EARLY CRETACEOUS NANNOFOSSILS AND PLANKTONIC-FORAMINIFERA FROM NORTHERN GARGANO (APULIA, SOUTHERN ITALY)

The study of two Lower Cretaceous stratigraphic sections from northern Gargano, Apulia, southern Italy, has shown that the classic successio n of the Umbria-Marche Basin, central Italy, can be extended to the so uth as far as the Gargano Promontory. Here, the Cretaceous basinal suc cession consists of three formations: the Maiolica, the Scisti a Fucoi di and the Scaglia. Near the margin of the platform, the Mattinata For mation with frequent gravity-displaced deposits, laterally substitutes the Maiolica Formation. According to our integrated biostratigraphic data, and in agreement with the classic chronostratigraphic schemes pr oposed from the Umbria-Marche Basin, the Scisti a Fucoidi of northern Gargano correlates with the late part of the early Aptian (C. litterar ius Zone p. p., L. cabri Zone) to the late Albian (lower pan of the P. achlyostaurion Zone and B. breggiensis Zone, T. praeticinensis Subzon e). The occurrence of two anoxic episodes, which can be correlated wit h the 'Urbino level' and 'Amadeus segment' of the Umbria-Marche Basin, also strongly supports the proposed correlation of the two basins. (C ) 1997 Academic Press Limited.