Late Miocene calcareous nannofossil genus Catinaster: taxonomy, evolution and magnetobiochronology

A systematic study on the evolution and stratigraphic distribution of the species of Catinaster from several DSDP/ODP sites with magnetostratigraphic records is presented. The evolution of Catinaster from Discoaster is established by documentation of a transitional nannofossil species, Dicoaster transitus. Two new subspecies, Catinaster coalitus extensus and Catinaster calyculus rectus are defined which appear to be intermediates in the evolution of Catinaster coalitus coalitus to Catinaster calyculus calyculus. The first occurrence of C. coalitus is shown to be in the lower part of C5n.2n at 10.7-10.9 Ma in the low to mid-latitude Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The last occurrence of C. coalitus coalitus varies from the upper part of C5n.2n to the lower portion of C4A. Magnetobiostratigraphic evidence suggests that the FO of C. calyculus rectus is diachronous. Catinaster mexicanus occurs in the late Miocene and has been found only in the eastern equatorial Pacific, the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico.