34. NEOGENE SILICOFLAGELLATES FROM THE EQUATORIAL PACIFIC

Abstract

A certain stratigraphic value of silicoflagellates has been demonstrated earlier by Stradner (1961), Bachmann and Papp (1968) and Martini (in press), but investigations were based mainly on isolated samples. During Leg 7 of the Deep Sea Drilling Project, two continuous sequences from the Miocene to Quaternary, which contain silicoflagellates besides abundant Radiolaria and diatoms, have been recovered at Sites 65 and 66 in the equatorial Pacific. In addition to the Miocene-Pliocene samples of the Swedish Deep-Sea Core 76, material from continuous sequences can be used for the first time to test the stratigraphic value of silicoflagellates. Although the assemblages show a rather limited number of species due to the equatorial position of the cores, there are some indications of a stratigraphic value of silicoflagellates even in this exceptional region.