Report 2011 of the Lutetian/Bartonian Boundary Working Group

In search of a possible candidate section for the base Bartonian GSSP, the Middle Eocene sedimentary succession of the Contessa Highway section (CHS, near Gubbio, central Italy), was re-visited. Historically, this section has been the focus of important biostratigraphic studies on calcareous plankton (foraminifera and nannofossils) and magnetostratigraphy (e.g., Lowrie et al., 1982; Napoleone et al., 1983; Monechi & Thierstein, 1985). In the new study (Jovane et al., 2010) the Middle Eocene interval at CHS was sampled at much higher resolution than in previous works (every 5 cm in average). The co-authors of the paper based on the available high resolution bio-, isotope-, magnetostratigraphy and the astronomical tuning of the sedimentary record, and according to IUGS recommendations, suggest the CHS as an excellent GSSP candidate for the Lutetian/Bartonian boundary. Jovane et al. (2010) concluded in proposing the top of Chron C19n as the most useful and best potential criterion (criterion 4) for global correlation and an astronomically calibrated age for that event of 41.25 Ma.

Report by Isabella Premoli Silva, no report was received from the chairman Richard Fluegeman.