Correlation of Early Cretaceous radiolarian assemblages from southern Tibet and central Italy

Comparison of radiolarian assemblages from marls in the Gorgo a Cerbara section in the Umbria–Marche Basin in central Italy and a siliceous sequence (BB1 section) near Babazhadong in southern Tibet indicates similar faunas comparable to those in the Aurisaturnalis carinatus zone and Turbocapsula costata zone. Several significant species, Archaeodictyomitra lacrimula (Foreman), A. excellens (Tan Sin Hok), Dictyomitra communis (Squinabol), and Aurisaturnalis carinatus perforatus Dumitrica and Dumitrica-Jud, which are common in older strata, make their last occurrences near the base of the Turbocapsula costata zone in these two areas. Comparison with the Gorgo a Cerbara section provides an accurate age constraint for the siliceous succession in southern Tibet, which contains no fossils other than radiolarians. The comparison indicates a close connection between the western and eastern Tethys during the Barremian to early Aptian. The correlation testifies that the radiolarian zonation in southern Tibet is applicable for the whole Tethys. The siliceous succession in BB1 section encompasses the early Aptian Oceanic Anoxic Event 1a (OAE 1a). The early Aptian OAE 1a is located in the upper part of the Aurisaturnalis carinatus perforatus subzone. The first occurrence biohorizon of the genus Turbocapsula and the evolutionary first appearance biohorizon of T. costata costata (Wu) are useful markers for constraining the OAE 1a in the Tethys.