Paléoécologie des foraminifères benthiques de nouvelles coupes de basse latitude du passage Crétacé-Paléogène : Coupes de l’Oued Es Smara et de l’Oued Abiod (région de Téjerouine, NW Tunisie)

Due to an impact of a bolide at the K/Pg boundary, the planktonic foraminifera have suffered sever mass extinction. However, no small Benthic Foraminifera species have documented mass extinction at the K/Pg boundary. Nevertheless, many species showed disturbance. The Maastrichtian assemblages may be different from those of the lower Paleogene by their species content, diversity and frequencies. At Oued Es Smara and Oued Abiod sections, the small benthic foraminifera indicate lower bathyal environment, and manifest significant faunal turnover. Until the uppermost Maastrichtian, their assemblages are highly diversified, with 77 species and 76 species respectively at Oued Es Smara and Oued Abiod sections. These are dominated by endobenthic morphotypes. At the K/Pg boundary, although 33 species (42,85%) (Oued Es Smara section) and 27 species (35,52%) (Oued Abiod section) of them seem to disappear, but only few species have really extinct such as Arenobulimina obesa. Nevertheless, the majority of species persist elsewhere at the Danian (e.g., Pseudoglandulina manifesta, Cibicioides proprius, Clavulinoides amorpha, Coryphostoma plaitum, Pullenia coryelli). At the lower Danian, the survivor Maastrichtian species are of 58% (Oued Es Smara) and 65% (Oued Abiod). Throughout the Parasubbotina pseudobulloides subzone, 4 others species were progressively disappeared. They are oligotrophic and low oxygen tolerant. About the Masstrichtian species, at the two studied sections (e.g. Gaudryina inflata and Tritaxia midwayensis) they seem to be more trophic exigent. Consequently, the benthic Foraminifera did not suffer massive extinction at the K/Pg boundary, but their assemblages underwent a significant faunal turnover which reflects important environmental changes. These changes are compatible with the catastrophic scenario induced by the large asteroid impact.