Ticinella roberti Gandolfi and Globigerinelloides sp.). According to Meyerhoff (in Khudoley, Meyerhoff, 1971, p. 76), the microfossils from the Pons Formation “prove the presence of Neocomian(?), Aptian, Albian, and Cenomanian”. De la Torre (1988) reported Albian-Maastrichtian taxa from limestones of the Pons Formation (together with the

Figures. 1. A – General map of Cuba; box shown northwest of Pinar del Río town denotes the studied Pons area in the Pinar del Río province (western Cuba). B – Simplified tectonic map of the Pons area in the Sierra de los Organos, Guaniguanico Mountains (partly after Piotrowska, in Puscharovsky et al., 1988): 1 - Valle de Pons tectonic unit; 2 - Infierno tectonic unit; 3 – Viñales tectonic unit; 4 -Ancón tectonic unit; 5 - Alturas de Pizarras del Sur (APS) and Alturas de Pizarras del Norte (APN), composed mainly of the San Cayetano Formation (?Lower Jurassic-Oxfordian sandstones and shales); 6 - overthrusts; 7 – Pons quarry at the southwestern termination of the Sierra Pan de Azúcar range; 8 – location of the MR-206 sample in the Sierra del Infierno section.



Peñas Fm.). A presence of Ticinella spp. indicates Albian-Cenomanian (Torre, 1988). From other belts recognized in Cuba, Blanco-Bustamante (2001) reported planktonic foraminiferal assemblages studied in thin sections from limestones drilled by two wells located in the Cayo Coco zone (Iturralde-Vinent, 1994) in northern part of central Cuba. Lithology and microfacies of studied limestones Pons quarry

Figures. 2. Position of the Pons Formation in the stratigraphic scheme of the Los Organos succession and its relation to equivalent Cretaceous formations of the Rosario successions in the Guaniguanico megaunit (partly after Pszczółkowski, 1999a and Iturralde & Pszczółkowski, 2011 difi d) V i l d l k f d i ( i d d i i )

Figures. 3. Late Aptian limestones of the Pons Formation exposed in the old quarry at Sierra Pan de Azúcar, east of Pons locality: 1 - western part of the outcrop; 2 - eastern part of the outcrop containing medium- to thick-bedded nannofossil-foraminiferal biomicrites (photographs taken in 1983).



All limestone samples collected at the quarry belong to the Pons Formation from the Infierno tectonic unit, which is extensively exposed in the Sierra de los Organos (Piotrowska, 1978, fig. 3). Our samples from the Late Aptian limestones of the Pons Formation have been collected in the area situated in the central part of the Sierra de los Organos, 1.4 km east of Pons locality and north of the road from Viñales to Pons (Figures. 1B). In 1983, two samples (CP-264 a, b) have been taken from the limestones of the upper, but not the uppermost, part of the Pons Formation in an outcrop called here the “old quarry” (Figures. 3: 1, 2). At present, this outcrop is a part of the big Pons quarry. The gray micritic limestones consist of beds 0.1-0.5 m thick with lenses and nodules of black chert. Their total thickness is about 10 m (Figures. 3: 2). The sampled beds are located in the lower part of the outcrop, about 3 m apart. The limestones are foraminiferal biomicrites with relatively well preserved planktonic foraminifera (Figures. 4: 1). In 2003 nine samples have been collected from the limestones of the Pons Formation, exposed in the big Pons quarry, called here the “new quarry”. The sampled interval 2.15 m thick, labelled PR-47, was located in the upper part of the section exposed in the quarry. Gray bedded limestones contain black chert lenses and nodules (Figures. 5). Thin shaly marlstone interbeds are also present in the upper part of the sampled interval of the section. Foraminiferal microfacies (F) is common (Figures. 4: 2), whereas radiolarians (R) and other constituents, as benthic foraminifera and echinoderm bioclasts, are less numerous or absent in some thin sections (Figures. 4: 2). All limestone samples collected at the quarry belong to the Pons Formation from the Infierno tectonic unit, which is extensively exposed in the Sierra de los Organos (Piotrowska, 1978, figures. 3; see also Pszczółkowski, 1999a, figures. 2). In comparison with the (structurally lower) Valle de Pons tectonic unit (Piotrowska, 1978), the Infierno unit sometimes contains thinner section of the Pons Formation partly reduced by erosion (Figures. 6)

Figures. 4. LM micrographs of the studied limestones from the Pons Formation showing characteristic microfacies: 1 – radiolarian microfacies, sample PR-47-2, Late Aptian limestone exposed in the new quarry near Pons; 2 – foraminiferal microfacies, sample CP-264a, Late Aptian limestone exposed in the old quarry near Pons; 3 – radiolarian-foraminiferal microfacies, sample MR-206, Late Albian limestone from the Sierra del Infierno section.



. Sierra del Infierno section The sample MR-206 was collected in 1975 from the upppermost part of the Pons Formation exposed in the tectonic unit Infierno, in the eastern part of the Sierra del Infierno (Figures. 1B). There, the base of the Pons Formation is located about 50 m above the valley bottom (topographic coordinates: 212.750 and 310.550). It was originally reported to represent the boundary between the Tumbitas and Infierno Members of the Guasasa Formation (Pszczółkowski, 1978). The sample MR-206 comes from the radiolarian-foraminiferal biomicrite (Figures. 4: 3) exposed about 48 meters above the Guasasa-Pons formational boundary (Figures. 6). The dark-gray radiolarian-rich biomicrites contain numerous interbeds and lenses of black chert; scarce poorly preserved ammonites have also been observed. The limestones are truncated by a breccia up to 2 m thick, which separates the Pons Formation from the Ancon Formation of Paleocene-Early Eocene age (Figures. 6). Biostratigraphic results The studied thin sections have been made from samples collected at two different sites: Sierra Pan de Azúcar (new and old quarry) and Sierra del Infierno (Figures. 1B). Their stratigraphic position is shown in a composite section of the Pons Formation exposed in the Infierno tectonic unit (Figures. 6). The section exposed in the new quarry near Pons The foraminifers found in the limestone beds located between samples PR-47(-1) and PR-47-2

Figures. 5. Distribution of planktonic foraminifers identified in thin sections from samples collected in the new quarry at Sierra Pan de Azúcar, east of Pons locality. Microfacies: F – foraminiferal (planktonic), R – radiolarian, F-R – foraminiferal-radiolarian



(Figures. 5) belong to Globigerinelloides ferreolensis Zone (interval and partial range zone – Robaszynski, Caron, 1995). The limestones assigned to this zone are 1.1 m thick; the index species was identified in two samples only. The following taxa have been also found in this interval: Globigerinelloides blowi (Bolli) (Figures. 7: 3), Gl. paragottisi Verga and Premoli Silva (Figures. 7: 4), Gl. duboisi (Chevalier) (Figures. 7: 2), Gl. cf. barri (Bolli, Loeblich and Tappan), Gl. cf. maridalensis (Bolli), Gl. cf. maridalensis elongatus Verga and Premoli Silva (Figures. 7: 1), Praehedbergella aptiana (Bartenstein), Praehedbergella cf. aptiana (Bartenstein), P. cf. sigali (Moullade), P. cf. gorbachikae (Longoria), P. cf. occulta (Longoria), P. cf. speetonensis and P. ex gr. luterbacheri-speetonensis. The taxa Globigerinelloides barri and Gl. maridalensis elongatus occur exclusively in the Upper Aptian (Verga and Premoli Silva, 2003, 2005). The upper part of the section between samples PR-47-2 and 6 may still correspond to Gl. ferreolensis Zone or be slightly younger (transition from the Ferreolensis to Algerianus Zone). However, the taxon Gl. algerianus was not found, so we tentatively assign these samples also to Gl. ferreolensis Zone (Figures. 5). Samples from the section exposed in the old quarry near Pons The following taxa have been found in sample CP-264a (Figures. 6): Globigerinelloides algerianus Cushman and Ten Dam (Figures. 7: 11), Gl. barri (Bolli, Loeblich and Tappan) (Figures. 7: 9), Gl. ferreolensis (Moullade) (Figures. 7: 10), Praehedbergella gorbachikae (Longoria) (Figures. 7: 5), Hedbergella trocoidea (Gandolfi) (Figures. 7: 15), Planomalina cf. cheniourensis (Sigal) (Figures. 7: 17), Praehedbergella aptiana (Bartenstein) (Fig.ures 7: 6), P. ex gr. convexa-hessi and Pseudoschackoina saundersi (Bolli) (Figures. 7: 7). This foraminiferal assemblage is assigned to the Globigerinelloides algerianus Taxon-Range-Zone (Longoria, 1984; Robaszynski, Caron, 1995). Co-occurence of the index taxon with Pl. cf. cheniourensis may indicate the upper interval of the Gl. algerianus Zone (Sigal, 1977; Robaszynski, Caron, 1995; Moullade et al., 2005).

Figures. 6. Distribution of planktonic foraminifers identified in thin sections from the Pons Formation shown as a composite section exposed in the Infierno tectonic unit located in the Sierra Pan de Azúcar and Sierra del Infierno, Sierra de los Organos, western Cuba.



The sample CP-264b was taken from a limestone bed located about 3 m above the sample CP-264a. The taxa identified in thin section are as follows (Figures. 6): Globigerinelloides cf. barri (Bolli, Loeblich and Tappan), Globigerinelloides maridalensis (Bolli) (Fig. 7: 8), Hd. cf. trocoidea (Gandolfi), Praehedbergella aptiana (Bartenstein), P. gorbachikae (Longoria), P. cf. kuznetsovae (Banner and Desai), P. ex gr. luterbacheri-speetonensis (Figures. 7: 13) and P. cf. roblesae (Obregón de la Parra) (Figures. 7: 14). Presence of Hd. cf. trocoidea and P. gorbachikae, as well as absence of Gl. algerianus, suggest the Hedbergella trocoidea Zone. Sample MR-206 from the Sierra del Infierno section The planktonic foraminiferal assemblage identified in thin section made from this sample contains the following taxa (Fig. 6): Globigerinelloides bentonensis (Morrow) (Fig. 8: 9), Hedbergella wondersi Randrianasolo and Anglada (Fig. 8: 12), Planomalina cf. buxtorfi (Gandolfi), Praehedbergella cf. hessi (Pessagno) (Figures. 8: 7), Pseudoth almanninella subticinensis (Gandolfi) (Fig. 8: 5), Schackoina ex gr. cenomana-leckiei (Figures. 8: 10), Thalmanninella balernaensis (Gandolfi) (Figures. 8: 8), Th. ex gr. balernaensis-appenninica (Figures. 8: 3), Ticinella petalloidea Longoria and Gamper (Figures. 8: 11), T. praeticinensis Sigal (Figures. 8: 6), T. primula Luterbacher (Figures. 8: 1), T. raynaudi Sigal (Figures. 8: 2) and T. roberti (Gandolfi) (Figures. 8: 4). We assign this assemblage to the stratigraphic interval restricted to the Late Albian Pseudothalmanninella ticinensis and Thalmanninella appenninica Zones (Figures. 6). This conclusion is based on ranges of Th. balernaensis and Pl. buxtorfi (González-Donoso et al., 2007; Spezzaferri, Caron, 2008; Caron and Petrizzo, in Gale et al., 2011), mainly. The taxon Schackoina ex gr. leckiei-cenomana is consistent with the Late Albian age of the studied sample. Bellier et al. (2003) recorded Schackoina leckiei n. sp. from the Upper Albian and Sch. cenomana

Figures. 7. Late Aptian planktonic foraminifera identified in thin section from the Pons Formation exposed in the new (samples PR) and old (samples CP) quarry near Pons; scale bars represent 100 µm (1-7, 9-17) and 50 µm (8): 1 – Globigerinelloides sp. cf. G. maridalensis elongatus Verga & Premoli Silva, 2005, sample PR-47-2; 2 – Globigerinelloides duboisi (Chevalier, 1961), sample PR-47-2; 3 – Globigerinelloides blowi (Bolli, 1959), sample PR-47-(-1); 4 – Gl. paragottisi Verga & Premoli Silva, 2003, sample PR-47-01; 5 – Praehedbergella gorbachikae (Longoria, 1974), sample CP-264a; 6 – Praehedbergella aptiana (Bartenstein, 1965), sample CP-264a; 7 – Pseudoschackoina saundersi (Bolli, 1959), sample CP-264a; 8 – Globigerinelloides maridalensis (Bolli, 1959), sample CP-264b; 9 – Globigerinelloides barri (Bolli, Loeblich & Tappan, 1957), sample CP-264a; 10 – Globigerinelloides ferreolensis (Moullade, 1961), sample CP-264a; 11 – Globigerinelloides algerianus Cushman & Ten Dam, 1948, sample CP-264a; 12 – Leupoldina sp., sample PR-47-6; 13 – Praehedbergella ex gr . luterbacheri-speetonensis, sample CP-264b; 14 – Praehedbergella cf. roblesae (Obregón de La Parra, 1959), sample CP-264b; 15 - Hedbergella trocoidea (Gandolfi, 1942), sample CP-264a; 16 – Praehedbergella sp. ex gr. P. convexa-hessi, sample CP-264a; 17 – Planomalina cf. cheniourensis (Sigal, 1952), sample CP-264a.



(Schacko) from the Upper Albian-Cenomanian (Site 1050, ODP Leg 171B). The taxon Th. balernaensis was sometimes considered to be conspecific with Th. appenninica (Robaszynski, Caron, 1979). Therefore, our sample MR-206 probably corresponds to Zone K-17 (Vraconian) in the scheme proposed by Longoria (1984) for the western Gulf of Mexico region. Late aptian nannoconid assemblages Taxa identified in the studied thin sections The Early Aptian and Late Albian nannoconid assemblages from western Cuba have been characterized in the earlier papers (Pszczółkowski, Myczyński, 1999; Pszczółkowski, 1999b, 2000). The Late Aptian calcareous nannofossil assemblages of the Pons Formation are composed of coccoliths and nannoliths, the former being usually more numerous. As nannoconids are frequent in the Late Aptian samples of the Pons Formation, this is pertinent to fulfill the gap in their record for Cuba in this stratigraphic interval (cf. Pszczółkowski, 2000, figures. 10). The better preserved specimens have been documented during LM analysis of thin sections (Figures. 9: 1-12). Three nannoconid assemblages have been distinguished in the studied Late Aptian sections of the Pons Formation. The first assemblage has been recorded from the analysis of thin sections made from the samples labelled PR-47 (the new quarry near Pons) with the following taxa: Nannoconus bonetii Trejo, 1959 (Figures. 9: 6), N. colomii (de Lapparent, 1931) (Figures. 9: 5), N. elongatus Brönnimann, 1955 (Figures. 9: 4, 10), N. kamptneri kamptneri Brönnimann (Figures. 9: 2, 7), 1955, N. ex gr. steinmannii-colomii, N. truittii Brönnimann subsp. truittii Deres and Achéritéguy, 1980, N. bucheri Brönnimann, 1955, N. minutus Brönnimann, 1955, N. steinmannii Kamptner subsp. minor Deres and Achéritéguy, 1980, N. steinmannii steinmannii Kamptner, 1931 and N. calpidomorphus Deflandre, 1962. This assemblage belongs to Gl. ferreolensis Zone (Fig. 5); we assign tentatively the samples PR-47-3 through 6 also to this zone. Four taxa are reported from the sample 264a: N. minutus Brönnimann, 1955 (Figures. 9: 3), N. cf. truittii Brönnimann, 1955 (Figures. 9: 9), N. truittii Brönnimann subsp. truittii Deres and Achéritéguy, 1980 (Figures. 9: 11) and N. bucheri

Figures. 8. Late Albian planktonic foraminifera identified in thin section (sample MR-206, Pons Formation, Sierra del Infierno); scale bar = 100 µm: 1 – Ticinella primula Luterbacher, 1963; 2 - Ticinella raynaudi Sigal, 1966; 3 - Thalmanninella sp. ex gr. Th. balernaensis-appenninica; 4 - Ticinella roberti (Gandolfi, 1942); 5 – Pseudothalmanninella subticinensis (Gandolfi); 6 – Ticinella praeticinensis Sigal, 1966; 7 – Praehedbergella sp. cf. P. hessi; 8 – Thalmanninella balernaensis (Gandolfi, 1942); 9 - Globigerinelloides bentonensis (Morrow, 1934); 10 – Schackoina sp. ex gr. S. leckiei-cenomana; 11 – Ticinella petalloidea Longoria and Gamper, 1977; 12 – Hedbergella wondersi Randrianasolo and Anglada, 1989.



Brönnimann, 1955 (Figures. 9: 12). This assemblage occurs in the Gl. algerianus Zone. Five taxa have been identified in the sample CP-264b (the old quarry near Pons): Nannoconus carniolensis carniolensis Deflandre & Deflandre-Rigaud, 1962 (Fig. 9: 1), N. boletus Deflandre, 1962 (Figures. 9: 8), N. ex gr. bucheri-vocontiensis, N. m inutus Brönnimann. N. truittii Brönnimann subsp. truittii Deres and Achéritéguy, 1980. This assemblage is tentatively assigned to the Trocoidea Zone. DISCUSSION A major change occurred between the Ferreolensis and Algerianus Zones, as the narrow-canal taxa (N. steinmannii steinmannii, N. steinmannii minor, N. colomii) were not found in the samples

Figures. 9. Nannoconus from the Late Aptian limestones of the Pons Formation (Sierra Pan de Azúcar. western Cuba): 1 – Nannoconus carniolensis carniolensis Deflandre & Deflandre-Rigaud, 1962, axial section, sample CP-264b; 2 – N. kamptneri kamptneri Brönnimann, axial section, sample PR-47-6; 3 – N. minutus Brönnimann, 1955, axial section, sample CP-264a; 4, 10 – N. elongatus Brönnimann, 1955, samples PR-47(-2) and PR-47-4, respectively; 5 – N. colomii (de Lapparent, 1931), oblique section, sample PR-47-(-2); 6 – N. bonetii Trejo, 1959, slightly oblique axial section of probably incomplete specimen, sample PR-47-(-2); 7 – N. kamptneri kamptneri Brönnimann, 1955, axial section, sample PR-47-6; 8 – N. boletus Deflandre, 1962, axial section, sample CP-264b; 9 – N. cf. truittii Brönnimann, 1955, axial section, sample CP-264a; 11 – N. truittii Brönnimann subsp. truittii Deres and Achéritéguy, 1980, axial section, sample CP-264a; 12 – N. bucheri Brönnimann, 1955, axial section, sample CP-264a.



CP-264a and CP-264b. Disappearance of these taxa at the Ferreolensis/Algerianus zonal boundary was a significant event, although somewhat ambiguous, as N. steinmannii steinmannii and N. cf. colomii have been reported from the Late Albian deposits of the Santa Teresa Formation (Pszczółkowski, 2000). The wide-canal taxon Nannoconus kamptneri kamptneri Brönnimann (Figures. 9: 2, 7) of a long stratigraphic range is still present in the samples assigned herein to the Gl. ferreolensis Zone. Our data indicate that the last appearance of N. kamptneri kamptneri have occurred in the Late Aptian, below the Algerianus Zone. This observation may be significant for the Caribbean region mainly, as Erba (1988) reported N. kamptneri from the latest Aptian and basal Albian strata in Italy (the Piobbico core). The Nannoconus assemblage found in the Algerianus Zone of western Cuba may correspond to the Late Aptian N. truittii Zone distinguished in Mexico (Trejo, 1975). Also Zone K-10 (Gl. algerianus Taxon-Range Zone) of Longoria (1984) contains a similar Nannoconus assemblage, although with three additional taxa (N. boletus, N. elongatus and N. quadriangulus). Paleogeography The pelagic limestones of the Pons Formation were deposited in the northwestern part of the Cretaceous Proto-Caribbean Seaway, between the Florida-Bahamas and Yucatán, albeit closer to the latter platform (Figures. 10). The Santa Teresa Formation (bedded radiolarites, siliceous shales, pelagic limestone interbeds), a partial stratigraphic equivalent of the Pons Formation, is a characteristic unit occurring in the Rosario and Placetas successions (Wassall, in: Wassall, Pardo, 1952; Pszczółkowski, 1986, 1999a; Aiello, Chiari, 1995; Pszczółkowski, Myczyński, 2003). Probably, this deep-water unit originally occupied an area much more extensive than the Pons Formation (Figures. 10; see also Pardo, 2009). The radiolarian cherts of the Santa Teresa Formation have accumulated in the V-shaped northwestern part of the Proto-Caribbean Seaway, somewhat similar to the configuration of the Jurassic Tethyan Ocean ("cul-de-sac" sensu De Wever, 1994). These rocks, extensively exposed in Cuba, usually were not mentioned in the reviews of Mesozoic radiolarites. During the Aptian-Early Cenomanian, planktonic (radiolarian) productivity in this part of the Proto-Caribbean Seaway was probably higher than in the southeastern Gulf of Mexico and in the western (Central) Atlantic Ocean. From our study of the Pons Formation results that Late Albian was the time of enhanced productivity of siliceous zooplankton. According to Premoli Silva & Mc Nulty (1984), the Late Aptian Globigerinelloides algerianus Zone and Late Albian Planomalina buxtorfi Zone were documented from the southeastern Gulf of Mexico at the Site 536 (DSDP Leg 77). This site is located about 150 km north of the restored Pons Formation depocenter (Figures. 10). The Late Aptian Hedbergella gorbachikae Zone was reported from the Site 535 and the latest Albian Planomalina buxtorfi Zone was found at sites 538 and 540 (op. cit.). In the Los Organos succession sedimentation was, in general, continuous during the Late Aptian-Albian (Figs 2, 6), although a detailed study of the whole Pons Formation is still to be achieved. The Early Cretaceous sediment cover at the basement Sites 537 and 538 is too discontinuous to correspond to any of the Cuban belts. The Pons Formation is a better candidate to be a distant facies equivalent of a few pelagic carbonate intervals assigned to the Aptian-Albian at the Sites 537 and 538 than the radiolarian cherts of the Placetas Belt. This conclusion seems to be supported by results showing the existence in western part of Cuba of an Aptian-Cenomanian source-rock level (Pons and Carmita formations) that is synchronous with the source rocks in the DSDP Leg 77 wells (Moretti et al., 2003). To the north-east, the Santa Teresa siliceous deposits pass into the Mata Formation (Late Aptian-Turonian) of the Camajuaní succession consisting of pelagic limestones, calcarenites, calcirudites, radiolarian cherts and green claystone interbeds. These deposits separated the Santa Teresa deep-water siliceous sediments from the Florida-Bahamas shallow-water carbonates (Figures. 10). Blanco-Bustamante (2001) reported planktonic foraminiferal assemblages drilled by two wells located in the Cayo Coco belt (Figures. 10). Eight biozones have been distinguished for the Aptian-



Albian. The Late Aptian limestones have been assigned to Globigerinelloides ferreolensis, Gl. algerianus and Favusella ex gr. washitensis biozones, whereas the Late Albian deposits comprise the biozones Rotalipora ticinensis and R. appenninica (Blanco-Bustamante, 2001). Therefore, the Late Aptian-Albian pelagic limestones of the Cayo Coco belt in the Bahamas Platform are the stratigraphic equivalent of a part of the Pons Formation in western Cuba.

Figures. 10. Paleogeographic outline of the north-western part of the Proto-Caribbean Seaway (Late Aptian-Albian). PDR – Pinar del Río Knoll; JK – Jordan Knoll; Gb? - Guajaibón Formation; LS – La Sabina Formation (Escambray metamorphic massif): metacherts, schists and interbeds of meta-arenite (Millán and Somin, 1985); Encrucijada Formation – basalts, radiolarian cherts and limestone interbeds; Cobán Formation (= lower part of Sierra Madre Formation in Mexico) mainly after Donnelly et al. (1990); paleolatitude 20o is shown after Pindell (1991) and Tait et al. (2009).



CONCLUSIONS (1) The planktonic foraminifers found in the limestones of the Pons Formation (the Infierno tectonic unit) exposed in the new quarry near Pons belong to the Late Aptian Globigerinelloides ferreolensis Zone. (2) The foraminiferal assemblage found in the sample CP-264a is assigned to the Gl. algerianus Taxon-Range-Zone, whereas taxa reported from the sample CP-264b suggest the H. trocoidea Zone. (3) The assemblage identified in thin section MR-206 corresponds to the Late Albian Pseudothalmanninella ticinensis - Thalmanninella appenninica Zones (undivided) and probably correlates with Zone K-17 (Vraconian) in the western Gulf of Mexico region (Longoria, 1984). (4) Three nannoconid assemblages have been distinguished in the studied Late Aptian sections of the Pons Formation. A major change occurred between the Ferreolensis and Algerianus Zones related to disappearance of the narrow-canal taxa. Our data also indicate that the last appearance of N. kamptneri kamptneri is registered in the Late Aptian below the Algerianus Zone. (5) Late Albian was the interval of enhanced productivity of siliceous zooplankton. The Pons Formation may be a distant facies equivalent of discontinuous Aptian-Albian pelagic carbonate deposits described from the DSDP Leg 77 (basement) Sites 537 and 538. REFERENCES Aiello, I. W., and M. Chiari, 1995. Cretaceous radiolarian cherts of western Cuba. Ofioliti, 20 (2): 123-128. Banner, F. T. and D. Desai, 1988. A review and revision of the Jurassic–Early Cretaceous Globigerinina, with especial reference to the Aptian assemblages of Speeton (North Yorkshire, England). J. Micropalaeont., 7: 143–185. Bellier, J.-P., M. Moullade, G. Tronchetti, 2003. Les Schackoïnes (Foraminifères planctoniques) de l’Albien supérieur du Blake Nose (marge atlantique de la Floride, Leg ODP 171B). Revue de micropaléontologie, 46: 131–141. Blanco-Bustamante, S., 2001. Biocronología del Cretácico medio de Cuba central de acuerdo a microfósiles planctónicos: su relación con el paleoambiente. IV Congreso de Geología y Minería, La Habana, 19-23 de marzo 2001, Memorias (Estratigrafía, Paleontología y Sedimentología), p. 31-39. Buffler, R. T., L. M. Dobson, D. A. DeBalko, 1993. Middle Jurassic through Early Cretaceous evolution of the northeastern Gulf of Mexico basin. GCSSEPM Foundation 13th Annual Research Conference Proceedings, July 1, 1993, p. 33-50. Buffler, R. T., W. Schlager, K. A. Pisciotto, 1984. Introduction and explanatory notes. In: Buffler, R. T., W. Schlager, et al., Initial Reports of the DSDP, Volume 77: Washington (U.S. Govt. Printing Office), p. 5-22. De Wever, P., 1994. Radiolarians and radiolarites. C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, t. 319, série II, p. 513-526. Donnelly, T. W., G. S. Horne, R. C. Finch, E. López-Ramos, 1990. Northern Central America; The Maya and Chortis blocks, in Dengo, G., and J. E. Case, eds., The Caribbean region, Boulder, Colorado, Geological Society of America, The Geology of North America, v. H, p. 37-76. Erba, E., 1988. Aptian-Albian calcareous nannofossil biostratigraphy of the Scisti a Fucoidi cored at Piobbico (Central Italy). Riv. It. Paleont. Strat., 94 (2): 249-284. Gale, A. S., P. Bown, M. Caron, J. Crampton, S. J. Crowhurst, W. J. Kennedy, M. R. Petrizzo, D. S. Wray, 2011. The uppermost Middle and Upper Albian succession at the Col de Palluel, Hautes-Alpes, France: An integrated study (ammonites, inoceramid bivalves, planktonic foraminifera, nannofossils, geochemistry, stable oxygen and carbon isotopes, cyclostratigraphy). Cretaceous Research, 32: 59-130. García-Casco, A., M. A. Iturralde-Vinent, J. Pindell, 2008. Latest Cretaceous collision/accretion between the Caribbean plate and Caribeana: Origin of metamorphic terranes in the Greater Antilles. International Geology Review, 50, 781–809. González-Donoso, J. M., D. Linares, F. Robaszynski, 2007. The Rotaliporids, a polyphyletic group of Albian- Cenomanian planktonic foraminifera: emendation of genera. Journal of Foraminiferal Research, 37 (2): 175-186. Hatten, C. W., 1957. Geologic report on Sierra de los Organos. Unpublished report, Ministerio de Industrias, La Habana. Hatten, C. W., 1967. Principal features of Cuban geology: Discussion. Amer. Assoc. Petrol. Geol. Bull., 51 (5): 780-789. Herrera, N. M., 1961. Contribución a la estratigrafía de la Provincia de Pinar del Río. Revista de la Sociedad Cubana de Ingenieros, 61 (1-2): 2-24. Iturralde-Vinent, M. A., 1994. Cuban geology: a new plate-tectonic synthesis. Journal of Petroleum Geology,



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X CONGRESO CUBANO DE GEOLOGÍA (GEOLOGIA´2013 ...redciencia.cu/geobiblio/paper/2013_Pszczolkowski.pdf · 2011 difi d) V i l d l k f d i ( iddii) Figures. 3. Late Aptian limestones