BIOSTRATIGRAPHIC IMPLICATIONS OF THE MAASTRICHTIAN-LOWER EOCENE SEQUENCE AT THE NORTH GUNNA SECTION, FARAFRA OASIS, WESTERN DESERT, EGYPT

Eleven planktic foraminiferal zones are established in the Maastrichti an-lower Eocene sediments at the North Gunna section (Farafra Oasis, W estern Desert, Egypt). The study section is composed of five rock unit s, the Khoman, Dakhla, Tarawan, Esna and Farafra Formations. A hiatus at the K/T boundary including the upper Maastrichtian-lower Paleocene (Abathomphalus mayaroensis-Parasubbotina pseudobulloides Zones) has be en detected. Moreover, most of the Esna Formation in the study area is of early Eocene age (M. subbotinae-A. pentacamerata Zones) rather tha n late Paleocene as commonly observed in the neighbouring areas. The z onal scheme developed here is correlated with other sequences and the P-zonation of Blow (1979)and Berggren and Miller (1988) are discussed.