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Caribbean Journal of Science, Vol. 41, No.

4, 797-803, 2005 Copyright 2005 College of Arts and Sciences University of Puerto Rico, Mayagu ez

Planktonic Foraminiferal Biostratigraphy and Paleo-Ecology of the Brasso Formation (Middle Miocene) at St. Fabien Quarry, Trinidad, West Indies
BRENT WILSON
Petroleum Geoscience Programme, Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad, West Indies, bwilson@eng.uwi.tt ABSTRACT.Planktonic foraminifera >0.125 mm are examined in six samples from the calcareous clays of the Brasso Formation at St. Fabien Quarry, Trinidad, for which they indicate an early Middle Miocene age (Globorotalia fohsi fohsi Zone, latest N10). The percentage of the foraminiferal fauna comprising planktonics (%P) is suggestive of outer neritic to upper bathyal paleo-depths, with a trend towards deeper water in the upper part of the section. Planktonic foraminiferal diversity, measured using the Information Function (H), is significantly correlated with %P. However, there is no correlation between %P and species dominance, measured using the Equitability Index (E). This implies that, while planktonic foraminiferal diversity of the >0.125 mm fraction increased with paleo-depth or distance from shore, dominance was not affected. Globigerina praebulloides, rare elsewhere in the tropics after the earliest Early Miocene, is abundant in the lower Middle Miocene at St. Fabien Quarry. This may indicate a tropical refuge provided by local upwelling of cool, nutrient-rich water during mid Miocene times. KEYWORDS.Globigerina praebulloides, upwelling, Miocene, Trinidad, Brasso Formation

INTRODUCTION The Order Foraminiferida comprises microscopic protists that abound in marine and marginal-marine environments. Individual foraminifera are mostly <1 mm in size, and most species are benthonic, although those in the Suborder Globigerinina (the subject of this note) are planktonic. Their size and rapid evolution make fossil foraminifera invaluable in paleooceanographic work: a small sediment sample can yield a statistically significant number of specimens. Micropaleontologists use fossil benthonic foraminifera primarily to determine paleo-environmental conditions prevailing on the seabed at the time of deposition of marine sedimentary rocks, and the planktonic Globigerinina, because of their relative facies independence, to correlate rock sequences biostratigraphically. The proportion of the entire foraminiferal assemblage comprising

ms. received December 6, 2004; accepted September 4, 2005 797

planktonics may be used to discern paleobathymetric trends (Berger and DiesterHaas 1988). Micropaleontological work associated with hydrocarbon exploration on Trinidad played a major role in the development of planktonic foraminiferal biostratigraphy (Bolli 1957; Saunders and Bolli 1979). However, perhaps because the 1200 m-thick, calcareous clays of the Miocene Brasso Formation do not yield hydrocarbons, the planktonic foraminifera therein have been the subject of few, mostly qualitative, studies. Renz (1948) recorded the following from the Brasso Formation: Globigerinoides sacculifera (Brady), Globorotalia canariensis (dOrbigny), Globorotalia fohsi Cushman and Ellisor, Globorotalia menardii (dOrbigny), and Orbulina universa dOrbigny. However, he gave few details of their distribution. Kugler (1996, map 20) indicated that the Brasso Formation at Brasso Village ranges between the Globigerinatella insueta and Globorotalia fohsi robusta Zones (Zones N8 to N12 of Blow 1969), and elsewhere (Kugler 2001, p. 8) listed 24 species recovered from

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the formation. Wilson (2003) examined the distribution of planktonics in a 150 m section along the Guaico-Tamana Road. He recorded 28 species and subspecies in the section, which ranges from the Globigerinatella insueta Zone to the Globorotalia fohsi fohsi Zone (Zones N8-N10). He noted only species presence/absence, but recorded the percentage of the entire (planktonic + benthonic) fauna comprising planktonics. The percentage of planktonics (%P) was used to infer paleo-depths (although it might also indicate distance from shore [see Smart 2002b, p. 19]). Renz (1948) selected the Upper Caparo Valley as the type section for the Brasso Formation: however, because exposure there is poor, and there are few others permanent exposures, Kugler (2001) moved the type section to the rocks drilled by the well Montserrat-1. Material from this is not now readily available. Wilson (2003, 2004) noted that manmade, frequently temporary exposures can provide valuable information: this note reports a quantitative study of the planktonic foraminiferal assemblage in a 7 m, manmade exposure of the Brasso Formation in St. Fabien Quarry, Trinidad, West Indies (UTM Zone 20, grid reference 672300, 1143000). MATERIAL AND METHODS Six samples (JBW-84 to JBW-89, lowest to uppermost) were collected at 1 m vertical intervals from the man-made cliff exposing the Brasso Formation in the St. Fabien Quarry. The rocks, exposed in the north face of the quarry, comprise uniform, inkyblue calcareous claystones. No sedimentary structures, either primary or biogenic, are evident. The samples were soaked in water for two days, boiled for ten minutes, washed over a 0.063 mm sieve, and air-dried. For each sample the residue was further sieved over a 0.125 mm mesh because the 0.063-0.125 mm fraction, while it may contain environmentally useful benthonic foraminifera (Schroder et al. 1987), yields primarily juvenile planktonics that are difficult to identify to species level (cf. Kellogg 1984; Kandiano and Bauch 2002; Smart 2002a) and thus provide little biostrati-

graphic information. The >0.125 mm fraction was split into two aliquots that, to confound bias by the micropaleontologist, were sorted as follows: Aliquot 1: this comprises 300 specimens of planktonic foraminifera. These were sorted into species that were used to determine biostratigraphic ages according to the ranges given by Bolli and Saunders (1985). Ages are stated using both the named zones of Bolli and Saunders (1985) and the N zones of Blow (1969). The number of foraminifera picked (N) and the species richness (S) was recorded, the diversity of the total planktonic assemblage calculated using the Information Function H, and dominance determined using the Equitability Index E (see Wilson 2004). Aliquot 2: this comprises all foraminifera picked to a total of 200 benthonics. The number of planktonics was counted and the percentage of the total assemblage comprising planktonics (%P) calculated. Correlations between N, S, H, E (Aliquot 1) and %P (Aliquot 2) were examined using the Pearsons product moment correlation coefficient. RESULTS Biostratigraphy Almost all planktonics in the Aliquot 1 >0.125 mm fraction were readily assigned to species (Table 1). Selected species are illustrated on Figure 1. The entire planktonic assemblage (1972 specimens, mean 329 specimens) is dominated by Globigerinoides trilobus immaturus (24.0%) with lesser Globigerina praebulloides (17.9%) and Globorotalia continuosa (12.4%). The majority of the 31 species identified have long biostratigraphic ranges. When the ranges given by Bolli and Saunders (1985) are used, the presence of Globorotalia fohsi praefohsi and G. praemenardii in sample JBW-84, and of G. fohsi peripheroacuta in JBW-89, indicates an early Middle Miocene age (Globorotalia fohsi fohsi Zone, latest N10). However, Kennett and Srinivasan (1983) apparently disagree regarding the concordance of Bolli and Saunders (1985) named zones and Blows (1969) N zones: ranges given in their species descrip-

JBW-89 JBW-88 JBW-87 JBW-86 JBW-85 JBW-84 26 20 19 19 27 9 0 0 0 0 1 0 3 6 1 0 6 2 2 0 8 0 0 0 60 56 46 112 45 34 1 2 6 0 2 0 3 2 3 2 7 3 1 5 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 12 3 7 1 6 3 3 25 16 27 17 9 30 15 23 10 9 42 103 83 86 66 72 64 6 2 0 3 4 0 9 1 5 3 9 3 0 0 1 0 0 0 18 18 10 11 18 8 1 2 2 0 0 0 25 47 44 30 39 60 1 6 1 2 5 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 19 25 22 18 33 32 12 8 4 5 7 5 0 2 0 0 1 2 2 1 0 0 6 0 1 1 1 0 3 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 4 1 0 2 0 2 7 6 3 4 1 5 21 3 2 21

Sample number

Globigerina bulloides Globigerina druryi Globigerina pseudociperoensis Globigerina falconensis Globigerina praebulloides Globigerina sp. Globigerina venezuelana Globigerina woodi Globigerinella praesiphonifera Globigerinita glutinata Globigerinoides bulloideus Globigerinoides obliquus Globigerinoides ruber Globigerinoides trilobus immaturus Globigerinoides trilobus sacculiferus Globigerinoides trilobus trilobus Globoquadrina altispira Globoquadrina cf. altispira Globoquadrina dehiscens Globorotalia continuosa Globorotalia fohsi peripheroacuta Globorotalia fohsi praefohsi Globorotalia mayeri Globorotalia obesa Globorotalia praemenardii Globorotalia scitula Globorotaloides variabilis Orbulina bilobata Orbulina suturalis Orbulina universa Sphaeroidinellopsis seminulina TABLE 1. Planktonic foraminifera from aliquot 1 (>0.125 mm), St. Fabien Quarry, Trinidad.

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FIG. 1. A. Globigerina bulloides dOrbigny, 1826, 68. B. Globigerina druryi Akers, 1955, 85. C. Globigerina pseudociperoensis Blow, 1969, 60. D. Globorotalia continuosa Blow, 1959, 68. E. Globorotalia mayeri Cushman and Ellisor, 1939, 44. F. Globorotalia fohsi peripheroacuta Blow and Banner, 1966, 60. G. Globorotalia praemenardii Cushman and Stainforth, 1945, 58. H. Globorotalia scitula (Brady, 1882), 55.

tions suggest that G. fohsi peripheroacuta and Globorotalia fohsi praefohsi overlap in Zone N11, but elsewhere (Kennett and Srinivasan 1983, fig. 2) they equate this with a Globorotalia praefohsi zone not recognized by Bolli and Saunders (1985). For this reason a Globorotalia fohsi fohsi Zone, but latest N10, age is accepted here, albeit with caution. Diversity The Aliquot 1 values of H and E are given in Table 2, together with the number of specimens (N) and species richness (S). Despite the small ranges in N and S, there is a significant positive correlation between these measures (r = 0.87, p = 0.025). There is no significant correlation between either N or S and H, but H and E are significantly correlated (r = 0.834, p = 0.039). Variations in %P The Aliquot 2 values for %P are given in Table 2. The mean %P is 42.6% and the only

significant correlation between Aliquot 2 %P and any other measure is with Aliquot 1 H (r = 0.852, p = 0.031). DISCUSSION %P and Paleo-Depth Interpretations In the modern oceans %P, the percentage of the foraminiferal assemblage comprising planktonics, is generally correlated with water depth (e.g., de Rijk et al. 1999). However, due to factors such as freshwater inflow, differential preservation of planktonics and benthonics, and upwelling, the relationship between %P and depth may vary from one area or time to another (see, for example, Krijgsman et al. 2002). Nevertheless %P has been used as a proxy for paleo-depths (Grimsdale and van Morkhoven 1955; Wilson 2003), and %P curves have potential as correlation tools. Wilson (2003), when estimating paleodepths in the Brasso Formation along the

TABLE 2. Faunal characteristics and comparison of %P. JBW-84 Aliquot 1 faunal characteristics Number of planktonic foraminifera (N ) Number of planktonic species (S) Information Function (H) Equitability Index (E) Aliquot 2 %P 306 20 2.301 0.499 31.0 JBW-85 322 21 2.503 0.582 48.5 JBW-86 321 19 2.083 0.321 31.7 JBW-87 338 23 2.457 0.475 50.2 JBW-88 341 26 2.426 0.453 50.0 JBW-89 344 25 2.370 0.428 44.4

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Guaico-Tamana Road, Trinidad, employed the expression depth = e(81.9 + %P)/24 that was obtained by de Rijk et al. (1999) from a study of relationships in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, including around the Nile delta, Egypt. Admittedly this may not be the best choice of area for comparison: the Mediterranean Sea is an evaporative silled basin, whereas Trinidad borders the open Atlantic. However, de Rijk et al.s (1999) study has the advantage that used only the >0.125 mm fraction (i.e., the same as this study): it is not yet clear how inclusion of smaller fractions might affect %P. In further support of using de Rijk et al.s (1999) expression: their study included transects off the Nile, and is the only one to examine the impact of a major river on %P. The Recent fauna around Trinidad is strongly influenced by freshwater flowing from the Amazon, Essequibo and Orinoco Rivers (van der Zwaan and Jorissen 1991), and the SE Caribbean has long been influenced by freshwater runoff from South America: A paleo-Amazon was in existence as early as the Middle Miocene (Hoorn 1994) and, while it is unclear how large this was compared to the modern Amazon River, which delivers 20% of the worlds freshwater to the oceans (Dagg et al. 2004), the Guyana Current carries much Amazon water to the SE Caribbean (Agard and Gobin 2000), and may have done since Middle Miocene times. Furthermore, a paleo-Orinoco has been delivering freshwater to the Caribbean at least since Eocene times, albeit prior to mid Middle Miocene times through mouths in western Venezuela (Kugler 1953; Diaz de Gamero 1996). When de Rijk et al.s (1999) expression is applied to the St. Fabien Quarry section, it indicates paleo-depths ranging between shallow outer-neritic (110 m: JBW-84) and shallow upper-bathyal (250 m: JBW-87). Values of %P are generally greater in the upper part of the section (JBW-87 to JBW89), perhaps indicating deposition during a transgression.

Some workers studying benthonic foraminifera have noted a general positive correlation relationship between S and paleodepth (e.g., Li and McGowran 2000). Such a relationship might also be expected among nearshore planktonic foraminifera. The decrease in turbidity and freshwater influence with increasing distance from shore might encourage the development of a more species rich community in offshore areas. However, Buzas et al. (1977) noted that species richness (S) is positively correlated with the number of specimens examined (N), and this is the case in the planktonic fauna in St. Fabien Quarry (r = 0.8762, p = 0.025). Because N was here determined by the authors picking whim, S is not used here for environmental interpretation. The Information Function H is here used instead of S to test relationships between diversity and %P. In the St. Fabien Quarry H is not significantly correlated with N (r = 0.391, p = 0.442), as is to be expected (see Buzas and Hayek 2005), but is positively correlated with %P (r = 0.852, p = 0.031). However, despite the positive correlation between H and E, there is no significant correlation between E and %P (r = 0.462, p = 0.356). This implies that the diversity of the planktonic fauna increased with paleodepth/distance from shore, but that these factors had no effect on overall dominance. Globigerina praebulloides The high relative abundance of Globigerina praebulloides (Figure 2) in the St. Fabien Quarry section is noteworthy. According to Kennett et al. (1985) this species was during most of the Early Miocene common in subtropical regions, where it formed up to 35% of the planktonic fauna. From the latest Early Miocene onward it retreated to high latitudes to form >50% of assemblages south of 40S, but became rare in the tropics. However, G. praebulloides at St. Fabien Quarry forms 35% of the total planktonic fauna in the lower Middle Miocene sample JBW-86. Kennett et al. (1985) state that the poleward retreat by G. praebulloides may reflect a switch in environmental tolerance. Its high abundance in the early Middle

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FIG. 2. Globigerina praebulloides Blow, 1959, 85.

Miocene at St. Fabien Quarry indicates, however, persistence in a tropical refuge. The cause of this is unclear, but it may indicate either seasonal fluctuation in salinity and turbidity associated with runoff from South America, or upwelling off northern South America during Middle Miocene times. In the modern oceans Globigerina bulloides, which is descended from G. praebulloides, shows a preference for areas influenced by run-off or upwelling (B 1977; Hilbrecht 1996). There is other evidence for upwelling in the Trinidad region during Miocene times: Wilson (2004) recorded in the Brasso Formation a slightly older fauna (Globigerinatella insueta to Globorotalia fohsi peripheroronda Zones, 18-N9) dominated by Brizalina alazanensis and Plectofrondicularia floridana that he suggested was typical of an oxygen minimum zone. Such dysoxic zones develop beneath areas of oceanic upwelling (e.g., Sen Gupta et al. 1981). Conclusions The section of the Brasso Formation exposed in the St. Fabien Quarry is of early Middle Miocene age. A Globorotalia fohsi fohsi Zone age (latest N10) is proposed here. The percentage of planktonic foraminifera (%P), which may be used as a proxy for paleo-depth or distance from shore, is in

the St. Fabien Quarry section of the Brasso Formation (>0.125 mm fraction) suggestive of paleo-depths ranging between outer neritic and upper bathyal. There is a trend towards higher values of %P in the upper part of the section, which is suggested to indicate a deepening upward trend. In the >0.125 mm fraction the values of %P are significantly correlated with the diversity of the planktonic foraminiferal fauna, as measured using Information Function H. This reflects an increase in diversity with either paleo-depth or distance from shore. Globigerina praebulloides during Mid Miocene time largely retreated to high latitudes, but persisted in a tropical refuge in Trinidad. This may be related to either runoff from northern South America, or upwelling in the region, during mid Miocene times. Acknowledgments.Partial support for this work came from the Research and Publication Fund of The University of the West Indies. Thanks are due to John Frampton (BioStratigraphic Associates, Trinidad), Robert Fleisher and an anonymous reviewer for their constructive criticism. LITERATURE CITED
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