Middle Eocene larger benthic foraminifera from Egypt and their similarity to the southern tethyan provinces

摘要

This study aims to record the Middle Eocene larger benthic foraminifera from an outcrop exposed in the Cairo-Suez district, Egypt, and to discuss their geographic distribution along the southern Tethys. This succession is subdivided, from base to top, into the Observatory and Qurn formations. The recorded foraminiferal assemblage includes Dictyoconus aegyptiensis, Rhabdorites malatyaensis, R. minima, Idalina cuvillieri and Pseudolacazina schwagerinoides. Due to the absence of Nummultres species, two local larger benthic foraminiferal biozones are established Dictyoconus aegyptiensis and Idalina cuvillieri - Pseudolacazina schwagerinoides. In terms of paleobiogeography, a great similarity is noticed between the Egyptian foraminiferal assemblage and those of Libya, Oman, Iran and Turkey. Consequently, this indication supports foraminiferal migration along the southern Tethys.