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Using larger benthic foraminifera for the paleogeographic reconstruction of Neo-Tethys during Paleogene

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Abstract

The biostratigraphic range distribution of larger benthic foraminifera (LBF) from the eastern part of Neo-Tethys in the Kohat Basin of Pakistan is compared with the Western and Central Neo-Tethys. The results are used to establish the migration pathways of LBF for the paleogeographic reconstruction of the Neo-Tethys that existed in the Paleogene. This comparison across the Neo-Tethys revealed that LBF species are mostly confined to the Gondwanan (Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, India, Indonesia) and Laurasian-derived blocks (Italy, France, and Spain), with only a few on the margin of the Gondwanan continents (Oman).

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Acknowledgments

We greatly acknowledge the facilities and finances provided by the Department of Geology, University of Peshawar and the funding support from the NRPU project funding 960 by the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan.

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Ahmad, S., Jalal, W., Ali, F. et al. Using larger benthic foraminifera for the paleogeographic reconstruction of Neo-Tethys during Paleogene. Arab J Geosci 8, 5095–5110 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-014-1549-x

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