Age and Correlation of California 

Paleogene Benthic Foraminiferal Stages

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 1 1 6 2-C
Age and Correlation of California 

Paleogene Benthic Foraminiferal Stages

By RICHARD Z. POORE

SHORTER CONTRIBUTIONS TO STRATIGRAPHY

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 116 2-C

UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1980
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

CECIL D. ANDRUS, Secretary

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

H. William Menard, Director

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data

Poore, Richard Z

Age and correlation of California Paleogene benthic 

foraminiferal stages.

(Shorter contributions to stratigraphy) (Geological 

Survey professional paper ; 1162-C)

Bibliography: p. C8

Supt. of Docs, no.: I 19.l6:ll62-C

1. Geology, Stratigraphic--Tertiary. 2. Stratigraphic correlation California. 3. Foraminifera, 

Fossil California, k. Geology California. 

I. Title. II. Series. III. Series: United States, 

Geological Survey. Professional paper ; 1162-C. 

QE691.P66 551.7 f 82 80-607073

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office

Washington, D.C. 20402
CONTENTS

	Page

Abstract _________________________________________________ Cl

Introduction_________________________________________ 1

Acknowledgments ___________________________________________ 1

Planktic zonations and age assignments--________________________-_ 1

Ynezian to Narizian Stages ___________________________________ 2

Narizian Stage ____________________________________________ 4

Refugian Stage _______________________________________________ 4

Zemorrian Stage ____________________________________ 4

Discussion ________________________________________________ 7

References cited _______________________________________ 8

ILLUSTRATIONS

Page

FIGURE 1. California Paleogene benthic foraminiferal stages and their generally accepted age assignments _____________ C2

2. Correlation of planktic foraminiferal zonation and calcareous nannofossil zonations with California Paleogene benthic

foraminiferal stages _____________________________________________—________ —— ___ 2

3. General location of sections and areas discussed in text _____________________________ ——— —— ____— 4

4. Correlation of calcareous nannofossil zones with the benthic foraminiferal Ynezian to Narizian Stages ___ ————— ___ 5

5. Correlation of planktic foraminifer zones with the benthic foraminiferal stages _____________________ 5

6. Benthic foraminiferal stages, and planktic foraminifer and calcareous nannofossil zone assignments for lower part of

Arroyo el Bulito section.---.__________________________________________________ 6

7. Correlation of calcareous nannofossil zones with the Narizian through Zemorrian Stages ________________ 6

8. Correlation of planktic foraminifer zones with the Narizian through Zemorrian Stages __________ — — __-_ 6

ill

SHORTER CONTRIBUTIONS TO STRATIGRAPHY

AGE AND CORRELATION OF CALIFORNIA PALEOGENE 

BENTHIC FORAMINIFERAL STAGES

By RICHARD Z. POORE

ABSTRACT

Comparisons of age determinations and correlations derived from 

calcareous plankton with those derived from benthic foraminifers in 

a number of sections in California show significant overlap in time of 

the Ynezian through the Ulatisian Stages. Thus interbasin time correlations deduced from these stage assignments must be treated with 

caution.

Calcareous plankton occasionally associated with benthic 

foraminifers diagnostic of the Narizian through the Zemorrian 

Stages indicate that the Narizian-Refugian boundary is within the 

upper Eocene of international usage and that the Refugian is entirely upper Eocene. Overlap of the Narizian and the Refugian appears to be minimal. The Zemorrian correlates, mostly, with the 

Oligocene, although the upper limit of the Zemorrian might be in the 

lower Miocene.

INTRODUCTION

Age assignments and correlation of Paleogene 

marine strata of California are usually accomplished 

through the use of the benthic foraminiferal stages of 

Schenck and Kleinpell (1936), Kleinpell (1938), and 

Mallory (1959) (fig. 1). Although type sections or areas 

are designated for these stages, they are recognized 

and defined, in large part, by associations of benthic 

foraminifers (Oppel-zones). Thus, outside of the type 

section or area, assignment of strata to a stage and the 

resultant age assignment and correlation to other 

strata are derived from benthic foraminiferal assemblages. An increasing body of data on calcareous 

plankton (planktic foraminifers and calcareous nannofossils) found associated with benthic foraminifers 

shows that the traditional age assignments of these 

benthic foraminiferal stages need revision and, more 

important, that correlations made by equating stage 

assignments in different sections may be significantly 

time-transgressive.

This paper documents in terms of calcareous plankton the range in age of benthic foraminiferal assemblages characteristic of the benthic stages and 

thereby determines the reliability of these benthic 

foraminiferal assemblages for interbasin time-stratigraphic correlations. This report represents an initial

part of an ongoing project aimed at developing an interrelated set of biostratigraphic zonations based on 

various microfossil groups suitable for use in the 

Pacific Coast Province.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I thank David Bukry, Kristin McDougall, and W. V. 

Sliter for discussions and suggestions concerning this 

manuscript. A. D. Warren kindly provided access to 

data in press on calcareous nannofossils in the Arroyo 

el Bulito and San Lorenzo River sections.

PLANKTIC ZONATIONS AND AGE ASSIGNMENTS

Hardenbol and Berggren (1978) have formulated a 

Paleogene time scale that correlates the planktic 

foraminiferal zonation of Blow (1969) and Berggren 

(1969, 1972) with the calcareous nannofossil zonation 

of Martini (1971) and further relates these zonations to 

standard ages guided by nannofossil data derived from 

European stage type sections. For the purposes of this 

paper the time scale of Hardenbol and Berggren (1978) 

is accepted as the standard (fig. 2). Because I prefer the 

nannofossil zonation of Bukry (1975) to that of Martini 

(1971), Bukry's zonation is also plotted on figure 2, and 

nannofossil assemblages discussed below are reported 

in terms of Bukry's zonations. Subzones of Bukry 

(1975), however, are not used as these subzones are 

often difficult to resolve in California sections, and the 

finer resolution gained by their use is not critical to 

this study.

Note that possible sources of error in the time scale 

of Hardenbol and Berggren (1978) include correlation 

of the nannofossil and foraminiferal zonations to one 

another and correlation of the combined zonations to 

standard ages. Nonetheless, the scheme of Hardenbol 

and Berggren represents the best biostratigraphic 

standard available to evaluate the time-stratigraphic 

significance of the benthic foraminiferal assemblages 

used to recognize the California stages.

Cl
C2 SHORTER CONTRIBUTIONS TO STRATIGRAPHY

Epoch

(Miocene 

03

c

.5? 

O

Eocene

Paleocene

Early

Late

Middle

Early

Late

Early

Benthic foraminiferal 

stage

Saucesian

Zemorrian

Refugian

Narizian

Ulatisian

Penutian

Bulitian

Ynezian

FIGURE 1.—California Paleogene benthic 

foraminiferal stages and their generally 

accepted age assignments. Both 

mollusks and benthic foraminifers were 

originally used to characterize the Refugian Stage.

YNEZIAN TO NARIZIAN STAGES

I have reinterpreted and synthesized data for benthic 

foraminifers, planktic foraminifers, and calcareous 

nannofossils for several lower Tertiary sections (fig. 3, 

1-12) covering a wide geographic area of California 

(Poore, 1976). Results of that study indicated that the 

ages of benthic foraminiferal stages as recognized in 

these sections could vary significantly. For example, 

benthic foraminifers indicative of the Bulitian Stage 

are associated, depending upon the section examined, 

with nannofossils of the upper Paleocene Discoaster 

multiradiatus Zone through the upper lower Eocene 

Discoaster lodoensis Zone, whereas benthic foraminifers indicative of the Penutian Stage are associated 

with nannofossils of the lower Eocene Tribrachiatus 

orthostylus Zone through the middle Eocene Discoaster 

sublodoensis Zone. Both Bulitian and Penutian benthic 

foraminiferal assemblages are associated with nannofossils of the Tribrachiatus orthostylus Zone and the 

Discoaster lodoensis Zone. The correlations of benthic 

foraminiferal stage assignments and calcareous nannofossil zones from the sections covered by Poore (1976) 

are shown on figure 4. Planktic foraminiferal assemblages in two of these sections contained diagnostic 

taxa that allowed reliable zone assignments. These

planktic foraminifer zone assignments are compatible 

with age assignments and correlations between sections indicated by calcareous nannofossils (fig. 5).

Additional information concerning correlation of 

early Paleogene benthic foraminiferal assemblages 

that are diagnostic of California benthic foraminiferal 

stages to planktic zonations comes from the lower part 

of the Arroyo el Bulito section in the Santa Ynez 

Mountains (Gibson, 1976). My present interpretation 

(fig. 6) of the foraminiferal data, however, differs 

slightly from that given by Gibson (1976, tables 2 and 

3). Briefly, changes in interpretation of planktic 

foraminifer data include: (1) removal of Zone P 1-P 3 

assignment for samples 67-81b because the assemblages reported are too sparse to allow confident 

zone assignments, (2) placing the top of Zone P 4 between samples 34 and 34a because the last occurrence 

of Planorotalites pseudomenardii (Bolli) is in sample 

34a, (3) correlating samples 11 through 20 with Zone P 

8 because of the lowest occurence of "Subbotina" senni 

(Beckmann) in sample 20 followed by the highest occurence of Morozovella formosa formosa (Bolli) in sample 11, and (4) correlating sample 1 with Zone P 11 

because the assemblage from this sample contains 

Globigerinatheka index rubriformis (Subbotina).

The only change to Gibson's benthic foraminiferal 

stage assigments is in placing the Penutian-Ulatisian 

boundary between samples 24 and 25 because a distinct faunal change which includes the lowest occurrence ofAnomalina midwayensis (Plummer) and Dentalina delicatula Cushman in sample 24 (Kristin 

McDougall, oral commun., 1978) occurs between these 

samples.

Correlation of California stage assignments and 

planktic zones for the lower part of the Arroyo el Bulito 

section shown on figure 6 are plotted on figures 4 and 5. 

Also shown on figure 4 are the association of calcareous 

nannofossil zones and the benthic foraminiferal stage 

assignments in the Devils Den aqueduct section (Warren, 1980) and those reported for several localities in 

the Coast Ranges of California by Bukry, Brabb, and 

Vedder (1977). Note that the results from the Arroyo el 

Bulito section suggest older ages for the Penutian and 

Ulatisian Stages than the other studies.

Even if one considers data from the Arroyo el Bulito 

section an anomaly and removes them from figures 4 

and 5, there is still significant overlap of many of the 

benthic foraminiferal stages. On the other hand, the 

Ulatisian-Narizian boundary closely coincides with the 

Discoaster sublodoensis Zone-Nannotetrina quadrata 

Zone boundary in all sections. Thus correlations made 

by equating the Ulatisian-Narizian transition in different sections are probably reliable and according to 

the time scale of Hardenbol and Berggren (1978; see 

fig. 2), the Ulatisian-Narizian boundary approximates,
AGE AND CORRELATION OF CALIFORNIA PALEOGENE BENTHIC FORAMINIFERAL STAGES C3

Epoch

European 

stage

Planktic 

foraminifer

zone

Blow 1969

Berggren

1972

Calcareous 

nannofossil

zone 

Martini 1971

Calcareous nannofossil

zone 

Bukry 1975

Benthic

foraminifer

zone

Burdigalian

Aquitanian

Chattian

Rupelian

Priabonian

Lutetian

N6

N5

N4

P22

P21

P20

P19

P18 

P17

P16

PI 5

P14

P13

P12

P11

Not studied 

^^-^ 

NN3

NN2

NN1

NP25

NP24

NP23

NP22

NP21

NP20

NP19 

NP18

NP17

NP16

NP15

Sphenolithus belemnos

Triquetrorhabdulus 

carinatus

Sphenolithus ciperoensis

Sphenolithus distentus

Sphenolithus predistentus

Helicosphaera reticulata

Discoaster barbadiensis

Reticu/ofenestra umbilica

Nannotetrina quadrata

Saucesian x

x 

X

X

x

Zemorrian

Refugian

Narizian

FIGURE 2.—Correlation of planktic foraminiferal zonation and calcareous nannofossil zonations 

with California Paleogene benthic foraminiferal stages. Columns 1 through 4 from Hardenbol 

and Berggren (1978) for the Paleogene, and Ryan and others (1975) for the Miocene. Correlation of Bukry's zonation to Martini's zonation follows Bukry (1978). Correlation of benthic 

foraminiferal stages to calcareous plankton zonations is discussed in text. Dashed lines denote 

areas where data points are limited.
C4 SHORTER CONTRIBUTIONS TO STRATIGRAPHY

124' 120°

San Francisco

10

\

100 KILOMETERS

EXPLANATION

1. Vaca Valley

2. Pacheco syncline

3. Tres Pinos

4. Upper Reliz Creek 

(Reliz Canyon)

5. New Idria

6. Lodo Gulch

7. OilCJty

8. Garza Creek

9. Media Aqua Creek

10. Upper Canada de 

Santa Anita

11. Las Cruces

12. Simi Valley

13. San Lorenzo River, 

Zayante Creek, and 

Kings Creek sections, 

Santa Cruz Mountains

14. Ano Nuevo section

15. Northern Santa 

Lucia Range

16. Arroyo el Bulito 

section, Santa Ynez 

Mountains

17. Devils Den aqueduct 

section

18. Los Sauces Creek

FIGURE 3.—General location of sections and areas discussed in text. 

Modified from Poore, 1976.

but is slightly younger than, the lower Eocene-middle 

Eocene boundary of international usage.

NARIZIAN STAGE

In the previous section it was shown that the lower 

limit of the Narizian Stage approximates the lower 

Eocene-middle Eocene boundary. Data allowing estimation of the upper limit of the Narizian Stage are 

available from the Santa Ynez Mountains and the 

Santa Cruz Mountains.

Warren and Newell (1980) studied calcareous nannofossils from the upper part of the Arroyo el Bulito 

section in the Santa Ynez Mountains. Here they found 

the Reticulofenestra umbilica Zone-Discoaster barbadiensis Zone boundary within the upper Narizian stage.

Similar results were obtained from sections in the 

Santa Cruz Mountains. Studies of calcareous plankton 

from the San Lorenzo River section (Poore and Brabb, 

1977; Poore and Bukry, 1980) show that the planktic 

foraminifer Zone P 14-Zone P 15 boundary and the 

calcareous nannofossil Reticulofenestra umbilica 

Zone-Discoaster barbadiensis Zone boundary occur at 

about the same stratigraphic level within rocks assigned to the Narizian Stage. The observations made at 

the San Lorenzo River section are corroborated in the 

nearby Kings Creek section where nannofossils from a 

sample containing lower Narizian benthic foraminifers 

are assigned to the middle Eocene Reticulofenestra 

umbilica Zone (Bukry and others, 1977) whereas 

planktic foraminifers from a sample higher up in the 

section containing upper Narizian benthic foraminifers 

are referable to upper Eocene Zone P 15 or Zone P 16 

(Poore and Bukry, 1980).

Following the correlation of Hardenbol and 

Berggren (1978), these data from the Santa Ynez 

Mountains and the Santa Cruz Mountains (figs. 7 and 

8) indicate that the upper limit of benthic foraminiferal 

assemblages characteristic of the Narizian Stage is in 

the upper Eocene of international usage (fig. 2).

REFUGIAN STAGE

In the Arroyo el Bulito section in the Santa Ynez 

Mountains, nannofossils of theDiscoaster barbadiensis 

Zone are associated the Refugian benthic foraminifers 

(Warren and Newell, 1980; Lipps and Kalisky, 1972).

The Church Creek Formation in the northern Santa 

Lucia Range yields benthic foraminifers characteristic 

of the Refugian Stage and nannofossils of the Discoaster barbadiensis Zone (Brabb and others, 1971). In addition, planktic foraminifers from several localities in 

the Church Creek Formation are correlative with 

Zones P 16 or P 17 (Poore and Bukry, 1980).

A final correlation point for the Refugian Stage is 

derived from the San Lorenzo River section of the 

Santa Cruz Mountains. Here Warren and Newell 

(1980) recorded a sparse nannofossil assemblage referable to the Discoaster barbadiensis Zone associated 

with Refugian benthic foraminifers.

These data (figs. 7 and 8), albeit limited, indicate 

that the Refugian Stage is upper Eocene.

ZEMORRIAN STAGE

Most of the data bearing on correlation of the Zemorrian Stage to planktic chronologies are found in the 

Santa Cruz Mountains.
AGE AND CORRELATION OF CALIFORNIA PALEOGENE BENTHIC FORAMINIFERAL STAGES C5

Benthic foraminiferal stage

Bukry and 

others, 1977

Modified from 

Gibson, 1976 Calcareous

nannofossil

zone

annotetrina quadrata

Discoaster sublodoensis

Discoaster lodoensis

Tribrachiatus orthostylus

Discoaster diastypus

Discoaster multiradiatus

Discoaster nobilis

Discoaster mohleri

Heliolithus kleinpelli

Fasciculithus tympaniformis

Cruciplacolithus tenuis

FIGURE 4.—Correlation of calcareous nannofossil zones with the benthic foraminiferal Ynezian to Narizian Stages. Heavy vertical bars 

delineate range of nannofossil zones associated with each stage. Diagonal lines delineate inferred association.

(1977). These authors reported nannofossils suggesting 

a generalized upper Oligocene (Sphenolithus predistentus Zone to Sphenolithus ciperoensis Zone) position 

from two samples yielding Zemorrian benthic 

foraminifers at nearby Mountain Charlie Gulch. Similarly, Poore and Bukry (1980) recorded upper 

Oligocene (Sphenolithus predistentus Zone to 

Sphenolithus ciperoensis Zone) nannofossils from samples assigned to the Zemorrian Stage at the Zayante 

Creek section and nannofossils of the Sphenolithus 

ciperoensis Zone from Zemorrian rocks at the nearby 

coastal Ario Nuevo section.

Outside of the Santa Cruz Mountains, published 

data on the occurrence of calcareous plankton in rocks 

assigned to the Zemorrian Stage are sparse. Lipps and 

Kalisky (1972) recorded Dictyococcites bisectus (Hay, 

Mohler, and Wade) (listed as Reticulofenestra scissura 

Hay, Mohler, and Wade) from upper Zemorrian rocks 

at Los Sauces Creek. The occurrence of Dictyococcites 

bisectus indicates that the Zemorrian here is no 

younger than Oligocene, but the calcareous nannofossil assemblage Lipps and Kalisky (1972, fig. 6) recorded cannot be assigned to a specific zone or zonal 

interval on their own. Although planktic foraminifers 

from the Zemorrian rocks at Los Sauces Creek recorded 

by Lipps (1964, 1966, 1967a, 1967b) are not especially 

diagnostic, Lamb and Hickernell (1972) recorded 

sparse specimens of Globigerinoides primordius Blow 

and Banner from this locality. The association of 

Dictyococcites bisectus and Globigerinoides primordius 

indicates an upper Oligocene Zone P 23 to N 4 and

Planktic 

foraminiferal 

zone

^^S-**S^i^^-\^^

P11

P10 

P 9 

P 8 

P 7 

P 6 

P 5 

P 4 

P 3 

P 2 

P 1

Benthic foraminiferal stage

Poore, 1976

Ynezian

./^-

1

Bulitian

j^N^

t

Penutian

^

1

Ulatisian

"^

t

Narizian

^

a

 8

z

Gibson, 1976

Ynezian

^

I

.2

Z

£

ll

Bulitian

"^

"S

1

£ 

.p t=5

II =

Penutian

"^

|

Ulatisian

^

1

Narizian

Composite

Ynezian

>/>

1

Bulitian

^-\

t

Penutian

./x.

Ulatisian

^^,

Narizian

I

FIGURE 5.—Correlation of planktic foraminifer zones with the 

benthic foraminiferal Ynezian to Narizian Stages. Heavy vertical 

bars delineate range of foraminifer zones associated with each 

stage. Diagonal lines delineate inferred association.

In the San Lorenzo River section, Poore and Brabb 

(1977) record planktic foraminifers assigned to zonal 

interval P 19-P 20 associated with benthic foraminifers diagnostic of the Zemorrian Stage. Nannofossils 

from a sample in this same interval of the San Lorenzo 

River section were tentatively assigned to the Sphenolithus distentus Zone by Bukry, Brabb, and Vedder
C6 SHORTER CONTRIBUTIONS TO STRATIGRAPHY

Sample

1 

2

6

7 

7a

8 

9 

10 

11

15 

16

19 

20 

21 

21a 

22

24 

25 

26

29 

30 

31 

32 

33 

34 

34a

66 

67-72

75-815

Series

HI

Paleocene

Middle

<5

i_

a 

a

Benthic 

foraminiferal 

stage

Narizian

Ulatisian

Penutian

Ynezian andBulitian, undifferentiated

Calcareous 

nannofossil 

zone

Nannotetrina 

quadrata

Discoaster 

sublodoensis

Discoaster 

lodoensis

Tribrachiatus 

orthosty/us

Discoaster 

diastypus

Discoaster 

multiradiatus

Discoaster 

nobilis

Discoaster 

mohleri

Planktic 

foraminiferal 

zone

P11

P9

P8orP9

P8 

P8

P6orP7

P5

P4

No occurrences or data too 

sparse for zone assignment

FIGURE 6.—Benthic foraminiferal stages, and planktic 

foraminifer and calcareous nannofossil zone assignments for 

lower part of Arroyo el Bulito section. See Gibson (1976, fig. 

3) for stratigraphic column and sample locations.

Calcareous nannofossil 

zone

Triquetrorhabdulus carinatus

Spheno/ithus ciperoensis

Spheno/ithus distentus

Spheno/ithus predistentus

Helicosphaera reticulata

Discoaster barbadiensis

Reticulofenestra umbilica

Benthic 

foraminiferal

FIGURE 7.—Correlation of calcareous nannofossil zones with the Narizian through 

Zemorrian Stages. Heavy vertical bars delineate range of nannofossil zones associated with each benthic foraminiferal stage.

Planktic

foraminiferal

zone

N 1

P22

P21

P20 

P19

P18

P17

Benthic

foraminiferal

stage

FIGURE 8.—Correlation of planktic 

foraminifer zones with the Narizian through Zemorrian Stages. 

Heavy vertical bars delineate 

range of planktic foraminifer 

zones associated with each benthic foraminiferal stage.

Sphenolithus ciperoensis Zone assignment for these 

Zemorrian rocks.

Aside from the data from Los Sauces Creek and the 

Santa Cruz Mountains, there is no documentation of 

direct association of stratigraphically diagnostic calcareous plankton with benthic foraminifers diagnostic 

of the Zemorrian Stage in California onshore sections.
AGE AND CORRELATION OF CALIFORNIA PALEOGENE BENTHIC FORAMINIFERAL STAGES C7

Thus, the available data (figs. 7 and 8) indicate correlation of the Zemorrian Stage at least in part with the 

Oligocene.

The upper limit of the Zemorrian Stage can be estimated from the occurrence of calcareous plankton in 

rocks assigned to the Saucesian Stage. Calcareous 

nannofossils listed by Lipps and Kalisky (1972) from 

the lower (but not basal) type section of the Saucesian 

Stage at Los Sauces Creek are indicative of the lower 

Miocene Sphenolithus belemnos Zone. Bukry, Brabb, 

and Vedder (1977) also report nannofossils referable to 

the Sphenolithus belemnos Zone from samples assigned 

to the lower Saucesian in the San Rafael Mountains. 

Bandy, Morin, and Wright (1969) recorded planktic 

foraminifers from the "upper part of the lower Saucesian" in Reliz Canyon that could be correlated with 

Zone N 5, which is in agreement with the stratigraphic 

assignment suggested by the nannofossils.

In the Ano Nuevo section (fig. 3), a sample (Mf 4664) 

considered by McDougall (1980) to be very near the 

Zemorrian-Saucesian boundary, but still judged to represent the Zemorrian, yields nannofossils of the 

Sphenolithus ciperoensis Zone (Poore and Bukry, 

1980). In a study of dart core samples from the California Continental Borderland, Crouch and Bukry 

(1979) report the association of Zemorrian benthic 

foraminifers (2 samples) and Saucesian benthic 

foraminiers (1 sample) with nannofossils of the 

Sphenolithus belemnos Zone. Therefore, the upper 

limit of Zemorrian Stage benthic foraminifers and the 

Zemorrian-Saucesian boundary appears to be within 

the interval from the Sphenolithus ciperoensis Zone 

through the Sphenolithus belemnos Zone (fig. 2).

DISCUSSION

The associations of calcareous plankton with benthic 

foraminifers characteristic of the California benthic 

foraminiferal stages shown in figures 4, 5, 7, and 8 

were used to correlate these stages with the Hardenbol 

and Berggren time scale in figure 2.

In discussing the age assignment of his stages, Mallory (1959, p. 74) noted that his early Paleocene Ynezian Stage was younger than the European Danian 

Stage. The results of this study confirm his correlations. The only Danian (that is lower Paleocene of Hardenbol and Berggren) documented in California is from 

the type section of the Cheneyan Stage (of Goudkoff, 

1945) in the Jergins Oil Company Cheney Ranch Well 

No. 1 (Loeblich, 1958). Planktic foraminifers reported 

from this well by Loeblich are referable to Zone P 1. 

The oldest determination for the Ynezian in this study 

was a questionable assignment to the Heliolithus 

kleinpellii Zone (fig. 4). Data are insufficient to estimate the upper limit of the Cheneyan Stage, and the

Cheneyan Stage and the Ynezian Stage are separated 

by question marks on figure 2.

The correlations shown on figure 2 indicate that the 

Ynezian through Ulatisian Stages as currently recognized on the basis of benthic foraminifers are in large 

part coeval. Nannofossil data from this interval are 

substantial. Diagnostic planktic foraminifers in this 

interval, though more limited, corroborate the pattern 

and degree of time-overlap suggested for the benthic 

stages by calcareous nannofossils. Aside from minor 

discrepancies, the observed correspondence of planktic 

foraminifer and calcareous nannofossil zones closely 

matches the correlation proposed by Hardenbol and 

Berggren (1978) except for the Discoaster sublodoensis 

Zone. According to the model shown on figure 2, one 

would expect to find planktic foraminifers referable to 

Zone P 10 associated with nannofossils of the Discoaster sublodoensis Zone. In the Arroyo el Bulito section 

planktic foraminifers associated with the Discoaster 

sublodoensis Zone are assigned to Zones P 8 and P 9 

(see fig. 6), and the same association occurs in the 

Media Agua Creek section (Poore, 1976). These discrepancies could be due to incorrect zone assignments 

for the planktic foraminifers, as in both sections the 

zone assignments are based on secondary rather than 

primary markers. Alternatively, these discrepancies 

may reflect miscorrelation of nannofossil and planktic 

foraminiferal zones by Hardenbol and Berggren (1978).

Fewer data are available for correlation of the Narizian, Refugian, and Zemorrian Stages, but where they 

occur together, age assignments indicated by planktic 

foraminifers and calcareous nannofossils are compatible. The Narizian Stage correlates with most of the 

middle Eocene and the lower part of the upper Eocene, 

and the Refugian Stage with the remainder of the 

upper Eocene. Ovelap of the Narizian Stage with the 

Refugian Stage appears to be minimal.

The Zemorrian Stage correlates with the Oligocene, 

though the upper limit of Zemorrian benthic foraminifers could be in the lower Miocene (probably no higher 

than the Sphenolithus belemnos Zone).

At the present time correlation points for determining the relation of the Refugian-Zemorrian boundary 

and the Zemorrian-Saucesian boundary to planktic 

microfossil zonations are sparse, and future work on 

these boundaries is necessary to establish more confident age relations.

In conclusion, it is clear that many if not all of the 

California Paleogene benthic foraminiferal stages as 

presently defined and recognized are in need of revision. Benthic foraminifers, however, cannot be abandoned as a correlation tool as they occur throughout 

most of the California marine section in abundance, 

whereas the occurrence of other microfossil groups is 

sporadic. Some of the type sections or areas of the
C8 SHORTER CONTRIBUTIONS TO STRATIGRAPHY

benthic foraminiferal stages contain diagnostic calcareous plankton that could be used to fix these stages 

to an international standard such as the one proposed 

by Hardenbol and Berggren (1978). Such action, however, does little to solve the problem of interbasin correlations based on benthic foraminifers.

A more appropriate research strategy is to identify 

and study Pacific coast sections that contain planktic 

microfossils (calcareous or siliceous or both) and 

benthic foraminifers. By using planktic microfossils for 

time control, it should be possible to recognize benthic 

foraminiferal events suitable for defining a zonation 

(or zonations) that can be used for reliable timestratigraphic correlation over a wide geographic area 

and in a variety of environments.

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