Where: Holy See (Vatican City State) (41.9° N, 12.5° E: paleocoordinates 41.2° N, 11.2° E)

• coordinate based on nearby landmark

• outcrop-level geographic resolution

When: Monte Vaticano Formation, Zanclean (5.3 - 3.6 Ma)

• The nannoflora of the Monte Vaticano Formation indicate an age younger than the last occurrence (LO) of Reticulofenestra pseudoumbilicus, which was never observed in the samples, and below the LO of D. tamalis, within the MNN16a Zone (Rio et al., 1990). Moreover, since D. pentaradiatus was also absent, the interval including the Monte Vaticano Formation probably falls within the paracme interval of D. pentaradiatus. Finally, the presence of S. abies, although rare, together with the common occurrence of small Gephyrocapsa, which shows an acme interval just below the LO of Sphenolithus spp., suggests that the age of the Monte Vaticano Formation lies within the basal part of the MNN16a Zone (i.e., at the topmost part of the Zanclean, 3.84–3.70 Ma) (Cita et al. 1996). This age is confirmed by planktonic foraminifers corresponding to the Globorotalia puncticulata Zone (MPl 4a Subzone), which set the boundaries for the time interval for the Monte Vaticano Formation at 3.81–3.70 Ma.

• group of beds-level stratigraphic resolution

Environment/lithology: deep-water; poorly lithified, argillaceous marl

Size class: macrofossils

Primary reference: G. Ponzi. 1876. I fossile del Monte Vaticano. Atti della Reale Accademia dei Lincei, Serie Seconda 3(2):925-959 [M. Clapham/M. Clapham]more details

Purpose of describing collection: general faunal/floral analysis

PaleoDB collection 209253: authorized by Matthew Clapham, entered by Matthew Clapham on 27.04.2020

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)