STUDIES IN FOKAMrNIFEBA 



65 



The Globorotalia species from the type sample (K. 

 2950) of "Bed 3" from Soldado Rock of Trinidad 

 (Kugler, 1938; Cushman and Renz, 1942) have been 

 re-investigated and determined as follows: G. velas- 

 coensis (Cushman), (determined as 6. wilcoxensis var. 

 acuta Toulmin by Cushman and Renz, 1942, and 

 BoUi, 1950), G. aequa Cushman and Renz, G. whitei 

 Weiss and G. elongata Glaessner. These species cor- 

 respond with those characterizing the Globorotalia 

 velascoensis zone which is the highest zone of the lower 

 Lizard Springs. Cushman and Renz compare the 

 "Bed 3" Foraminifera with Midwayan faunas from 

 Alabama, but also point to a relationship with the 

 Salt Mountain and the Wilcox of Ozark, Alabama. 

 A stratigraphic position of "Bed 3" of Soldado Rock 

 comparable with that of the uppermost lower Lizard 

 Springs agrees also with the views of Bronnimann 

 (1952). 



Stratigraphic Correlation with Areas outside 

 Trinidad 



A limited number of samples was available to the 

 author from areas outside Trinidad. The study of 

 their planktonic Foraminifera allows a correlation of 

 the Trinidad zones of the Lizard Springs formation 

 with the widespread localities represented. Although 

 this correlation is rather sketchy it appears to be 

 sufficiently accurate to indicate the value of the fauna 

 discussed for interregional correlation of the Paleocene 

 and lower Eocene. 



Samples from the Rio Querecual type section of 

 Eastern Venezuela (Hedberg, 1937; Hedberg and 

 Pyre, 1944) show that the Upper Cretaceous part of 

 the Vidono shale of the Santa Anita formation = the 

 Globotruncana gansseri to Abathomphalus mayaroensis 

 zones of Trinidad's Guayaguayare formation and prob- 

 ably corresponding to Hedberg and Pyre's "Guembelina- 

 Siphogenerinoides Zone") is overlain by shales which 

 may be con-elated with the Globorotalia pseudomenardii 

 and Globorotalia velascoensis zones of the lower Lizard 

 Springs (probably Hedberg and Pyre's "Rzehakina- 

 Spiroplectammina Zone"). A gap of about 450 feet 

 exists between the uppermost Cretaceous examined 

 and the first Paleocene sample. It is left to additional 

 sampling of this gap to establish the presence or absence 

 of the Rzehakina epigona zonule and the Globorotalia 

 trinidadensis, Globorotalia uncinata and Globorotalia 

 pusilla pusilla zones of the lower Lizard Springs. 

 Hedberg and P3Te's " Gyroidina-Bulimina Zone" pos- 

 sibly falls into this interval. 



The facies of the higher parts of the Santa Anita 

 formation does not appear to be favorable for the study 

 of planktonic Foraminifera, with the exception of some 

 layers towards the top of the formation where plank- 

 tonic Foraminifera indicate a middle Eocene age. 



Planktonic Foraminifera seen in a number of samples 

 of the Midway group from the Gulf Coast area correlate 

 well with those found in the lower Lizard Springs, 

 especially in the Globorotalia trinidadensis zone. This 



observation is supported by publications such as that 

 of Plummer (1926). 



Available samples and published information (Cush- 

 man and Ponton, 1932; Toulmin, 1941) from the 

 Wilcox group indicate that the planktonic Forami- 

 nifera correlate with the Globorotalia rex zone of the 

 upper Lizard Spings and also with the uppermost part 

 of the lower Lizard Springs. 



Planktonic Foraminifera typical for the Globorotalia 

 uncinata and Globorotalia pusilla pusilla zones of the 

 lower Lizard Springs, as well as for the Globorotalia 

 formosa formosa and Globorotalia aragonensis zones of 

 the upper Lizard Springs have seemingly not been 

 recorded from the Paleocene and lower Eocene of the 

 Gulf Coast area according to the information available 

 to the author. 



The planktonic Foraminifera of a sample from the type 

 locality of the Velasco formation of Mexico correspond 

 with those of the Globorotalia pseudomenardii zone of the 

 lower Lizard Springs. A sample from the type locality 

 of the Aragon formation contains Globorotalia aragonen- 

 sis but the associated fauna suggests an age slightly 

 younger than the Globorotalia aragonensis zone of the 

 upper Lizard Springs formation. 



The planktonic and benthonic Foraminifera described 

 from the Pale Greda formation of Peru indicate basal 

 upper Lizard Springs which would place the formation 

 into the lower Eocene, rather than Paleocene as sug- 

 gested by Weiss (1955). 



Two faunas have been examined from the Esna shales 

 of Egypt. One, from the Buffer zone of Nakkady, 1951 , 

 correlates well with the Globorotalia trinidadensis zone of 

 the lower Lizard Springs. The other, from Nakkady's 

 Globorotalia zone, can be placed in the Globorotalia 

 velascoensis zone of the lower Lizard Springs. 



Planktonic forms representative of the Globorotalia, 

 trinidadensis and Globorotalia pusilla pusilla zones of 

 the lower Lizard Springs have been seen in samples 

 from the Paleocene of Tunisia. 



Brotzen (1948) describes Globigerina triloculinoides 

 Plummer, G. pseudobulloides Plummer, and Globorotalia 

 compressa (Plummer) from the Swedish Paleocene. 

 This would indicate an age comparable to the lower 

 part of the lower Lizard Springs. 



The planktonic Foraminifera from Danian localities 

 of Jutland, Denmark (Bronnimann, 1952) are considered 

 to be not younger than those from the Globorotalia 

 trinidadensis zone of the lower Lizard Springs. 



Finally, a Paleocene sample seen from Bavaria, 

 Germany, contains Globorotalia pusilla pusilla Bolli, 

 new species, new subspecies, G. angulata (White) and 

 G. quadrata (White). This fauna is characteristic for 

 the Globorotalia pusilla pusilla zone of the lower Lizard 

 Springs. 



Evolutionary Trends 



A rapid tempo of evolution in the planktonic Foram- 

 inifera dm-ing Paleocene-Lower Eocene time is indicated 

 by the short life ranges of many of the Globigerina and 

 Globorotalia species described in this paper. Nine 



