MARINE PENNATE DIATOMS FROM THE LOWER PLIOCENE DEPOSITS OF AGIOS THOMAS, AEGINA (GREECE)

Material from the lower Pliocene deposits of Agios Thomas (also known as ''Ag. Demitrios'' according to Ehrenberg) on the island of Aegina w as studied. A total of 97 taxa of pennate, predominantly marine, diato ms were identified; an addition of 55 taxa were not decisively recogni zable due to poor frustule preservation. The morphological variability of the identified diatoms is presented through short taxonomic descri ptions coupled with photographic documentation by L.M. Valve dimension s were mostly lying at the lower variability limits given for the type specimens, and only small variation in valve structure was observed. The majority of the taxa found (87 out of 97) are reported for the fir st time as fossils from the Aegina Island and thirty one (31) taxa rep resent new records for Greece.