MICROBIOSTRATIGRAPHICAL (FORAMINIFERA) DIVISION OF THE TURONIAN TO SANTONIAN IN TUNISIA (EL-KEF AND DJ-FGUIRA-SALAH AREA)

The profile through the Turonian in the area of Hammam Mellegue togeth er with perfectly exposed Coniacian and Santonian formations is one of the best in Tunisia. It was proposed by the author as the stratotype profile for the Tethyan realm (Salaj 1986). We stress that planktonic and benthonic foraminifers are perfectly preserved here. The Lower Tur onian is characterized by the upper part of the Whiteinella gigantea Z one (W archaeocretacea Pessagno 1967 which is a synonym of Whiteinella inornata Bolli is not present in the uppermost Cenomanian to the Lowe r Turonian) with the Dicarinella imbricata and Dicarinella hagni Zones with abundant species of the genus Whiteinella Pessagno 1967. The Hel vetoglobotruncana helvetica Zone of the Middle Turonian is characteriz ed by the Dicarinella oraviensis trigona, Dicarinella biconvexa and Si galitruncana turona Subzones (Salaj 1976; Salaj & Bellier 1978). The a ppearance and explosive development of the species Whiteinella inornat a (Bolli) and Whiteinella repanda (Bolli) in the uppermost part of the Sigalitruncana turona Subzone together with various representatives o f the genus ''Gabonella'' de Klasz, Marie & Meijer 1960, which are als o abundant in the Upper Turonian is interesting. The uppermost Turonia n is characterized by Dicarinella primitiva (Dalbiez) and Dicarinella paraconcavata (Hofker). The Lower Coniacian is defined by the Dicarine lla concavata-Helvetoglobotruncana cachensis Zone, whilst the Middle-U pper Coniacian is determined by the Globotruncanella praehavanensis Zo ne. The uppermost Coniacian is determined by Sigalia deflaensis (Sigal ) and the base of the Santonian is determined by Sigalia carpathica Sa laj & Samuel (Salaj & Maamouri 1995).