Late Cenozoic Ostracoda of the South Aegean Island Arc

Abstract

A detailed study has been made of Late Cenozoic ostracodes from closely sampled sections and some isolated samples on the Aegean islands of Gavdos, Crete, Karpathos and Rhodos. The stratigraphic position of the studied lithostratigraphic units has been determined by means of the evolutionary trends in Planorbulinella and in uniserial Uvigerina, and by planktonic Foraminifera (Chapter II). For a paleoecologic interpretation a method is introduced for evaluating depth of deposition and salinity, and major trends in the development of the depositional environment (Chapter III). Based on the three major realms for ostracode life reflected in the assemblages (a brackish water, a shallow marine and a deeper marine environment) some tentative assemblage zones are proposed (Chapter IV). Comparisons with the ostracode assemblages of Neogene stratotypes show that most of the biozones can be recognized outside the Aegean area (Chapter V). The systematic part of the study deals with over 200 different taxa. Three new subgenera are proposed. In total 24 new species are described. Because of primary homonymy two species are renamed (Chapter VI).