biostratigraphy

The paper presents detailed biostratigraphical division and lithological characteristics of the Turonian-Lower Santonian interval within the compiled Chukhonastovka section. The presence of the Lower Turonian deposits has been ascertained alongside with the unusual structure of the rock interval synchronous to the Lower Santonian “sponge” horizon.

Representatives of the genus Sororistirps, distinguished among the Ventriculites, have been detected in the Santonian – Maastrichtian rocks from the southeast of the Russian Plate. The structures of the skeletons and of the irrigation systems have been considered, the Sororistirps morphogenesis has been traced; the forms characteristic of the Santonian, Campanian and Maastrichtian spongiocomplexes have been determined.

The results bio-, magnetostratigraphic, cyclostratigraphic, lithological and mineralogic studies of the upper part of Sultanovskaya formation and Zelenogorskaya formation near v. Alexeevka (Belogorskiy region of Crimea) were presented in current work. The results of lithological and mineralogic analysis argues for the stratigraphic break between “Sultanovskaya” formation and “Zelenogorskaya” formation and implicitly indicate the age of the sediments as late berriasian.

In the right-bank part of the Saratov Region, a section of terrigenous and carbonate rocks has been determined to underlie the ?sponge? horizon conventionally dated back to the Santonian. The maximum thickness of the marls, constituting a substantial portion of the section, occurs in the western part of the region.

In the ?Ozerki? sections, in the terrigenous and carbonate rocks, a faunal complex has been determined – unusually diversified and relatively abundant for the right-bank part of the Saratov Region. Examination of the specified groups of fossil invertebrates has allowed to propose variants for biostratigraphic division and correlation of the sections under consideration. The carbonate rocks are supposed to belong to the Turonian-Coniacian and the underlying terrigenouscarbonate rocks are regarded as the Lower Turonian ones. Formation of the ?sponge?

The section of campanian deposits of the south-west of the Ulyanovsk region characterized by a strata of “knotty” chalk is described. It was found relatively numerous faunal complex presented mostly by belemnites, bivalves and echinoids. The diversity of epibiontic organisms is described. The study of fauna has helped clarify stratigraphic position of the section within the scope of valid regional scheme.

Based on the study of cephalopods and bivalves, the paleontological characteristics of the Ryazanian (lowermost Lower Cretaceous) sections were supplemented in the stratoregion located in the Oka River Basin near Ryazan, Central Russia. The data obtained are important for the analysis of the stratigraphic position in subboreal sections of taxa known in the Arctic, and the subsequent qualitative development of the zonal level of scales for belemnites and buchias of the Jurassic-Cretaceous boundary interval of the Russian Plate.

The paper presents the results of the micropaleontological study of the upper part of Sultanovka formation and Zelenogorsk formation (Berriasian) near Alekseevka village (Belogorsk area, Central Crimea). The representative assemblages of foraminifers and ostracods, as well as calpionellids and palynomorphs, are found in the Sultanovka formation.

The fossil assemblage taxonomical composition analysis of upper Coniacianlower Santonian, upper Santonian and lower Campanian deposits is demonstrated. The upper Coniacian and lower Santonian deposits planoconformity has been recorded, the thin upper Santonian deposits presence has been proved and the lower Campanian subface position has been defined. Fractional biostratigraphy subdivision of the Coniacian – lower Campanian interval was carried out. The distinguished strata were traced within Volsk-Khvalynsky district.

The Gubkino Horizon (Turonian-Coniacian) in the Bolshoy Kamenny ovrag section (Zhirnovsk town, Volgograd Region) has not been purposefully studied so far. As a result of biostratigraphic and magnetostratigraphic researches the carbonate rocks of the Gubkino Horizon were first divided into zones based on benthic foraminifera complexes and characterized by geomagnetic polarity and rock-magnetism data. The most part of the Bolshoy Kamenny ovrag section is covered by the reverse polarity zone.