Ostracod and foraminiferal assemblages in Tébessa (Northeast Algeria): Insights into Santonian cooling effects

A well-exposed Coniacian-Santonian stratigraphic section in the Bir Mokadam Mountains, west of Tébessa (Algeria), was investigated through biostratigraphic and paleoenvironmental analyses focusing on planktic foraminifera and ostracods, respectively. The studied interval encompasses deposits from the Essen Formation, consisting predominantly of clayey marls. A total of 318 samples were collected and examined, leading to the identification of 26 planktic foraminiferal species distributed across 11 genera. The Coniacian is characterized by the presence of the Dicarinella primitiva and Marginotruncana sinuosa biozones, whereas the Santonian is distinguished by Sigalia carpatica, Dicarinella asymetrica, and Globotruncanita elevata biozones. The quantitative analyses revealed significant differences between the Coniacian and Santonian stages. The Coniacian and the lower parts of the Santonian exhibit higher diversity, characterized by a greater abundance of smooth ostracods, keeled and globular foraminifera. In contrast, the upper part of the Santonian is marked by a notable decrease in diversity and an increase in dominance of the ostracods and the also the planktonic foraminifera, indicating a less balanced ecological structure. The decline in diversity is herein tentatively attributed to a climate cooling and/or bottom-water minor dysoxia. Notably, there is a negative relationship between ostracod and foraminiferal abundances, the cause of which remains unclear and requires further investigations.