Foraminiferal paleoecology and biostratigraphy in the pre- and post-evaporitic Late Miocene (Messinian) of the Lorca Basin, SE Spain

The distribution patterns of foraminifera have been analyzed within the lat est Tortonian to Messinian Serrata section of the Lorca Basin. The deposits are assigned to the pre-evaporitic to post-evaporitic interval of the so-c alled Messinian salinity crisis. Distribution patterns indicate an overall regressive trend for the pre-evaporitic part of the Serrata section. Furthe rmore increasing salinity and cyclic oscillations within temporal high prod uctivity periods and dysoxic conditions can be recognized as well. Unlike t he widely held opinion that the post-evaporitic geological history of the M editerranean area is characterized by terrestrial conditions predating a sp ectacular Pliocene flooding event, the initial post-evaporitic part of the Serrata Formation in the Lorca Basin indicates a renewed marine interval fo r the Latest Messinian.