Palaeoceanographic implications of new and revised bio-chronostratigraphic constraints from the Profitis Ilias Unit (Rhodes, Greece)

Middle Oxfordian-early Kimmeridgian radiolaria, extracted from the top of radiolarites of Profitis Ilias unit (Rhodes island), suggest that the latter are essentially Middle Jurassic in age and the overlying siliceous shales Late Jurassic. The previously identified Calpionellid horizon at the top of Profitis Ilias siliceous marls is now regarded as early Valanginian in age. The above chronostratigraphic constraints allow tentative correlations to be made between Profitis Ilias and Pindos-Olonos sedimentary units. Finally, the palaeoceanographic significance of the studied series in Rhodes and potentially similar pelagic sequences in the Marmaris area of Turkey are discussed.