News!. Stratigr.

2 Fig.

Berlin Stuttgart, 1 5 . 8. 1 997

On the extinction of costate buliminas

in the Egyptian Eocene rocks
by ALY I. M. HUSSEIN':
with 2 figures

Abstract.

The costate buliminas in the Egyptian Eocene rocks are represented by Bulimina jacksonensis
CUSHMAN and its earliest known occurrence is in the latest Early Eocene. After a period of rapid expan
sion during the Middle Eocene, it became extinct by the end of that time or at the earliest time of the Late
Eocene. The sudden mass reduction of the costate buliminas is nearly at the same stratigraphic horizon all
over Egypt and is of regional rather than local significance. That stratigraphic horizon could be used as a
marker for the Middle Eocene/Upper Eocene boundary. It seems that the rapid shallowing of the sea dur
ing that time to less than middle neritic depths and the associated modification in temperature were the
main factors responsible for its extinction.

Les bulimines costulees de l' E ocene egyptien sont rep res en tees par Bulimina jacksonensis
CUSHMAN, dont la premiere apparition se situe vers la partie superieure de l' E ocene inferieur. Apres une
periode d'expansion rapide pendant l' E ocene moyen, I'espece disparait a la fin de ce temps ou a I'extreme
base de l' E ocene superieur. La reduction massive soudaine des bulimines costulees se situe a peu pres au
meme niveau stratigraphique dans toute l'Egypte et elle a donc une signification regionale. Ce niveau peut
servir a definir la limite Eocene moyen/Eocene superieur. II semble que la diminution de la profondeur des
eaux pendant cette periode (neritique moyen) et les changements de temperature qui I'ont accompagne fur
ent les facteurs principaux qui contribuerent a son extinction.
Resume.

Introduction

The costate buliminas in the Egyptian Eocene rocks are represented by Bulimina jacksonensis
Cushman which is regarded as one of the most common species of its benthonic foraminiferal
assemblage (ANSARY 1 955, EL DAWOODY 1 97 1 , FAHMY 1 975, HUSSEIN 1 992, 1 994, ANAN 1 994,
ABUL NASR 1 992, and many others).
ABUL-NASR ( 1 992) recorded the decline of the genus Bulimina from the upper part of the
Khaboba Formation through the basal part of the Tayiba Formation (early Late Eocene) in
western Sinai. He ascribed this decline to the prevalence of anoxic conditions.
HUSSEIN ( 1 992) recorded two different foraminiferal assemblages associated with Bulimina
jacksonensis in the Mokattamian Stage of Egypt (Middle and Upper Eocene, sensu STROUGO
1 985). HUSSEIN (op. cit.) mentioned the disappearance of Bulimina jacksonensis by the end of
the Middle Mokattamian.
* Author's address: Dr. A. M. HUSSEIN, Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams Univer
sity, Cairo, Egypt.

0078-0042 1 /97/0035-0 1 8 1 $ 1 .75

1 997 Gebriider Borntraeger, D - 1 4 1 2 9 Berlin D-701 76 Stuttgart

DOI:10.1127/nos/35/1997/181
(c) 2015 www.schweizerbart.com