B8 road, junction with the road to Lofou (Miocene of Cyprus)

Where: Cyprus (34.8° N, 32.9° E: paleocoordinates 33.9° N, 32.0° E)

• coordinate based on nearby landmark

• outcrop-level geographic resolution

When: Lophos Member (Pakhna Formation), Langhian (16.0 - 13.8 Ma)

• STRATIGRAPHIC RELATIONS: From Lophos Beds, an informal member at the base of the Pakhna Formation, which overlies the Miocene Lefkara Formation, within a sequence of Lae Maastrichtain-Miocene strata. THICKNESS: From group of beds (>20 m) within 400 m thick member. AGE: The age of this unit was considered to be Early-Mid Serravallian (13.65-11.61 Ma; N10 zone of Blow, 1969) by Gaudant et al. 2000 based on the occurrence of the foram Globoratalia peripherodonta, the nannoplankton Helicosphaera carteri, H. walbersdorfensis, Calcidiscus macintyrei, and C. premacintyrei, and the characteristic pteropods. However, according to Janssen & Little (2010): "The presence, however, of pteropod species such as Cavolinia cookei, Diacrolinia aurita and Vaginella acutissima that are definitely not reworked unequivocally indicates a Langhian age. The Alassa sections taken together may be compared with the Upper Globigerina Limestone Formation of the Maltese archipelago, in which a very similar holoplanktonic mollusc assemblage is found. Furthermore, it can be correlated with the Lago di Varano Formation of Gargano (Italy) and parts of the Ragusa Formation in Sicily. All these deposits are of Langhian age." According to Eaton (1987), Herguera (1982) recorded Langhian (N9) foraminiferal assemblages from road cuts on the old road between Khalassa village and the confluence of the Limnatis and Kouris rivers. Ortiz (1982) examined foraminifera from two sections near the Limnatis bridge on the new Limassol road and suggested a late Langhian age for these deposits, zones N8 and N9.

• group of beds-level stratigraphic resolution

Environment/lithology: basinal (); lithified, calcareous marl

• ENVIRONMENT: Stratigraphic section dominated by marl and chalk, with relatively few calciturbidites, most consistent with the basin-plain facies association of Eaton (1993).
• SPECIFIC LITHOLOGY: Hemipelagic marl, laminated turbidite and chalk. LITHIFICATION: Lithified, on the basis of figured specimens.

Size class: macrofossils

Preservation: cast, mold/impression, adpression, permineralized, original calcite, replaced with carbon

Reposited in the BMNH

Collection methods: quarrying,

• COLLECTOR: University of Portsmouth students and faculty, presumably including D.M. Martill and M.J. Barker. REPOSITORY: BMNH,

Primary reference: D. M. Martill and M. J. Barker. 2006. A paper nautilus (Octopoda, Argonauta) from the Miocene Pakhna Formation of Cyprus. Palaeontology 49(5):1035-1041 [A. Hendy/A. Hendy]more details

Purpose of describing collection: taxonomic analysis

PaleoDB collection 66957: authorized by Austin Hendy, entered by Austin Hendy on 29.10.2006

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

• COVERAGE: Only includes described taxon and those mentioned in text. Add Gaudant et al. 2000 for vertebrate representation. NOMENCLATURE: Authoritative publication, with species level designations.
Helicosphaera
  -
Helicosphaera carteri
  -
Helicosphaera carteri Wallich 1877
Foraminifera
 Globigerinoidea - Globorotaliidae
Cephalopoda
 Octopoda - Argonautidae
Argonauta absyrtus Martill and Barker 2006 octopus
 Nautilida - Aturiidae
Aturia sp. Bronn 1838 nautiloid
Actinopteri
 Scombriformes - Trichiuridae
Lepidopus sp. Gouan 1770
 Syngnathiformes - Syngnathidae
Syngnathus cf. albyi Sauvage 1870 pipefish
 Clupeiformes - Clupeoidei
Sardina sp. Antipa 1905 herring
Echinoidea
 Spatangoida - Asterostomatidae
? Pygospatangus sp. Cotteau 1888 heart urchin
 Coccosphaerales - Calcidiscaceae