Dinoflagellate cyst assemblages, biostratigraphy and paleoenvironment of a Paleocene-Early Eocene sedimentary succession in the northern Niger Delta Basin: Comparison with low, mid and high latitude regions

摘要

This study represents a contribution to the Late Paleocene-Early Eocene biostratigraphy in a low latitude strati graphic setting where, published studies are few in comparison with mid- and high latitude regions. We generated data for 62 dinoflagellate cysts from a comprehensive analysis of 33 samples covering a 713-m interval in the Alo-1 Well in the northern Niger Delta (Anambra) Basin, Nigeria. Dinoflagellate cyst recovery in the samples varies from very good to poor, and the specimens are commonly well preserved. We calibrate the dinoflagellate cyst data with recent biozonation schemes for ODP Hole 959D, Cote d'Ivoire-Ghana Transform Margin in the eastern Equatorial Atlantic, which allowed for a valid comparison with published studies in well-dated rock sections in northwestern Europe, the Mediterranean region, New Zealand, and Tasmania. Our observations show that there is better correlation between tropical and mid latitude dinoflagellate cyst assemblages compared to those in high latitude regions.