Taxonomical Consideration, Phylogeny and Paleobiogeography of Some Argentinian Ypresian Benthic Foraminiferal Species

Abstract

Rich and well preserved Argentinian taxa made it possible to correlate them with those previously identified species in the coeval sequence in different Tethyan North America, Europe and Middle East localities. This study deals with new information on paleontology and lineages of fourteen Argentinian Ypresian benthic foraminiferal species from the Punta Torcida Formation, lower-middle Eocene (Ypresian-lower Lutetian), Tierra del Fuego Island and Fuegian continental shelf, which belongs to twelve genera: Laevidentalina, Lagenoglandulina, Tollmannia, Tristix, Leticuzonaria, Palmula, Leroyia, Marginulina, Ramulina, Orthokarstenia, Rectuvigerina and Pleurostomella. Ten of the illustrated species are believed to be new: Laevidentalina jannoui, Lagenoglandulina argentinica, Tollmannia argentinica, Leticuzonaria argentinica, Palmula americana, Leroyia argentinica, Marginulina argentinica, Ramulina subornata, Ramulina morsii and Rectuvigerina argentinica sp. nov. The paleoenvironment of the Argentinian taxa would have been a shelf sea of normal salinity, where muds were deposited under low energy and low oxygen conditions, as is suggested by the dominance of infaunal morphotypes and excellent preservation of the tests, whereas intercalated sandstones reflect moderate energy and oxic conditions, bearing microfossil assemblages displaced from shallower settings.

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Earth and Planetary Science | Volume 02 | Issue 01 | April 2023
Earth and Planetary Science
https://ojs.nassg.org/index.php/eps
Copyright © 2023 by the author(s). Published by Nan Yang Academy of Sciences Pte. Ltd. This is an open access article under the
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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.36956/eps.v2i1.815
*Corresponding Author:
Haidar Salim Anan,
Al Azhar University-Gaza, P.O Box 1277, Gaza, Palestine;
Email: profanan@gmail.com; alazhar@alazhar-gaza.edu
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Taxonomical Consideration, Phylogeny and Paleobiogeography of
Some Argentinian Ypresian Benthic Foraminiferal Species
Haidar Salim Anan
Al Azhar University-Gaza, P.O Box 1277, Gaza, Palestine
ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT
Article history
Received: 19 February 2023
Revised: 7 April 2023
Accepted: 18 April 2023
Published Online: 28 April 2023
Rich and well preserved Argentinian taxa made it possible to correlate them
with those previously identied species in the coeval sequence in dierent
Tethyan North America, Europe and Middle East localities. This study deals
with new information on paleontology and lineages of fourteen Argentinian
Ypresian benthic foraminiferal species from the Punta Torcida Formation,
lower-middle Eocene (Ypresian-lower Lutetian), Tierra del Fuego
Island and Fuegian continental shelf, which belongs to twelve genera:
Laevidentalina, Lagenoglandulina, Tollmannia, Tristix, Leticuzonaria,
Palmula, Leroyia, Marginulina, Ramulina, Orthokarstenia, Rectuvigerina
and Pleurostomella. Ten of the illustrated species are believed to be
new: Laevidentalina jannoui, Lagenoglandulina argentinica, Tollmannia
argentinica, Leticuzonaria argentinica, Palmula americana, Leroyia
argentinica, Marginulina argentinica, Ramulina subornata, Ramulina
morsii and Rectuvigerina argentinica sp. nov. The paleoenvironment of
the Argentinian taxa would have been a shelf sea of normal salinity, where
muds were deposited under low energy and low oxygen conditions, as
is suggested by the dominance of infaunal morphotypes and excellent
preservation of the tests, whereas intercalated sandstones reect moderate
energy and oxic conditions, bearing microfossil assemblages displaced
from shallower settings.
Keywords:
Paleontology
Eocene
Lineage
Paleogeography
Paleoenvironment
Argentina
Tethys
1. Introduction
In this study, the fourteen recorded Eocene benthic fo-
raminiferal species have been originally from Argentina
by Jannou et al. [1,2]. It was followed by some other authors
from the Southern and Northern Tethyan localities [3-17].
The present study deals with the taxonomic consid-
eration of fourteen Argentinian Ypresian species of the
two suborders Lagenid and Rotaliid of small benthic

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Earth and Planetary Science | Volume 02 | Issue 01 | April 2023
foraminifera from the Punta Torcida Formation, low-
er-middle Eocene (Ypresian-lower Lutetian), Tierra del
Fuego Island and Fuegian continental shelf (Figure 1).
The present study aims at throwing light on: 1) to pres-
ent together many data scattered in the literature for the
members of nine Lagenid foraminiferal genera: Laevi-
dentalina, Lagenoglandulina, Tollmannia, Tristix, Letic-
uzonaria, Palmula, Leroyia, Marginulina, Ramulina, and
three Rotaliid foraminiferal genera: Orthokarstenia, Rec-
tuvigerina, Pleurostomella under a unifying theme, 2) to
detect its paleontology, stratigraphy and paleogeographic
distribution of the different species of that genera, 3) to
discuss the taxonomic status of the Argentinian species
with the other related species, in the other localities in the
Tethys, 4) to present ten species, which are believed to be
new: Laevidentalina jannoui, Lagenoglandulina argenti-
nica, Tollmannia argentinica, Leticuzonaria argentinica,
Palmula americana, Leroyia argentinica, Marginulina
argentinica, Ramulina subornata, Ramulina morsii and
Rectuvigerina argentinica. The recorded species from Ar-
gentina and other localities in the Tethys are distributed in
a wide paleogeographic area in the world throughout the
open Tethys in the Ypresian time.
2. Material of Study
The identified Argentinian benthic foraminifera are
recorded from the Punta Torcida Formation, lower-middle
Eocene (Ypresian-lower Lutetian), Tierra del Fuego Island
and Fuegian continental shelf, which yielded 161 species
of benthic foraminifera. Twenty-four of these species have
a tight relation with many diagnostic Tethyan species
recorded from USA, Europe and south Mediterranean
Sea localities. Following the Сode of Zoological Nomen-
clature, a taxonomic revision of ten of the Argentinian
species are re-described its morphological features, which
considered here as a new species: Laevidentalina jannoui,
Lagenoglandulina argentinica, Tollmannia argentinica,
Leticuzonaria argentinica, Palmula americana, Leroyia
argentinica, Marginulina argentinica, Ramulina suborna-
ta, Ramulina morsii and Rectuvigerina argentinica.

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Earth and Planetary Science | Volume 02 | Issue 01 | April 2023
Figure 1. a) Location map of the study area (in box) of south Argentina in the Southern America, South Atlantic Ocean, b) details
of the study area, c) geological map of de la Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego, d) the temperature curve δ 18O depends on the benthic
foraminifera in the Punta Torcida Formation [2].

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3. Taxonomy
The taxonomy of Loeblich & Tappan [3] is followed
here for the recorded twenty-four benthic foraminiferal
species belonging to twelve genera, which were recorded
from the Ypresian of Argentina and other Tethyan coun-
tries, and illustrated in Plate 1.
Order Foraminiferida Eichwald, 1830
Suborder Lagenina Delage & Hérouard, 1896
Genus Laevidentalina Loeblich & Tappan, 1986
Type species Laevidentalina aphelis Loeblich & Tap-
pan, 1955
Laevidentalina jannoui Anan, sp. nov. (Plate 1, Figure 1)
(= Dentalina sp.—Jannou [1], p. 177, Figure 6F; Laevidentali-
na sp. B—Jannou et al. [2]., p. 36, Plate 2, Figure 6) ● {illus-
trated specimen}.
Holotype: Illustrated specimen in Plate 1, Figure 1.
Dimension: Length 1.1 mm.
Etymology: In the honor of the micropaleontologist
Jannou in Argentine Mining Geological Service.
Type locality and sample: Formación Punta Torcida,
CCM: Mbros. PTa & PTb, SEGEMAR 2850, CM-2L.
(SEGEMAR = Servicio Geológico Minero Argentino)
Stratigraphic level: Ypresian (Early Eocene).
Diagnosis: This species is characterized by an elongate
and arcuate test with gradually growing, smooth surface,
parallel sides, nearly globular chambers, globular pro-lo-
culus and apiculate, flush sutures in the lower part but
depressed in the upper part, aperture terminal.
Remarks: The Argentinian Ypresian Laevidentalina
jannoui n. sp. is most probably evolved from the Pale-
Plate 1. Figure 1. Laevidentalina jannoui Anan, sp. nov., 2. Laevidentalina hudae Anan [4], 3. Laevidentalina salimi
Anan [5], 4. Lagenoglandulina argentinica Anan, sp. nov., 5. Lagenoglandulina annulata (Stache [6]), 6. Tollmannia ar-
gentinica Anan, sp. nov, 7, 8. Tristix aubertae Anan [7], (7. from Argentina, 8. from Egypt), 9. Leticuzonaria argentinica
Anan, sp. nov., 10. Leticuzonaria misrensis Anan [8], 11. Palmula americana Anan, sp. nov., 12. Palmula sagittaria Lea [9],
13. Leroyia argentinica Anan, sp. nov., 14. Leroyia aegyptiaca Anan [10], 15. Marginulina argentinica Anan, sp. nov., 16,
17. Marginulina costata [11], (16. from Egypt, 17. from Argentina), 18. Ramulina subornata Anan, sp. nov., 19. Ramulina
ornata Cushman [12], 20. Ramulina morsii Anan, sp. nov., 21. Ramulina ismaili Anan [13], 22. Orthokarstenia higazyi [14],
23. Orthokarstenia eleganta [15], 24. Rectuvigerina argentinica Anan, sp. nov., 25. Rectuvigerina multicostata Cushman
& Jarvis [16], 26. Pleurostomella acuta Hantken [17]. (scale bar = 100 μm)

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Earth and Planetary Science | Volume 02 | Issue 01 | April 2023
ocene L. hudae Anan [4] (Plate 1, Figure 2), (from Jabal
Mundassa, United Arab Emirates, UAE) and considered
here as the ancestor of the Middle-Late Eocene L. salimi
Anan [5] (Plate 1, Figure 3) (from Jabal Hat, UAE) (Figure
2) in the Laevidentalina hudae → L. jannoui → L. salimi
lineage.
Figure 2. Location map of Jabal Mundassa and Jabal
Hat, Al Ain area, UAE (the type sections of Laeviden-
talina hudae and L. salimi).
Genus Lagenoglandulina A. Silvestri, 1923
Type species: Glandulina subovata = Lagenoglanduli-
na annulata (Stache, 1864)
Lagenoglandulina argentinica Anan, sp. nov. (Plate 1,
Figure 4) (= Lagenoglandulina A. Silvestri [18], p. 12; Lagen-
oglandulina sp.—Jannou et al. [2], p. 36, Plate 3, Figure 3).
Holotype: Illustrated specimen in Plate 1, Figure 4.
Dimension: Length 0.55 mm, width 0.40 mm.
Etymology: After the State of Argentina.
Type locality and sample: Formación Punta Torcida,
CM-13a, SEGEMAR 2873.
Stratigraphic level: Ypresian
Diagnosis: Test ovate and circular in section with few
rectilinear chambers, which increase rapidly in breadth as
added and strongly overlap the earlier chambers, sutures
obscure in the early part, surface nally scattered knobs,
aperture terminal and radiate at the end of a short cylindri-
cal neck.
Remarks: Lagenoglandulina argentinica diers from L.
annulata (Plate 1, Figure 5) in its nally scattered knobs
on the surface than the smooth surface of the holotype.
The members of this genus were recorded from Caribbe-
an, Italy, New Zealand, and now from Argentina.
Genus Tollmannia Sellier de Civrieux and Dessauvag-
ie, 1965
Type species: Lingulina costata subsp. tricarinata Toll-
mann, 1954 = Lingulina costata d’Orbigny, 1846.
Tollmannia argentinica Anan, sp. nov. (Plate 1, Figure
6) (=Lingulina sp.—Jannou[1], p. 101, Figure 6L; Amplec-
toductina multicostata (Galloway & Morrey)—Jannou
et al. [2], p. 20, Plate 2, Figure 12).
Holotype: Illustrated specimen in Plate 1, Figure 6.
Dimensions: Length 4.8 mm, width 2.5 mm.
Etymology: After the State of Argentina.
Type locality and sample: Formación Punta Torcida,
CI-20, SEGEMAR 2856.
Stratigraphic level: Ypresian
Diagnosis: Test large up to 4.5 mm in length, circular
to ovate in section, chambers increase rapidly in breadth
as added and strongly overlap previous chambers, final
chamber comprising one-third the length of the test,
sutures horizontal, moderately depressed, surface with
longitudinal ribs that may completely cross the chambers,
aperture terminal, circular, bordered by an elevated lip.
Remarks: The genus has longitudinal costae, and nearly
circular in section. The Tollmannia argentinica sp. nov. is
characterized by an elongated test, globular-semi globular
uniserial chambers, longitudinal ribs on the surface, and a
rounded aperture with the small elevated neck. The Early
Eocene T. argentinica most probably may develop into the
youngest Miocene species T. costata (d’Orbigny).
Genus Tristix Macfadyen, 1941
Type species Rhabdogonium liasinum Berthelin, 1879
Tristix aubertae Anan, 2002 (Plate 1, Figures 7, 8)
(=Tristix auberti Anan [7], p. 634, Figure 2. 6; Tristix au-
bertae Anan - Anan [19], p. 304, Plate 1, Figure 2; Tristix
sp.—Jannou [1], p. 179, Figure 7I; Tristix sp.—Jannou
et al. [2], p. 44, Plate 3, Figure 4).
Type locality and sample in Argentina: Formación Pun-
ta Torcida, PTma-2, SEGEMAR 2874.
Remarks: The Argentinian Ypresian figured specimen
of Jannou et al. [2], is conspecific to the Egyptian Pale-
ocene T. aubertae (triangular test face, attened, concave
triangular chamber). It means that this species has wide
geographic distribution from the Southern Tethys (Egypt)
to Southern Atlantic (Argentina), which proves the open
sea water between these wide areas (Figure 3).
Genus Leticuzonaria Anan, 2021
Type species Leticuzonaria hodae Anan, 2021
Leticuzonaria argentinica Anan, sp. nov. (Plate 1,
Figure 9) (= Marginulina asperuliformis [20]—Jannou [1], p.
179, Figure 7P (non Figures 7N, 7O); Marginulina asper-

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Earth and Planetary Science | Volume 02 | Issue 01 | April 2023
uliformis (Nuttall)—Jannou et al. [2], p. 38, Plate 2, Figure
16.
Holotype: Illustrated specimen in Plate 1, Figure 9.
Dimension: Length 0.55 mm.
Etymology: After the Argentina State.
Type locality and sample: Formación Punta Torcida,
AV-5, SEGEMAR 2860.
Stratigraphic level: Ypresian.
Diagnosis: The Ypresian figured specimen of Jannou
et al. [2] (p. 38, Plate 2, Figure 16) belongs here to the
genus Leticuzonaria Anan [8], Plate 1, Figure 10), not to
Marginulina with the slightly coiled initial stage, followed
by uniserial inated chambers.
Remarks: The new species Leticuzonaria argentinica
diers from L. hodae Anan [8] (from Egypt) by lacking a
spinose surface and elongated last chamber, and protrud-
ing development of the aperture.
Genus Palmula Lea, 1833
Type species Palmula sagittaria Lea, 1833
Palmula americana Anan, sp. nov. (Plate 1, Figure 11)
(= Palmula sp. cf. P. magallanica Todd & Kniker [21]Jan-
nou [1]), p. 179, Figure 7B; Palmula sp. cf. P. magallanica
Todd & Kniker—Jannou et al. [2]), p. 38, Plate 2, Figure
23) .
Holotype: Illustrated specimen in Plate 1, Figure 11.
Dimension: Length 1.5 mm, width 0.75 mm.
Etymology: After the geographic location from South
America.
Type locality and sample in Argentina: Formación Pun-
ta Torcida, PTma-2, SEGEMAR 2867. Stratigraphic level:
Ypresian.
Diagnosis: This species has large, elongate and flat-
tened test, enrolled planispiral early stage, later uncoiled
and rectilinear, broad and chevron shaped chambers,
which increasing gradually in breadth, periphery rounded,
sutures slightly depressed, surface smooth, aperture termi-
nal and radiate.
Remarks: This species is characterized by a compressed
palmate test with small coiled stage, and distinct slightly
raised sutures. It differs from the holotype of the genus
Palmula sagittaria (Plate 1, Figure 12) (after Loeblich &
Tappan [3]) in its elongated larger test, smaller early plani-
spirally stage, and slightly depressed sutures than raised.
Genus Leroyia Anan, 2020
Type species Leroyia aegyptiaca Anan, 2020
Leroyia argentinica Anan, sp. nov. (Plate 1, Figure 13)
(= Lenticulina sp.—Jannou [1], p. 179, Figure 6K—Mar-
ginulina ex gr. M. hochstetteri Stache [6]—Jannou et al. [2],
p. 38, Plate 2, Figure 17).
Holotype: Illustrated specimen in Plate 1, Figure 13.
Dimensions: Length 0.55 mm, width 0.15 mm.
Etymology: After the state of Argentina.
Type locality and sample: Formación Punta Torcida,
CM-4a, SEGEMAR 2855, CM-145.
Stratigraphic level: Ypresian.
Diagnosis: This Ypresian species has elongate test,
minute indistinct early coiled stage, later 7-10 uniserial
inflated chambers, which increasing in length as added,
sutures slightly depressed and moderately oblique, periph-
eral margins rounded, surface smooth, aperture radiate
extended at dorsal angle.
Remarks: It seems that the Ypresian new species L. ar-
gentinica was evolved from Thanetian-Ypresian L. aegyp-
tiaca (from Egypt) in the L. aegyptiaca → L. argentinica
lineage.
Genus Marginulina d’Orbigny, 1826
Type species Marginulina raphanus d’Orbigny, 1826
Marginulina argentinica Anan, sp. nov. (Plate 1, Figure
15) (= Lenticulina sp.—Jannou [1], p. 179, Figure 6U; Mar-
ginulina sp.—Jannou et al. [2], p. 38, Plate 2, Figure 21).
Holotype: Illustrated specimen in Plate 1, Figure 15.
Dimension: Length 0.66 mm, width 0.33 mm.
Type locality and sample: Formación Punta Torcida,
CM-180, SEGEMAR 2865.
Figure 3. A map of the world showing the geographic distribution of some benthic foraminiferal species in many dier-
ent countries: North America (USA, Mexico), South America (Argentina), West Europe (France, Italy, Hungaria), North
Africa (Egypt), Southwest Asia (UAE), South Pacic Ocean (New Zealand).

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Earth and Planetary Science | Volume 02 | Issue 01 | April 2023
Stratigraphic level: Ypresian.
Diagnosis: The Marginulina argentinica is character-
ized by a short test, slightly coiled initial stage, uniserial
later stage with inated chambers, surface with about 20
longitudinal costae, extended over the sutures, straight and
slightly depressed sutures in the uniserial part, but indis-
tinct in the initial part, aperture terminal on a long neck.
Remarks: This species differs from the Marginulina
costata (Batsch [11], Plate 1, Figures 16, 17) by smaller
test, more inflated uniserial stage, and more numbers of
longitudinal costae. Most probably Early Eocene L. argen-
tinica was developed into Middle-Late Eocene L. costata
in the M. argentinica → M. costata lineage.
Marginulina costata (Batch, 1791) (Plate 1, Figures
16, 17) (=Nautilus (Orthoceras) costatus Batsch [11], p. 2,
Plate 1, Figure 1; Marginulina costata (Batsch)—Anan [22],
1994, p. 223, Figure 8. 17, 18; Dentalina elgansoensis Todd
& Kniker [21]—Jannou et al. [2], p. 33, Plate 2, Figures 3,4).
Remarks: This species was recorded in the Middle-Late
Eocene of Egypt [22], but only in the Middle Eocene of
UAE [5], and now is recorded in the Early Eocene of Ar-
gentina (Formación Punta Torcida, CM-1a).
Genus Ramulina Jones, 1875
Type species Ramulina laevis Jones, 1875
Ramulina subornata Anan, sp. nov. (Plate 1, Figure
18) (= Ramulina sp. cf. globulifera Brady [23]),—Jannou [1],
p. 104, Figure 7F).
Holotype: Illustrated specimen in Plate 1, Figure 18.
Dimension: Length 2. 8 mm.
Etymology: Unornate, smooth.
Type locality and sample: Formación Punta Torcida,
AV mbro. PTa, AV-1, SEGEMAR 2871.
Stratigraphic level: Ypresian.
Diagnosis: This Ypresian species has a globular cham-
ber with sixth rounded spinose projections with numerous
radiate tubular processes, surface is smooth, not ornate.
Remarks: This species (from Argentina) differs from
the American R. ornata Cushman [12] (Plate 1, Figure 19)
by its smooth surface, not spinose projections on the sur-
face, and 6 homogeneous distribution of the arms.
Ramulina morsii Anan, sp. nov. (Plate 1, Figure 20)
(=Ramulina sp.—Jannou [1], p. 104, Figure 7G; Ramulina
sp.—Jannou et al. [2], p. 24, Plate 3, Figure 2).
Holotype: Illustrated specimen in Plate 1, Figure 20.
Dimension: Length 5.0-5.5 mm.
Etymology: In the honor of Prof. A. Morsi, Department
of Geology, Ain Shams Univ., Egypt.
Type locality and sample: Formación Punta Torcida,
AV mbro. PTa, AV-1, SEGEMAR 2872.
Stratigraphic level: Ypresian.
Diagnosis: This Ypresian species has radiating three
triangular tubular thick extinctions of the chamber, and
mainly with small projections surface.
Remarks: Ramulina morsii n. sp. (from Argentina)
diers from R. ismaili Anan [13] (p. 2, Figure 2. 6) (from
Egypt) by less thick elongate tapering tubular projection,
and ornamented surface. The Maastrichtian–Paleocene R.
ismaili (Plate 1, Figure 21) most probably was developed
to the Early Eocene R. morsii in its ornamented globular
body and thicker elongated tapering three tubular arms. It
seems that R. ismaili was developed to R. morsii in the R.
ismaili → R. morsii lineage.
Suborder Rotaliina Delage & Hérouard, 1896
Genus Orthokarstenia Dietrich, 1935
Type species Orthocerina ewaldi Karsten, 1858
Orthokarstenia higazyi [14] (Plate 1, Figure 22) (=
Siphogenerina higazyi Nakkady [14], p. 705, text-Figure 4;
Orthokarstenia higazyi (Nakkady)—Anan & Sharabi [24],
p. 212, Plate 2, Figures 8, 9; Loxostomina sp. a. L. ele-
ganta [15]—Jannou et al. [2]), p. 24, Plate 3, Figure 16 (non
Figures 13-15).
Remarks: Anan [8] noted that the cosmopolitan Thane-
tian-Ypresian O. eleganta [15] has mainly smooth surface
(without ribs, but with indistinct and irregularly longitudi-
nal striation in the very earliest portion of the test), while
the Paleocene species O. higazyi [14] has longitudinal cos-
tae covers all of the chambers. The existed of longitudinal
costae separates the Paleocene O. higazyi from the smooth
test surfaces of both the Maastrichtian O. esnehensis [25],
and the Paleocene-Early Eocene O. eleganta (Plate 1,
Figure 23). It is, so far recorded from Egypt, Jordan, UAE
and Argentina.
Genus Rectuvigerina Mathews, 1945
Type species Siphogenerina multicostata Cushman &
Jarvis, 1929
Rectuvigerina argentinica Anan, sp. nov. (Plate 1,
Figure 24) (= Stilostomella sp. Jannou et al. [2], p. 42, Plate
3, Figure 19).
Holotype: Illustrated specimen in Plate 1, Figure 24.
Dimension: Length 0.62 mm, width 0.13 mm.
Etymology: After the State of Argentina.
Type locality and sample: Formación Punta Torcida,
CM-151, SEGEMAR 2889.
Stratigraphic level: Ypresian.
Diagnosis: Rectuvigerina jannoui Anan, sp. nov. has
elongate and slightly arcuate hyaline test, small involute
triserial early stage followed by elongata uniserial stage,
gradually grow globular to discoidal chambers, short ribs
at the base of the chambers, proloculus globular, but not
apiculate, sutures slightly depressed in early stage, but
depressed in later stage, aperture terminal on neck with a
phialine lip.

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Remarks: The Rectuvigerina jannoui differs from the
holotype R. multicostata Cushman & Jarvis [16] (Plate 1,
Figure 25) by non-ribbed ornamented test without cross-
ing the sutures, doesn’t have an intervening biserial stage,
and more number (6 instead of 3) of elongated uniserial
stage.
Genus Pleurostomella Reuss, 1860
Type Species Dentalina subnodosa Reuss, 1860
Pleurostomella acuta Hantken, 1875 (Plate 1, Figure
26) (= Pleurostomella acuta Hantken [17], 1875, p. 37,
Plate 13, Figure 18 - Anan [26], p. 174, Plate 1, Figure 1—
Jannou et al. [2], p. 31, Plate 5, Figures 33, 34).
Type locality and sample: Formación Punta Torcida,
CM-134, SEGEMAR 2975.
Remarks: This cosmopolitan species has an elongate
test, and is circular in cross-section, with biserial ear-
ly-stage chambers increasing gradually in size, and nal
pair of chambers with extremely inated, sutures slightly
depressed and strongly curved, wall calcareous hyaline
smooth, aperture terminal with the large oval opening of
the nal chamber, and characterized by its diagnostic ap-
ertural tooth. It was recorded from the Maastrichtian-Pale-
ocene of the Atlantic Ocean [27,28], Thanetian-Ypresian of
France [29], Italy [30] and USA [31], Ypresian from Argentina [2],
but Lutetian-Bartonian from Hungaria [32].
4. Paleogeography
The identied species have wide geographic distribu-
tion: North Atlantic (USA, Mexico, Caribbean), South
Atlantic (Argentina), Europe (France, Germany, Hungaria,
Italy), Northeast Africa (Egypt), Southwest Asia (Jordan),
and Southwest Pacic (New Zealand) (see Figure 3).
Moreover, the paleogeographic maps recorded by many
authors [33-36] show the Tethyan realm had been connect-
ed with the Atlantic Ocean from west to the Indo-Pacic
Ocean to the east, via the Mediterranean Sea, crossing the
Middle East region during the Paleogene time. Another
author [37-39] expressed that the extended realms of the
Table 1. Paleogeographic distribution of the Early Eocene twenty-four Lagenid and Rotaliid benthic foraminiferal
species in the Punta Torcida Formation (Early Eocene), Tierra del Fuego Island and Fuegian continental shelf and other
Tethyan localities.
Sp.
No.
countries
species 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
1Laevidentalina jannoui x- - - - - - - - - - -
2hudae - - - - - - - - - - x-
3salimi - - - - - - - - - - x-
4Lagenoglandulina argentinica x- - - - - - - - - - -
5annulata -x---x x - - - - x
6Tollmannia argentinica x- - - - - - - - - - -
7Tristix aubertae x- - - - - - - x- - -
8Leticuzonaria argentinica x- - - - - - - - - - -
9misrensis - - - - - - - - x- - -
10 Palmula americana x- - - - - - - - - - -
11 sagittaria - - x- - - - - - - -
12 Leroyia argentinica x- - - - - - - - - - -
13 aegyptiaca - - - - - - - x- - -
14 Marginulina argentinica x- - - - - - - - - - -
15 costata x- - - x- - - x- - -
16 Ramulina subornata x- - - - - - - - - - -
17 ornata - - x- - - - - - - - -
18 morsii x- - - - - - - - - - -
19 ismaili - - - - - - - - x- - -
20 Orthokarstenia higazyi - - - - - - - - x x - -
21 eleganta x-x- - - - - - - - -
22 Rectuvigerina argentinica x- - - - - - - - - - -
23 multicostata - - x- - - - - - - - -
24 Pleurostomella acuta x- - - - - - x- - - -
1. Argentina, 2. Caribbean, 3. USA, 4. Atlantic Ocean, 5. France, 6. Germany, 7. Italy, 8. Hungaria, 9. Egypt, 10. Jordan, 11. UAE,
12. New Zealand. Sp. No. = Species number, x=recorded,—not recorded.

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Earth and Planetary Science | Volume 02 | Issue 01 | April 2023
Tethys have extended from the Indo-Pacic to the Atlan-
tic Oceans and the Mediterranean Sea during the Late
Cretaceous to Paleogene times, and the fauna exhibit pro-
nounced similarities (Figure 4).
Figure 4. Paleogeography of the Neo-Tethys Ocean dur-
ing the Maastrichtian-Ypresian time showing the ow di-
rection of the Tethyan Circumglobal Current (TCC) from
east to west, and the location of North and South America,
Eurasia, Africa, India and Australia [40].
5. Paleoecology and Paleoenvironment
Jannou [1] noted that the small, weakly calcified tests
and marked infaunality of the benthic calcareous fo-
raminiferal assemblages, added to the occurrence of
acarininid planktic foraminifera, suggest relatively warm
waters, correlatable with the post maximum thermal Eo-
cene-3 (~52 Ma). Jannou et al. [2] noted that the paleoen-
vironment of South Argentina would have been a shelf
sea of normal salinity, where muds were deposited under
low energy and low oxygen conditions, as is suggested
by the dominance of infaunal morphotypes and excellent
preservation of the tests, whereas intercalated sandstones
reect moderate energy and oxic conditions, bearing mi-
crofossil assemblages displaced from shallower settings.
The foraminifera taxa in the study section of Argentina
have similarities with those of the Eocene of the Austral
basin, Australia, New Zealand and the Antarctic, reect-
ing the southern nature of the microfauna. Anan [41] noted
that the probable environment of northern Egypt is out-
er neritic-upper bathyal, while deeper in central Egypt,
are deposited in the middle-outer neritic. The Lenticuz-
onaria misrensis, Tristix aubertae, Leroyia aegyptiaca,
Orthokarstenia higazyi were recorded from central and
southern Egypt, which located in the Nile Valley Facies
(NVF), of Issawi et al. [42], which has middle-outer neritic
environmental facies by some authors (e.g. Nakkady [43],
LeRoy [44]) and considered here to be related to the Mid-
way-Type Fauna (MTF) of Berggren & Aubert [45]. Hay-
ward et al. [46] noted the paleobathymetric distribution of
Pleurostomella acuta in present-day depth ranges of sites
in the lower bathyal to middle abyssal.
6. Conclusions
The present study deals with the recording of twen-
ty-four diagnostic identied Early Eocene species of La-
genid and Rotaliid calcareous foraminiferal genera which
needs a taxonomic revision to accommodate the modern
nomenclature among more than 160 species of Argentina.
Ten out of these species are believed here as new: Laev-
identalina jannoui, Lagenoglandulina argentinica, Toll-
mannia argentinica, Leticuzonaria argentinica, Palmula
americana, Leroyia argentinica, Marginulina argentinica,
Ramulina subornata, Ramulina morsii and Rectuvigerina
argentinica sp. nov. Some of the identified species are
confined to Argentina, but some others were recorded
from many localities in North America (USA, Mexico),
Europe (France, Italy) North Africa (Egypt), Southwest
Asia (Jordan) and South Pacific (New Zealand). The
extended realms of the Tethys have extended from the
Indo-Pacic to the Atlantic Oceans via the Mediterranean
Sea during the Ypresian time, and the fauna exhibit pro-
nounced similarities.
Acknowledgement
The author would like to express his sincere appre-
ciation to the editor of EPS for continuous efforts, and
unknown reviewer for improving the original manuscript
and contributing valuable comments. I am also indebted to
my daughter Dr. Huda Anan for help in the development
of the gures and plate.
Conict of Interest
There is no conict of interest.
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