Alegret et al., 2015

Author(s):Alegret, L., Rodríguez-Tovar, F. J., Uchman, A.
Year:2015
Title:How bioturbation obscured the Cretaceous-Palaeogene boundary record
Journal:Terra Nova
Volume:27
Number:3
Pages:225-230
Abstract

The Cretaceous–Palaeogene (K/Pg) boundary interval is often penetrated by burrows, which may obscure stratigraphic and micropalaeontological records, leading to misinterpretations of the sequence of events spanning the K/Pg boundary. Here, we assess the role of burrowing organisms in the redistribution of benthic foraminifera across the boundary at Bidart (France), and report a strong relationship between the behaviour represented by pre- and post-K/Pg trace fossils and their benthic foraminiferal content. We further infer a brief interval of eutrophic conditions at the seafloor, as reported from other locations, which disappeared from the lowermost Danian stratigraphic record and is represented only inside post-K/Pg trace fossils hosted in Cretaceous strata. The combined study of trace fossils and microfossils is a powerful tool in eco-stratigraphy and event-stratigraphy, and can yield important insights into the completeness of the K/Pg record, especially at locations such as Bidart where this interval has traditionally been assumed to be complete.

Keywords:Bioturbation, Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary, Foraminiferans, France, Paleontology, Trace fossils
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1111/ter.12151
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