New species of the genus <i>Parkiella</i> (Foraminifera) from the Late Cretaceous Central Pacific Ocean: biostratigraphy, biogeography, and the Cretaceous–Palaeogene boundary

Abstract

Abstract. Two new species, Parkiella angulocamerata sp. nov. and P. globocamerata sp. nov., are described from the Late Cretaceous (late Maastrichtian) Central Pacific Ocean, DSDP Sites 465 and 171. Examination under the SEM revealed apertural features that were not documented in the original description of Parkiella. An ‘L’-shaped aperture was originally considered as a diagnostic character of Parkiella; we suggest that this is a preservational artefact and question its diagnostic value. The existence of internal toothplates determine both Parkiella described here as members of the family Turrilinidae Cushman 1927. Both species were found to be endemic to the tropical Pacific Ocean. They occurred in sequence throughout the Maastrichtian section at Site 465 with a minimum (one sample) stratigraphic overlap. Parkiella globocamerata is one of the few deep-sea benthic foraminiferal species that indeed became extinct at the Cretaceous/Palaeogene (K/Pg) boundary. However, we document a decrease in both relative abundance and accumulation rate of the species already prior to the K/Pg transition. We propose that the interval between the LO (Last Occurrence) of P. angulocamerata and the LO of P. globocamerata is indicative of uppermost Cretaceous (Micula prinsii Zone) strata in the tropical Pacific.