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LATE TRIASSIC FORAMINIFERA IN REEFAL LIMESTONES OF SW CYPRUS

¹ Department of Geology and Paleontology, University of Geneva, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland.
² Geosciences Montpellier (Basin team), University of Montpellier 2, CNRS, 34095 Montpellier and 17 rue A. de Gargas, 31500 Toulouse, France.
³ Institute of Geology and Paleontology, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.

⁴ Correspondence author. E-mail: Rossana.Martini{at}unige.ch

The objective of this study is to assess Late Triassic (late Carnian-Norian to Rhaetian) foraminiferal faunas relative to carbonate textures in reefal limestones cropping out in SW Cyprus. The fauna is a highly diversified, facies-controlled association comprising 32 species in 27 genera. There are two important relationships between reefal genera and host sediments: Hydrania and Cucurbita are very abundant in bio-floatstone to rudstone, and Ophthalmidiidae Ophthalmidium, Densophthalmidium and Paraophthalmidium) are very abundant in skeletal-peloidal packstone. In addition, the genera Kaeveria, Bispiranella, and Miliolipora have only been recorded in the skeletal-peloidal packstone of Aphrodite’s Rock in the Petra tou Romiou area.

The microfauna is typical of shallow, high-energy tropical carbonate platforms where reefal structures provide a variety of microenvironments for abundant and diverse foraminifera. Foraminifera disperse rapidly in these environments, which were very common during the Late Triassic; hence, the Late Triassic Cypriote fauna has both European and Asian affinities. Indeed, many of the species that are common in Cyprus are also found in other parts of Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.