Late Cretaceous foraminiferal biogeography (Families Bolivinidae, Buliminellidae, Gavelinellidae, Siphogenerinoididae, Turrilinidae) in northeastern Brazilian shelf and central west African basins

Many specimens belonging to the benthic foraminiferal families Bolivinidae, Buliminellidae, Gavelinellidae, Siphogenerinoididae and Turrilinidae are c ommonly recovered from Upper Cretaceous (Coniacian-Maastrichtian) rocks dep osited in shelf and upper bathyal settings of low-latitude Atlantic regions . Biogeographic distribution patterns indicate the existence of a 'central North Atlantic-western Tethyan Realm', with two distinct provinces: (a) a ' Brazilian-Caribbean-Gulf Coast Province' (Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, the Caribbean, Mexico, Texas and southern California), and (b) a 'Guinean Provi nce' (Cameroon, Congo, Gabon, Ivory Coast and Morocco). The Brazilian-Carib bean-Gulf Coast Province shares about 23% of species with the Transitional/ Austral Realm, and 34% with the Boreal/NE Tethyan Realm. The Guinean Provin ce is marked by about 50% endemism, chiefly represented by species of Gabon ita, and shares about 12% of species with the Boreal/NE Tethyan Realm. Thes e provinces probably developed in response to different palaeoceanographic conditions and trophic regimes at the same latitude on both sides of the no rthern South Atlantic. Revised systematics are presented for species that h ave been commonly recorded in northeastern Brazil. (C) 2000 Academic Press.