Late Maastrichtian and Early Palaeocene index macrofossils in the Maastrichtian type area (SE Netherlands, NE Belgium)

Abstract

The uppermost Cretaceous and lowest Palaeocene in the type area of the Maastrichtian yield several macrofossils which can be used as index species in correlations with northern and southern Europe. For a macrofossil zonation of the uppermost Maastrichtian, coleoid and ammonoid cephalopods and inoceramid bivalves are of prime importance, while biozonations for the lowermost Palaeocene rely particularly on echinoid and asteroid species. On coleoid and ammonoid evidence, the type Maastrichtian is coeval with the uppermost Maastrichtian as interpreted in the Tethyan realm (Bay of Biscay sections in particular) and the North Temperate realm (NW and NE Europe). The occurrence in the lower part of the Geulhem Member (Houthem Formation) of distinctive, exclusively Early Danian echinoderm species suggests that the entire Lower Danian of the Danian type area is represented in the Maastricht area, and that what is considered to be the uppermost part of the underlying Meerssen Member (Maastricht Formation) represents the equivalent of the Early Danian 'Cerithium Kalk' in Denmark.