Miocene Foraminifera from Buff Bay, Jamaica

Abstract

Miocene foraminifera are known from the Bowden marl of Jamaica, but the collection from Buff Bay contains a larger fauna from deeper water. The species are closely related to those of Trinidad, Venezuela and Ecuador, also to the Pliocene of southern Italy. The small collection on which the following descriptions are based is of more than usual interest. The knowledge of the foraminifera from the Miocene of Jamaica is largely confined to what is known of the collections from the Bowden marl from the type locality of Bowden. While the Bowden fauna is a small one, some of the species are of large size, and occur in great numbers. Their living representatives indicate that the Bowden was deposited in waters of less than Ioo fathoms. In contrast to this, the foraminifera from Buff Bay represent a somewhat deeper water deposition, perhaps from Ioo to 200 fathoms, and the fauna is much larger and of more varied character. The relationship of this fauna with those of other ages and localities is interesting. As would be expected, many of the species are identical with those now found living in the waters of the West Indian region. Others are very close or identical with those of the Miocene or Pliocene of Europe, especially of Italy. Much of the Pliocene of southern Italy was deposited in waters of some considerable depth. The Buff Bay collection contains also numerous species that have already been recorded from the Miocene of Trinidad, Venezuela and Ecuador. The Gatun formation of Panama indicates that during Miocene times, there was a fairly deep water connection from the Atlantic to the Pacific. The similarity of the Ecuador material with that of Trinidad, Venezuela, and some parts of Mexico, shows that there was probably a very great similarity of conditions over much of this area at that time. It is with the hope of giving further light on the depths and conditions of deposition of these foraminiferal materials as well as to place on record the fauna itself that the following notes are given.