Stratigraphic Analysis of Upper Cretaceous Rocks in the Mahajanga Basin, Northwestern Madagascar: Implications for Ancient and Modern Faunas: A Reply

摘要

Papini and Benvenuti (2001) provide a lengthy critique of our recent stratigraphic analysis of the Upper Cretaceous section of the central Mahajanga Basin, northwestern Madagascar, near the village of Berivotra. Their commentary hinges upon the predication that a marine interval (their unit 3) is intercalated within the Maevarano Formation (Papini and Benvenuti 1998) and is not instead the structurally down-dropped top of the local Cretaceous section (Rogers et al. 2000). We welcome this opportunity to again compare our findings with those of Papini and Benvenuti (1998), although we maintain that our interpretation of the data is the most reasonable. In this reply, we concisely review the stratigraphic interpretations of Papini and Benvenuti (1998, 2001) and address the significant points of contention.