During the Pliocene and Pleistocene, the Monte
Cetona (Northern Apennines, central Italy) was part of an
elongated island. The Middle Pliocene deposits around
the Monte Cetona are represented by shallow-water marine
carbonates rich in coralline red algae and bryozoans.
These skeletal carbonates, characterising a coralline algaldominated
factory, were analysed in terms of microfacies,
taxonomy, and growth-forms of coralline red algal assemblage.
Three microfacies were distinguished on the basis
of component distribution and fabric analysis: coralline
algal rudstones, coralline algal floatstones, and bioclastic
packstones. Skeletal components are commonly abraded,
bioeroded, and encrusted. The shallow-water skeletal carbonates
are strongly bioturbated and any primary sedimentary
structure is obliterated. The distribution of the coralline
growth-forms suggests a decreasing hydrodynamic gradient
from the coralline algal rudstone, through the coralline
algal floatstone to the bioclastic packstone microfacies. The
coralline algal flora consists of eight species representing
the subfamilies Lithophylloideae, Mastophoroideae
and Melobesioideae. The assemblage is dominated by
lithophylloids. Other biogenic components are bryozoans,
barnacles, echinoderms, and benthic foraminifera. These
coralline algal assemblages were deposited just above the
fair-weather wave base and indicate a shallow-marine temperate
water setting for the eastern Tyrrhenian Sea during
the Mid Pliocene
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