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Relationship of Maastrichtian–Thanetian benthic foraminiferal species diversity, palaeooxygenation, and palaeoproductivity in shallow waters of the Western Desert, Egypt

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Abstract

Benthic foraminiferal analysis (315 samples, 16,271 specimens) of the shallow water (< 100 m) Maastrichtian–Thanetian rocks from the Dakhla Oasis (Western Desert, Egypt) was studied to infer the inter–relationships between species diversity, palaeooxygenation, palaeoproductivity, and palaeodepth and changes at the Cretaceous–Paleogene (K/Pg) boundary. Positive and significant correlations are noted between these proxies, suggesting a well-oxygenated oligotrophic environment. However, a brief interval (mid–lower Maastrichtian) of increased palaeoproductivity with reduced diversity and oxygenation (ventilation) is noted (a characteristic of mesotrophic–eutrophic settings) that coincides with very shallow waters during a highstand system tract (HST) and dominated by the dysoxic agglutinated species Ammobaculites khargaensis. The diversity index, Fisher’s α (< 5), and paleodepth proxy (foraminiferal wall structure types) also suggest a shallow neritic (largely littoral) depth for the entire study interval. At the bottom of the study section (Planktic Foraminiferal Zones CF8b-CF7), species diversity, palaeooxygenation, and palaeoproductivity are high. From the K/Pg boundary to the post-K/Pg period, these variables are low and fluctuate with moderate species dominance. Data suggests an overall 40% benthic foraminiferal species (38% of agglutinated and 40% of calcareous extinct species) extinction rate after the K/Pg hiatus. The period immediately following the K/Pg boundary is characterized by increased basinal ventilation and decreased palaeoproductivity, which are attributed to changes in sea level and concurrent regional subsidence. However, as stable as the community structure was at or just after the K/Pg boundary, the changes in species composition (assemblage) were dramatic and marked by a change from a pre–K/Pg agglutinated–dominated fauna (Haplophragmoides–Ammobaculites) to a post–K/Pg calcareous one (Cibicodoides–Cibicides–Anomalinoides).

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Maria-Angela Bassetti, editor of Geo-Marine Letters, and anonymous reviewers for their useful comments that improved this paper. Research Supporting Project Number (RSP-2023/139), King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Funding

Filed study and laboratory work funding is provided by King Saud University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Exploration Department, Egyptian Petroleum Research Institute, Nasr City, 11727, Egypt

    Sherif Farouk

  2. Department of Geology, School of Applied Natural Science, Adama Science and Technology University, 1888, Adama, Oromia, Ethiopia

    Sreepat Jain

  3. Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Prince EL-Hassan Bin Talal Faculty for Natural Resources and Environment, The Hashemite University, Zarqa, Jordan

    Fayez Ahmad

  4. Geology and Geophysics Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

    Khaled Al-Kahtany

  5. Faculty of Earth science and engineering, University of Miskolc, Miskolc, Hungary

    Ahmed Abdeldaim

  6. Geology Department, Faculty of Science, South Valley University, Qena, 83523, Egypt

    Ahmed Abdeldaim

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Contributions

Sherif Farouk: ideas; filed works; formulation and evolution of overarching research goals and aims, preparation and writing the initial draft. Management and coordination responsibility for the research activity planning and execution.

Sreepat Jain: writing and idea of the initial paper, preparation, creation, and presentation the data.

Khaled Al-Kahtany, design the idea of the initial paper, preparation, creation, foraminiferal examination.

Fayez Ahmad: performing the experiments and data collection.

Ahmed Abdeldaim: discussion, preparation, and creation.

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Correspondence to Sherif Farouk.

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Appendix. Appendix-Table 1. Percentages of calcareous and agglutinated benthic foraminiferal morphogroups and sub-morphogroups identified in this study with sample numbers (on the left). Appendix-Table 2. Habitat preference of the studied species based on ecology and literature survey. See text for explanation. Appendix-Table 3. Pearson correlation between proxies used in the present study. Diversity indices (Fisher’s α), Palaeooxygenation proxies (Benthic Foraminiferal Oxygen Index (BFOI), and % Oxyphilic taxa), Palaeoproductivity proxies (% High organic–flux species (% HOFS) and Percent Infaunal taxa. Appendix-Table 4. Pearson correlation between % planktic foraminifera (%P) and agglutinated palaeodepth proxies (Littoral represented by simple-walled arenaceous agglutinated foraminifera; Deep littoral represented by complex-walled arenaceous agglutinated foraminifera and Shelf represented by calcareous agglutinated foraminifera). See text for explanation. Appendix-Table 5. Pearson correlation between dominant morohogroups identified in the present study (calcareous benthic foraminiferal morphogroups, CH-A.4, CH-B.4 and CH-B.5; agglutinated benthic foraminiferal morphogroups, AG-A and AG-B.2), Palaeooxygenation proxies (BFOI, and % Oxyphilic taxa), Palaeoproductivity proxies (% HOFS and Infaunal taxa) and palaeodepth proxies (Littoral and Deep littoral; the latter is Deeplit). See text for explanation. Appendix-Table 6. Pearson correlation between species diversity index (Fisher’s α) and palaeodepth proxies (Littoral and Deep littoral). See text for explanation. Appendix-Table 7. List (in order of abundance) of agglutinated (a) and calcareous benthic foraminiferal (b) patterns for Extinction, Immigrant and Survivor taxa noted for long–term interval incorporating taxa from Assemblages 9 to 18. See text for explanation. Appendix-Table 8. Substage (Upper Maastrichtian–Lower Paleocene) list (in order of abundance) of calcareous benthic foraminiferal patterns for Extinction, Immigrant and Survivor taxa noted for long-term. See text for explanation. Appendix-Table 9. Substage (Upper Maastrichtian–Lower Paleocene) list (in order of abundance) of benthic foraminiferal species patterns for Extinction, Immigrant and Survivor taxa noted for long–term. See text for explanation. (DOCX 77 kb)

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Farouk, S., Jain, S., Al-Kahtany, K. et al. Relationship of Maastrichtian–Thanetian benthic foraminiferal species diversity, palaeooxygenation, and palaeoproductivity in shallow waters of the Western Desert, Egypt. Geo-Mar Lett 43, 4 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00367-023-00745-2

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