Planktonic foraminiferal biostratigraphy and palaeobiogeography of the Albian-Turonian succession from the Sulaiman Range, Pakistan

Detailed taxonomy and biostratigraphy of the limestone, shale-rich Cretaceous Goru Formation within the western Sulaiman Range refer to diverse and well-preserved planktonic foraminifera. The age-diagnostic planktonic foraminifera encountered are; Biticinella breggiensis (middle Albian), Rotalipora ticinensis (late Albian), Rotalipora appenninica (latest Albian), Rotalipora brotzeni (early Cenomanian), Rotalipora cushmani (late Cenomanian), Whiteinella archeocretacea (latest Cenomanian-Earliest Turonian), Helvetoglobotruncana helvetica (early to middle Turonian), and Marginotruncana sigali (late middle to late Turonian). Based on the recovered planktonic foraminifera a middle Albian-late Turonian age has been assigned to the studied formation. The Rotalipora reicheli (middle Cenomanian) Zone was not identified as the First Appearance Datum of the nominal taxa present within the Rotalipora cushmani Zone. The planktonic foraminiferal assemblage characteristics suggest that the bioprovince of the Cretaceous Goru Formation belongs to the subtropical, warm water environment belonging to the Cretaceous Tethyan Realm and the palaeobiogeographic reconstruction suggests that the Neotethys was well-connected during the Albian-Turonian time interval.