Integrated stratigraphy across the Paleocene/Eocene boundary in the Contessa Road section, Gubbio (central Italy)

An integrated stratigraphic study of the upper Paleocene to lower Eocene Sc aglia limestones of the Contessa Road section has allowed us to identify th e classical markers of the Paleocene-Eocene transition. The section provide s a good magnetostratigraapic record as well as a continuous calcareous nan nofossil and foraminiferal biostratigraphy. A negative Carbon Isotopic Excu rsion (CIE) occurs in the lower part of Chron C24r; The calibration to calc areous plankton zonation indicates that the CIE occurs in the lowermost par r of calcareous nannofossil Zone NP10 and the upper part of Zone CP8, that is in the planktonic foraminiferal Zone P5. In the same stratigraphic inter val, a distinct turnover in the calcareous benthic foraminifera and a sharp change in the Deep Water Agglutinated Foraminiferal (DWAF) assemblages hav e been recognised. The record of DWAF however. indicates a gradual initiati on of such a change beginning some 150 k.y. before the CIE and BEE.