The red lutite layers are missing and pyrite nodules occur throughout the unit. These sites contain abundant to common calcareous nannofossils, which are generally well preserved. Reworking of mainly Cretaceous and Paleogene forms is present in the expanded section at Site 1059. Planktonic foraminifers are common to few with good to moderate preservation. Benthic foraminifers are rare to few and are generally moderately well preserved.
Diatoms are relatively common and well preserved in the middle part of the succession.
Age control is provided by integrated calcareous planktonic biostratigraphy and magneto stratigraphy. At Site 1058, the oldest sediments extend to 1.24-1.58 Ma. Magnetic susceptibility and magnetic intensities show cyclic variations that evidently correlate with marine oxygen isotopic stages at least for the past 0.8 m.y. Magnetic polarity assessment is difficult because of the effects of overprints, reduction diagenesis, and core disturbance due to gas expansion. At Site 1059, only normal polarity directions were observed from the entire interval cored, which correlates to the Brunhes Chron.