Project Leaders:
Eduardo A. M. KOUTSOUKOS - PETROBRAS-CENPES/Divex, Cidade Universitária, Quadra 7, 21949-900 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BRAZIL.
Tel.: +55-21-5986417 or 5986440, Fax: 2803318 or 5986795, Tel./Fax (home): 3254982,
E-mail: koutsoukos@cenpes.petrobras.com.br

Peter BENGTSON - Geologisch-Paläontologisches Institut der Universität Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 234, D-69120 Heidelberg, GERMANY. Tel.: +49-6221-548293, Fax: 548640 or 545503,
E-mail: Peter.Bengtson@urz.uni-heidelberg.de

"IGCP is interdisciplinary, covering all specialities of geology, geophysics and geochemistry. IGCP maintains active interfaces with disciplines related to the geological sciences such as marine sciences, atmospheric sciences and biological sciences."

Editor of SAMC News:
E. A. M. Koutsoukos (Rio de Janeiro)

SAMC-Net
An electronic mailing list "SAMC-Net" through listserv@vm.urz.uni-heidelberg.de is permanently available for on-line discussions among project participants.

Contacts and further information:
If you are interested in participating in SAMC please send the enclosed registration form or contact (letter or e-mail) E. Koutsoukos, P. Bengtson or the SAMC Secretariat (addresses below) giving name and full address, telephone, fax, e-mail address, main research interests and, if you wish, a short account of current research related to SAMC.

*  SAMC-Net
* Contacts and further information
* SAMC Secretariat
* Regional coordinators and national representatives for IGCP Project 381 (September 1997)
* IGCP Project 381 Working Groups and Chairmen
* South Atlantic index microfossil species: systematics, biostratigraphy and paleoecology
* Related IGCP Projects
* SAMC - Thematic Volumes
* Third Annual Conference of IGCP Project 381 (SAMC III), Argentina, 17-20 November 1998
* Outline of next annual project meetings
* Record of the Joint IGCP 381/362 Cretaceous Correlation Symposium, held in conjunction with the VII Venezuelan Geological Congress and 1st Latin-American Congress of Sedimentology, 16-19 November 1997, Margarita Island, Venezuela
* Record of the IXth Meeting of Paleobotanists and Palynologists - IX RPP, Guarulhos, São Paulo, Brazil, 9-12 December 1997
* Forthcoming meetings related to IGCP Project 381 :
        * Joint IGCP 381/362 field-trip to study Mesozoic sequences of western and central Cuba, 28 March-1 April 1988
        * FORAMS´98, IGCP Project 381 Thematic Session on Cretaceous Foraminiferal Biogeography and Biostratigraphy, Monterrey, Mexico, 7-13 July 1998 
        * 1998 AAPG International Conference and Exhibition (RIO98), Rio de Janeiro, 8-11 November 1998
        * 5th Symposium on the Brazilian Cretaceous and First Symposium on the Cretaceous of South America, São Paulo, August 1999
* Other Meetings of Interest :
        * International Symposium on Palaeodiversification, land and sea compared, 6-8 July 1998, Lyon, France
* IGCP Project publications for 1997
* Reports of Research Activities (October 1996-September 1997)
    * IGCP Project 381 Research Activities in Brazil
        * PETROBRAS Research Centre (CENPES), Biostratigraphy and Palaeoecology Sector (SEBIPE), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
        * Working Groups on South Atlantic Evaporites and Regional Tectonics
        * Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Departamento de Geologia, Instituto de Geociências
        * Working Group on Paleogeographical and Paleoclimatical Maps
        * Research Project: The paleoflora from Cretaceous and Tertiary of King George Island, south Shetland Island, northern Antarctic Peninsula
        * Research Project: The PGE metallogenesis based on stratigraphy and geochemical evolution of the Paraná continental igneous province (PCIP)
        * Departamento de Geologia Sedimentar, UNESP - Rio Claro, SP, Brazil 
        * Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Curso de Pós-Graduação em Geociências, çrea de Estratigrafia, Convênio PETROBRAS/UFRGS
        * Joint Brazilian/Argentinian Research Projects related to IGCP Project 381 on Cretaceous continental ecosystems
    * IGCP Project 381 Research Activities in Argentina 
        * Universidad Nacional de La Patagonia San Juan Bosco, Comodoro Rivadavia
        * SAMC III Meeting in Argentina, November 1998 
        * Centro Austral de Investigaciones Cientificas (CADIC), Ushuaia, Argentina
    * IGCP Project 381 Research Activities in Colombia
    * IGCP Project 381 Research Activities in Mexico 
    * IGCP Project 381 Research Activities in the U.S.A.
    * IGCP Project 381 Research Activities in Germany
    * IGCP Project 381 Research Activities in France
    * IGCP Project 381 Research Activities at the British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, U.K.
    * Symposium volume Oil and Gas Habitats of the South Atlantic, meeting held at the Geological Society, London, 24-26 February 1997
    * Department of Marine Geology, Gotenbourg University, Sweden
    * IGCP Project 381 Research Activities in Egypt
* New Participants
* Changes of address and amendments
* Obituary: William V. Sliter
* Acknowledgements   

For French-speaking participants:
Mitsuru ARAI - PETROBRAS-CENPES, Cidade Universitária, Quadra 7, 21949-900 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BRAZIL. Tel.: +55-21-5986452, Fax: 5986795, E-mail: arai@cenpes.petrobras.com.br

ANGOLA: Mário Gil Pereira BRANDÃO - SONANGOL, P.O. Box 3506, 1000 Luanda, Angola.  Tel.: +244 2 36-1681 (home), Fax: +244-233-5426.

ARGENTINA: Eduardo A. MUSACCHIO - Universidad Nacional de La Patagonia, Ciudad Universitaria km 4, 9000 Comodoro Rivadavia, Chubut, ARGENTINA. Tel./Fax: +54-97-550339, E-mail: aldo@unpbib.edu.ar
Eduardo B. OLIVERO - Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas (CADIC), Av. Malvinas Argentinas s/n , C.C. 92, 9410 Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, ARGENTINA. Tel.: +54-901-22 310/312, Fax: 30644, E-mail: eolivero@ satlink.com

BRAZIL: Eduardo A. M. KOUTSOUKOS - PETROBRAS-CENPES, Cidade Universitária, 21949-900 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BRAZIL. Tel. +55-(0)21-5986417 or 5986440, Fax: 2803318 or 5986795, E-mail: koutsoukos@cenpes.petrobras.com.br
Peter SZATMARI - PETROBRAS-CENPES/Divex, Cidade Universitária, 21949-900 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BRAZIL.  Tel.: +55-(0)21-5986435, Fax: 5986792, E-mail: szatmari@cenpes.petrobras.com.br

COLOMBIA: Luis VERGARA - Ingeominas, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, A.A. 5997, Bogotá, COLOMBIA.  Fax: +57-1-3681326/2220797, E-mail: lvergara@ciencias.campus.unal.edu.co

CUBA: Jorge R. SANCHEZ-ARANGO - Centro de Investigaciones del Petróleo (CEINPET), Washington No. 169, Esquina a Churruca - Cerro, La Habana 12000, CUBA. Tel.: +53-7- 408900, 411132, Fax: +53-7- 333072, 338027

EGYPT: Mohamed I.A. IBRAHIM - Faculty of Science, Dept. of Environmental Sciences, Alexandria University, Moharram Bay 21511, Alexandria, EGYPT. (Current address: Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, University of Qatar, P.O. Box 2713, Doha, Qatar, E-mail: M.Ibrahim@qu.edu.qa)

FRANCE: Edwige MASURE (Correspondante Française pour le PICG 381) - Laboratoire de Micropaleontologie, Département de Géologie Sédimentaire, URA 1761, Université P. & M. CURIE, 4 PLACE Jussieu, 75252 Paris Cedex 05, FRANCE. Tél. : +33- 44 27 49 87, Fax. +33- 44 27 38 31, E-mail: lvergara@ciencias.campus.unal.edu.co
Ivan de KLASZ - "La Verdiane", 74 Av. du Mont Alban, F-06300 Nice, FRANCE. Tel.: +33-268843, Fax: 894820

GERMANY: Peter BENGTSON - Geologisch-Paläontologisches Institut der Universität Heidelberg,, D-69120 Heidelberg, GERMANY. Tel.: +49-6221-548293, Fax: 548640 or 545503, E-mail: Peter.Bengtson@urz.uni-heidelberg.de

GHANA: Lawrence APAALSE - Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), PMB, Tema, GHANA. Tel.: +233 21 712930, Fax: +233 21 712916, E-mail: gnpcexplo@ncs.com.gh

IVORY COAST: Victor N'DA LOUKOU (Coordinateur national au niveau de la Côte d'Ivoire) - Société Nationale d'Opérations Pétrolières (PETROCI), B.P.V. 194, Abidjan, IVORY COAST. Tel.: 221-466820 or 466816, Fax: 221-216824

SWEDEN: Joen WIDMARK - Marine Geology, Earth Science Centre, Göteborg University, 41381 Göteborg, SWEDEN. Tel.+46-31-773 44 70, Fax +46-31-773 49 03, E-mail: joen@gvc.gu.se / joen@marine-geology.gu.se

UNITED KINGDOM: Kenneth Thomson (UK national correspondent) - Department of Geological Sciences, University of Durham, Durham DH1 3LE, UK. Tel.: +44-191-374-4784, Fax: 374-2510, E-mail: Kenneth.Thomson@durham.ac.uk
Alistair CRAME - British Antarctic Survey, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ET, UK. Tel.: +44-1223-251443, Fax: 62616, E-mail: jacr@pcmail.nerc-bas.ac.uk

U.S.A. : Thomas W. DIGNES - Chevron Overseas Petroleum, Inc., 6001 Bollinger Canyon Rd., P.O. Box 5046, San Ramon, CA 94583, USA. Tel.: +1-510-8423367, Fax: 8423030, E-mail: twdi@chevron.com

VENEZUELA: Francia A. GALEA-ALVAREZ - CORPOVEN S.A., filial of P.D.V.S.A., Laboratorio Geológico, Apartado Postal 4326, Puerto La Cruz 692, VENEZUELA. Tel.: +58-81-606429, Fax: +58-81-606445.

The following thematic Working Groups reflect the diversity of geological understanding and needs within the Project area:
* Aptian/Albian and Albian/Cenomanian Stage Boundaries: E. Koutsoukos
* Cenomanian/Turonian and Turonian/Coniacian Stage Boundaries: P. Bengtson
* Coniacian/Santonian, Santonian/Campanian and Campanian/ Maastrichtian Stage Boundaries: Eduardo Olivero (CADIC, Ushuaia, Argentina)
* Atlas of Cretaceous Carbonate Microfacies: D. Dias-Brito (IGCE-UNESP, Brazil)
* Chemostratigraphic Correlations: René Rodriques (PETROBRAS- CENPES)
* Cretaceous Continental Ecosystems: Ismar Carvalho (UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
* Dating of the First Marine Transgression: E. Koutsoukos
* K/T Boundary: E. Koutsoukos
* Biochronostratigraphy and Biogeography of Non-Marine Microfossil Assemblages: E. Musacchio (Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia, Comodoro Rivadavia, Argentina)
* Paleogeographical and Paleoclimatical Maps: Antonio J. Vasconcellos Garcia (UNISINOS) and Biostratigraphic Group of PETROBRAS-CENPES
* South Atlantic Evaporites: Peter Szatmari (PETROBRAS-CENPES)
* Regional Tectonics: P. Szatmari
* Biochronostratigraphic Framework for the Mesozoic Successions: biostratigraphic groups of EXXON and PETROBRAS-CENPES.
For additional information please contact the WGs' chairmen.

IGCP Project 381 decided to initiate a research project comprising several working-groups on the various types of index fossils on both sides of the South Atlantic. Each WG should have a co-leader on each side of the ocean, who would, in addition to contributing, coordinate the collecting and publishing of data. The final aim would be, among others, the publishing of iconographic atlases of index fossils for the various basins. This would made possible the establishment of an integrated stratigraphic scale. The following WG's have been set:

* Mesozoic ostracodes.
Coordinator for West Africa: Jean-Paul Colin - (ESSO Rep., Bègles), Ray Bate (Lacustrine Basin Research, London)
Coordinators for South America: E. Musacchio (Universidad Nacional de La Patagonia, Comodoro Rivadavia), Marta Cláudia Viviers and Jarbas V. P. Guzzo (PETROBRAS-CENPES)

* Mesozoic [benthic] foraminifers.
Coordinators for South America: E. A. M. Koutsoukos and M. C. Viviers (PETROBRAS)
Coordinator for West Africa: Ivan de Klasz (Nice)

* Mesozoic [planktic] foraminifers.
Coordinators: José Longoria (Florida International University, Miami)

* Ammonites.
Coordinators: Peter Bengtson (Heidelberg University), Eduardo Olivero (CADIC, Ushuaia)

* Inoceramids.
Coordinators: Gregorio Lópes (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona)

* Calcareous nannofosils.
Coordinators: Luis C. V. Oliveira and Rogério L. Antunes (PETROBRAS)

* Palynomorphs.
Coordinators for West Africa: Chris Denison (CHEVRON), Mohamed Ibrahim (Alexandria University)
Coordinators for South America: Rodolfo Dino and Mitsuru Arai (PETROBRAS)

SAMC participants wishing to work in close collaboration with any of these WG's are invited to contact directly the coordinators or the SAMC Secretariat. Suggestions are welcome.

IGCP Project 362: Tethyan and Boreal Cretaceous (TBC)
Co-leaders: Jozef Michalik (Bratislava, Slovakia) and Han Leereveld (Utrecht, The Netherlands)
Interaction between IGCP Projects 362 and 381 is of foremost importance to unveil the geological connections, palaeoceanographic links and biogeographic affinities between the Cretaceous northern South Atlantic and low-latitude, western Tethyan regions, which are common goals to both projects.
Contacts and further information:
TBC-Secretariat: M. TIEMESSEN - Laboratory of Palaeobotany and Palynology, Budapestlaan 4, 3584 CD Utrecht, THE NETHERLANDS. Tel.: +31-30-2532629, Fax: +31-30-2535096, E-mail: M.Tiemessen@boev.biol.ruu.nl

IGCP Project 301: Paleogene of South America
Contacts and further information:
Norberto MALUMIAN (Chairman)
Dirección Nacional del Servicio Geológico (CONICET), Tte. Fgta. Benito Correa 1194, 1107 Buenos Aires, Argentina. Tel.: +54-1-3617320, Fax: 3493160, E-mail: postmaster@mpgeo1.gov.ar.

As a contribution to the aims of SAMC two thematic volumes have been proposed to be edited with collections of papers addressing specific issues within the framework of IGCP Project 381:

This thematic volume will be published in 1998 as a special issue of the journal Cretaceous Research.

Information: Please contact E. Koutsoukos (koutsoukos@ cenpes.petrobras.com.br) or the Editor-in-Chief of Cretaceous Research, Prof. David Batten, Institute of Geography and Earth Sciences, University of Wales, Aberystwyth SY23 3DB, Wales, UK (dgb@aber.ac.uk).
 

This thematic volume, to be published as an AAPG Memoir, will comprise contributions from the AAPG/ABGP Joint Hedberg Research Symposium on Petroleum Systems of the South Atlantic Margins, held 16-19 November 1997 in Rio de Janeiro.

For further information please contact Márcio R. Mello (marcio@cenpes.petrobras.com.br) L. A. Trindade (luizt@ cenpes.petrobras.com.br) or the SAMC Secretariat.
 

This Symposium Volume, to be edited by the Geological Society, contains the papers presented at the meeting held at the Geological Society, London, 24-26 February 1997.
For further information please contact Nick Cameron (nick@topaz.primex.co.uk).

The Regional Coordinators of Argentina for the South Atlantic Mesozoic Correlations Project (IGCP Project 381) have the honour of inviting you to participate in the Third Annual Conference (SAMC III) and associated field trips. The meeting will be held at the campus of the Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco (UNPSJB), Comodoro Rivadavia, Chubut Province, Argentina, 17-20 November 1998.
This friendly scicentific gathering offers you an opportunity to present the results of your research to an international meeting and to examine some of the better exposures of Jurassic and Cretaceous rocks from hydrocarbon productive basins in Argentine Patagonia.

Monday 16: Registration in Comodoro Rivadavia.
Tuesday 17: Sessions.
Wednesday 18: Sessions.
Thursday 19: Working groups, Field trip.
Friday 20: Working groups, Closing, Conference Dinner.

Field Trip No. 1 (pre-Conference): Neuquen Basin (4 days)
Neuquen Basin (Andean Domain); five overnigth stays in Chos-Malal and Zapala cities.
    Jurassic System at Cordillera del Viento (marine sequences).
    Andico System, lower part, at Puerta Curaco profile (marine Lower Cretaceous units).
    Andico System, upper part, at Villa del Agrio and Agrio del Medio profiles. Mainly non-marine regressive, brackish and red beds facies of mid-Cretaceous age.
    Upper Cretaceous non-marine units.
    Jurassic and Cretaceous facies, in part non-marine, at the proximal southern part of the basin; South of Zapala City.

Field Trip No. 2 (post-Conference): San Jorge Basin (3-4 days).
Day 1: SanJorge Gulf Basin (one day in Sarmiento, overnigth in Comodoro Rivadavia).
    * Aptian lacustrine facies (Post-rift II).
    * Middle to Upper Cretaceous non-marine (mainly pyroclastic facies) of Sag style.
Days 2-3: Chubut River, MediumValley: North San Jorge Basin
Starting from Comodoro Rivadavia, three overnight stays in Los Altares Village are planed; return to Comodoro Rivadavia over Trelew City, both having daily cabotage flights to BuenosAires.
    * Lower and Middle Jurassic volcanic Complex (Rift I).
    * Upper Jurassic non-marine units (Post-rift II).
    * Neocomian continental sequence (Rift II).
    * Pyroclastic and terrigenous units of mid-Cretaceous age (Post-rift II).
    * Upper Cretaceous deposits (marine and non-marine) of Sag style.

Field Trip No. 3 (post-Conference): Austral-Marginal Basin of Tierra del Fuego (3 days)
For this last part CADIC at Ushuaia could offer the following facilities and organization:
    - Accomodations at very low cost (U$S 10 per day per person in triple rooms) total capacity 21 persons, and/or in local hotels at the cost of U$S 40-60 in single rooms.
    - The CADIC auditorium, capacity for 60 peoples, with slide and transparency projectors, and IBM-based computer projection.
    - Field trip guide and assistance covering the following:
Day 1:
Geology of the National Park area, visiting the polyphased-deformed basement and/or Jurasic volcanics in the Lapataia-Ensenada area; copper-lead old mine; basaltic espilites; and the Yahgan Formation. The area includes important structural features of stratigraphic invertion by thrusting and a magnificent scenery of C. Darwin´s and Cpt .FitzroyÕs first entrance into the Beagle Channel. Round trip from Ushuaia, about 50 km. 1 day, departing from Ushuaia early in the morning; lunch at Casita del Bosque in the National Park area, returning late-evening.
Day 2 (in combination with Day 3):
Geological transect across de the Andes Fueguinos visiting the main outcrops of the Upper Jurassic silicic volcanics of the Tobifera/Lemaire Formation; the deep-marine Lower Cretaceous Yahgan Formation; and the main strike-slip fault of the Tierra Mayor Valley. Geological subjects include: stratigraphy, sedimentology, trace fossils, and structures of the Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous marginal basin of Tierra del Fuego. Departing early in the morning from Ushuaia, lunch at Hosteria Petrel (Lago Escondido), about 70 Km from Ushuaia. Geology of the folded-thrusted belt of the Upper Cretaceous-Cenozoic Austral foreland basin, visiting the Paleocene Rio Claro Formation and the spectacular syntectonic clastic dykes of the Rio Pea-Sierra Leona Complex (Uppermost Eocene-Oligocene). Night dinner and breakfast at Hosteria Lago Khami.
Day 3:
Continuation of the field trip with the magnificent, 1.5 Km thick exposures of the foreland Eocene La Despedida Group along the Atlantic shore of Tierra del Fuego, including the recognition of shelf mudstones and spectacular channeled and cross-stratified estuarine sandstones. About 20 km from Hosteria San Pablo. Best viewing of the geology is at low tide (tide amplitude in the order of 8/9 meters). Returning to Ushuaia late evening.

TOUR (during the Conference): Cenozoic sediments in Comodoro Rivadavia.

Transportation costs and expenses could be lower depending on the number of participants, which we need to known at least 6 months in advance.

Organization:
Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco
Centro Austral de Investigaciones Cientficas (CONICET)
Asociación Paleontológica del Golfo SanJorge

Organizing Committee:
Eduardo A. Musacchio
Eduardo Olivero
Eduardo A. M. Koutsoukos
Peter Bengtson

Adresses and Contact:
Eduardo A. MUSACCHIO
UNPSJB, Ciudad Universitaria km 4, 9000 Comodoro Rivadavia, Chubut, ARGENTINA
Tel./Fax: +54-97-550339; E-mail: aldo@unpbib.edu.ar

Eduardo B. OLIVERO
Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas (CADIC)
Av. Malvinas Argentinas s/n, C.C. 92, 9410 Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, ARGENTINA
Tel.: +54-90-122 310/312/314; Fax: 30644; E-mail: eolivero@satlink.com
 

The Conference site:
Comodoro Rivadavia (founded in 1903) is the first largest city in Argentine Patagonia with 120,000 inhabitants. It is situated on the east coast of Chubut Province, at the San Jorge Atlantic Gulf. Surrounded by flat tablelands of undisturbed Tertiary marine beds, the beaches are formed by gravel (mainly basalts) and sand. Surfing is not possible owing the insufficient waves, however submarine sports can be successfully carried out.
The Economy of C. R. depends very much on oil fields, wool and fishery, complemented by a cultural and educational community.
November temperatures in Comodoro Rivadavia are usually comfortable, 15 to 30 degrees centigrades.
The region is some times windswept, but rains are scarce (approximately 300 mm per year). There is an airport with cabotage.

Please complete this questionaire in capital letters and check the boxes.
Replir cette fiche en capitales et cocher les cases.

Please return to/A retorner à: Eduardo MUSACCHIO
    Third Annual Conference of IGCP 381 (SAMC III) in Argentina
    Paleontologa, UNPSJB (9000) Comodoro Rivadavia, ARGENTINA
    E-mail: aldo@nnpbib.edu.ar, Fax: +54-97-550339

To receive the Second Circular with full details, which will be sent out before May 1998, please return this form no later than 1st April 1998.

Name (last name first)/Noms et prénom s: ______________________________________________________

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Post Code/Code postal: _______________ City/Ville: ________________ Country/Pays: _____________

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(see details overleaf)

I would like to present an oral communication (approx. 25 minutes), ( ), and/or a poster, ( ),

on the following subject(s) (please give provisional title/s) : ________________________________

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Deadline for submittion of an abstract for either oral or poster presentation is 15 August 1998.

Outline of Next Annual Project Meetings

The locations for the next annual project meetings are as follows (provisionally):

* The 1999 meeting (SAMC IV) is planned to be held in Africa, in Marrakech, Morocco, April 1999 (details in the next newsletter).

* The 5th Annual Conference (SAMC V) will be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2000, in conjuntion with the XXXIst International Geological Congress (31st IGC).

Record of the Joint IGCP 381/362 Cretaceous Correlation Symposium, held in conjunction with the VII Venezuelan Geological Congress and 1st Latin-American Congress of Sedimentology, 16-19 November 1997, Margarita Island, Venezuela

This symposium was held under the auspices of the Venezuelan Geological Society (SVG), during the joint VIII Venezuelan Geological Congress and First Latin American Sedimentological Congress, at the Margarita Hilton Hotel, November 16-19, 1997. Cretaceous Correlation Symposium was organized by Maria Lorente, Eduardo Koutsoukos and Han Leereveld.

The joint symposium was attended by 28 participants from 7 countries (Brazil, Canada, France, Holand, Trinidad & Tobago, USA, Venezuela). Attendees comprised key representatives from oil-companies operating in Latin America and a large group of researchers and students from Institutions. Six papers were presented as oral contributions to the project during the morning session. A few other contribution were The Round Table in the afternoon saw active discussion on key research topics which could be foreseen as common goals for both IGCP Projects 381 and 362, such as the precise characterization and correlation of major palaeoceanographic events and their significance in the evolution of the South and North Atlantic Oceans.

The complete papers will be published in a Proceedings Volume edited by the Sociedad Venezolana de Geólogos.

The IX RPP was held 9-12 December 1997 organized by the University Guarulhos. The meeting took place at the University and congregated paleobotanists and palynologists mainly from Latin American countries, encompassing oral and poster presentations of research results and progress reports. To this effect the University Guarulhos, and the IX RPP - Organizing Committee, under the guidance of Maria Judite Garcia, Marisa Vianna Mesquita and Carla cristina Campos, have to be here congratulated for their care in the high quality organization and handling of the technical sessions and social events.

The meeting was attended by 99 participants from 10 countries (Argentina, Australia, Brazil, France, Holand, Mexico, Spain, Tanzania, Uruguay, and the USA). Project related topics were discussed intensively during the four days of the meeting, most of them focusing on the taxonomic aspects, palynological dating, paleoclimatology and integrated geological correlations for the Mesozoic successions of the South Atlantic area. Five papers were presented and published as contributions to the project.

The complete manuscripts, as well as the abstracts and expanded abstracts, are published in a special volume of the REVISTA UNIVERSIDADE GUARULHOS-GEOCIÊNCIAS (Ano II - Nœmero Especial - 1997; ISSN 1413-3210).

A multidisciplinary working-group will start a research project early in 1998 for the palynostratigraphic study of the interior Cretaceous Brazilian basins, tying the non-marine and marine sequences of the South Atlantic, thereby enhancing interbasinal and intercontinental stratigraphical correlation.

The meeting will be held under the auspices of the Cuban Geological Society and the Cuban National Committee for IGCP, during the Third Cuban Geological Congress, at Palacio de las Convenciones, La Habana, March 24-27, 1998. A field trip jointly by IGCP Projects No. 381 and 362 is offered to project participants to study Mesozoic sequences of western and central Cuba, March 28-April 1, 1998.

Objectives: The meeting will focus on interdisciplinary presentations of key topics of research and progress reports of geological correlations for the South Atlantic Mesozoic.

Main topics of interest:
    * Caribbean and Central America Mesozoic correlations.
    * Cretaceous links between central North Atlantic-western Tethyan provinces and the incipient South Atlantic.
    * Remnants of the Caribbean-Tethys oceanic basin between north and south America.

Programme:
24 March: Arrival and registration at Palacio de las Convenciones in Havana.
25-26 March: SAMC Scientific meeting. Two days will be used for the oral and posters presentations.
25-27 March: Scientific meetings of the Cuban Geological Congress.
28 March-1 April: Excursion. IGCP Projects 381 and 362
2 April: Departure

Field Trip:

This post-meeting field trip will be leaving Havana on 28th March and ending in Escambray, central Cuba on 1st April. The Cordillera de Guaniguanico embraces the mountains of western Cuba north of Pinar fault. The cordillera contains the most extensive outcrops of the passive mesozoic continental margin in Cuba which exhibit great similarities to the mesozoic sequences of south east Mexico. The syn-rift sediments of Lower and Middle Jurassic age known as San Cayetano Formation will also visited. In central Cuba mesozoic sequences of the continental margin closed to Bahamas exhibit good outcrops of thrusted pelagic facies and carbonate platform. The ophiolites near Santa Clara city and metasedimentary outcrops in the Escambray area are included in the excursion.

Fees: Registration fee is estimated no more than US $650, which will cover the excursion fee (500 USD) (including meals, accomodation and transportation during the five excursion days) as well as the meeting fees (150 USD), which make possible to take part in all scientific activities of both SAMC and Congress on Geology of Cuba meetings. Fees will be paid on site, at arrival in Havana.

Abstracts-Posters: Each participant who will have and oral or poster presentation is invited to submited a manuscript of the abstract to the Abstract Book. The abstract should not exceed 400 words. The extended abstract should not exceed three A4 sheet including illustrations. The format will be according to the instructions given in the circulars of the Congress which will be issued in September. All project-related papers (extended abstracts and articles) will be considered as contributions to IGCP Project 381 and submitted to the project leaders for publication in SAMC News.

Language: The official language of the Congress will be Spanish. However, to optimize the diffusion of knowledge at the international level, we strongly recommend the use of English for the oral presentations at the SAMC Meeting.

Deadlines:
Abstracts: 31 December 1997
Extended abstracts and articles: submitted to the organizers during the meeting.

Please, send information and abstracts to any of these coordinators:

Jorge R. Sánchez-Arango
Centro de Investigaciones del Petróleo
Washington 169 esq. a Churruca, Cerro
La Habana 12000, Cuba
Phone: (53-7) 402611; 411132
Fax: (53-7) 66 60 21, E-mail: ceinpet@ceniai.inf.cu

Jorge L. Cobiella-Reguera
Departamento de geología
Universidad de Pinar del Río
Pinar del Río 20100, Cuba
Fax: (53-7) 82 5813, E-mail: univpr@reduniv.edu.cu

Note: More information will be given in the circulars of the Third Cuban Geological Congress. You can contact with the mentioned coordinators or directly to:
Evelio Linares-Cala
President, Cuban Geological Society
Gaveta Postal 370
La Habana 10100 Cuba
Fax: (53-7) 66 6021, E-mail: ceinpet@ceniai.inf.cu

An IGCP Project 381 Thematic Session to discuss aspects on Cretaceous Foraminiferal Biogeography and Biostratigraphy, will be held in conjunction with FORAMS´98.
For further information please contact: José Longoria or Martha Gamper - Department of Geology, Florida International University, University Park PC 344, Miami, FL 33199, USA. Tel.: +1-305-3483614, Fax: 3483877, E-mail: gamperma@fiu.edu
See also the FORAMS´98 WWW site: http://www.fiu.edu/~longoria/forams98

The Conference will be conducted jointly by the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) and the Brazilian Association of Petroleum Geologists (ABGP).
Poster Session #P26 will be held dedicated to IGCP Project 381, coordinated by E.A.M. Koutsoukos and P. Bengtson.
Important Note: Deadline for abstracts is 15 December 1997.
For more information please contact:
AAPG Convention Department
P.O. Box 979, Tulsa, OK 74101-0979, USA. Offices at 1444 S. Boulder Av., Tulsa, OK 74119.Tel.: +1-918-560 2679, Fax: +1-918-560 2684, E-mail: convene@aapg.org

For more information write to: Dimas DIAS BRITO - Departamento de Geologia Sedimentar, UNESP, Av. 24-A No. 1515, 13506-900 Rio Claro, SP, BRAZIL.  Fax: +55-(0)195-340327; E-mail: dimasdb@caviar.igce.unesp.br

About the project:
* how should we interpret different levels of taxonomic diversification (macro- and/or microevolution)?
* was the rate of diversification constant over geological times or were there bursts of such artivity during certain periodes (post-extinction recoveries, palaeogeographic reorganisation, climatic events, etc.)?
* what where the relations between palaeodiversification and the structure of ecosystems?
* what intrinsic forces were at work during diversification processes?

Organisers and contacts:
The conference is held under the auspices of the UMR 5565 of the CNRS and is organized by:
Mireille GAYET - UFR des Sciences de la Terre, Université Claude Bernard, Lyon I, 27-43 bd du 11 novembre 1918, 69622 Villeurbanne cedex - France. Tel.: +33-(0)4-72448398; Fax: +33-(0)4-72448436; e-mails: gayet@univ-lyon1.fr (or) lysiane.thevenod@univ-lyon1.fr

Currently the total number of project publications amounts to 302 (146 published articles and extended abstracts, plus 12 M.Sc./Doctorate dissertations and theses that have been concluded in the year 1997; as of 15 October 1997). Thirty-two (32) articles are currently in press and fifteen (15) have been submitted for publication (both not counted for 1997). Please see our WWW Site at http://www.bounce.to/SAMC for a complete list of publications which have resulted from IGCP Project 381, from 1995 to date.

IGCP PROJECT 381 RESEARCH ACTIVITIES IN BRAZIL
Reported by Eduardo A. M. Koutsoukos (Co-leader of IGCP Project 381 and national representative for Brazil) - PETROBRAS-CENPES/SEBIPE, 21949-900 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. E-mail: koutsoukos@cenpes.petrobras.com.br

PETROBRAS Research Centre (CENPES)
Biostratigraphy and Palaeocology Sector (SEBIPE), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Reported by E. A. M. Koutsoukos

Collaborators:
Luzia Antonioli
Rogério L. Antunes
Mitsuru Arai
Rodolfo Dino
Jarbas Vicente Poley Guzzo
Cecília Cunha Lana
Luiz Carlos Veiga de Oliveira
Elisabete Pedrão
Marta Claudia Viviers

Research Projects in progress:
The following research projects are carried out within the scope of IGCP Project 381:

* High-resolution event stratigraphy, depositional history and palaeoceanography of the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary in South America.
Coordinated by E.A.M. Koutsoukos - Research programme (long-term).
Detailed lithostratigraphical, geochemical, micro- and macropalaeontological integrated studies to characterise the sequence of events (stratigraphical, palaeoceanographical and palaeobiological) across the Cretaceous-Tertiary (K/T) boundary in South America. A joint research programme with Peter Bengtson (ammonites) and Gerson Fauth (ostracodes) - Heidelberg University, Alexandre A. Grassi (calcareous nannofossils) - UFRGS, and Maria de Fátima R. Sarkis (palynomorphs) - UFRJ, among others.

* Integrated stratigraphy, palaeogeography and palaeoclimatology of the Cretaceous of northeastern Brazil.
Coordinated by E.A.M. Koutsoukos & P. Bengtson - Research programme (long-term).
Two major objectives emerge within the general framework of the research programme: (i) Refined integrated study of biozonal schemes, chemo- and magnetostratigraphy for the Cretaceous sedimentary sequences in northeastern Brazil. Precise characterisation of bio- and chronostratigraphic boundaries, thereby enhancing interbasinal and intercontinental stratigraphical correlation. (ii) Reconstruction of the palaeogeographical, palaeoceanographical and palaeoclimatological history of the northern South Atlantic during the Cretaceous.

* Upper Cretaceous ostracodes assemblages of Central Cuba.
(CEINPET-SEBIPE joint research project)
Coordinated by Maria Lizette Diaz-Collell(1), Marta Claudia Viviers(2), Jorge R. Sánchez-Arango(1)
(1) Centro de Investigaciones del Petróleo (CEINPET), La Havana, Cuba.
(2) PETROBRAS-CENPES/DIVEX/SEBIPE, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Taxonomic and biostratigraphic studies of the ostracodes assemblages recovered from Upper Cretaceous carbonate deposits (Via Blanca, Eloisa, Cantabria and Jimaguayu formations) of Central Cuba.

* Upper Cretaceous ostracodes of Potiguar Basin.
Coordinated by Marta C. Viviers.
Taxonomic, biostratigraphic and paleobiogeographic studies of ostracodes assemblages from a 300m cored section of the Jandaíra Formation, Upper Cretaceous (Potiguar Basin).

* Palynochronostratigraphic calibration of Lower Cretaceous successions from NE Brazil.
Coordinated by Rodolfo Dino, in collaboration with Jean Dejax (Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris) and Mohamed I. Ibrahim (Alexandria University, Egypt).

Publications :
The following publications are contributions to IGCP Project 381:

ARAI, M. & MASURE, E., 1997. Les dinoflagellés vraconniens du bassin de Campos (Brésil). Second annual Conference of IGCP Project 381 (Yaoundé, 8-13 March, 1997), SAMC News, 7: 9.

ARAI, M. & KOUTSOUKOS, E.A.M. 1997. Palynoforaminifera and their stratigraphical application: an example from the Vraconian (upper Albian) of the Campos Basin, offshore southeastern Brazil. XVth Congresso Brasileiro de Paleontologia (São Pedro, August 1997), Boletim de Resumos, p. 155.

Fauth, G., Koutsoukos, E.A.M. & Bengtson, P., 1997. Uppermost Maastrichtian Ostracoda from the Poty Quarry section, Pernambuco-Paraíba Basin, northeastern Brazil. Regional Meeting of IGCP Project 381 (Heidelberg, Germany, 2-4 September 1997), GAEA heidelbergensis, p. .

Koutsoukos, E. A. M., 1996. The Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary at Poty, NE Brazil: Event stratigraphy and palaeoenvironments. In: Jardiné, S., de Klasz, I. & Debenay, J.-P. (Eds.), Géologie de l'Afrique et de l'Atlantique Sud (Compte-rendu des Colloques de géologie d'Angers, 16-20 juillet 1994): Bull. Centres Rech. Explor.-Prod. Elf Aquitaine, Mem. 16, p. 413-431.

Koutsoukos, E. A. M., 1997. "Rhabdammina-fauna" assemblages from the Cretaceous of Northeastern Brazil. Fifth International Workshop on Agglutinated Foraminifera (Plymouth, U.K., 8-11 September 1997), Abstract volume.

Koutsoukos, E. A. M., 1997. Research cooperation in Geosciences: the I.G.C.P. Project 381 (1995-2000) - an overview. XVth Congresso Brasileiro de Paleontologia (São Pedro, August 1997), Boletim de Resumos, pp. 149-150.

Koutsoukos, E.A.M. & Bengtson, P., 1997. Biostratigraphic constraints for correlation of the upper Aptian-Albian succession of north-eastern Brazil. Regional Meeting of IGCP Project 381 (Heidelberg, Germany, 2-4 September 1997), GAEA heidelbergensis, p. .

Koutsoukos, E. A. M., Bengtson, P. & Mello, M. R., 1997. Timing of the first marine ingressions in the northern South Atlantic - a review. Second Annual Conference of IGCP Project 381: South Atlantic Mesozoic Correlations (Yaoundé, 8-13 March 1997), SAMC News 7 (June 1997), Extended Abstracts, pp. 18-19.

MAISEY, J.G., ARAI, M., MELO, J.H.G., 1997. First low latitude deep water fossil record of hexanchoid sharks, from the Vraconian (uppermost Albian, Lower Cretaceous) of the Campos Basin, offshore southeastern Brazil. An. Acad. bras. Ci., 69 (1): 141-2

OLIVEIRA, L.C.V. & COSTA, S.O., 1997. Proposal of new biostratigraphic units based on calcareous nannofossils for the Maastrichtian of the Santos Basin (Brazil). An. Acad. bras. Ci., 69 (1): pp. 37-58.
Biostratigraphic investigations based on calcareous nannofossils have been carried out in cores, cuttings and lateral plugs of wells 1-BSS- 74, 1-BSS-75 and 1-BSS-76. This study allowed a more detailed subdivision of the Maastrichtian section of the Santos basin, in which only two biozones were formerly recognized.
Three new biostratigraphic units are proposed:The Aspidolithus parcus Zone (N-270), the Reinhardtites levis Subzone (N-290.1) and the Arkangelskiella spp. Subzone (N-290.3). In addition, two biohorizons of potential stratigraphic usefulness are discussed: the last ocorrences of Tranolithus phacelosus and Ceratolithoides aculeus.
Also inclued in this paper is a historical review of the Maastrichtian Stage, its conceptual evolution and boundaries, and its usual recognition by means of calcareous nannofossils.
Considerations on the phenotypical variability of Reinhardtites levis and R. anthophorus are intended to facilitate the identification of these two species in light microscope studies.

OLIVEIRA, L.C.V., 1997. Calcareous nannoplankton as an indicator of sea - level changes in the upper Campanian - lower Maastrichtian in the Campos basin (SE Brazil). XV Congresso Brasileiro de Paleontologia (São Pedro, August 1997), Boletim de Resumos, p. 156.
Multivariate analysis was used on the nannofossils from one 18m upper Campanian - lower Maastrichtian core to understand better the relationship between the different species. Multiple regression helped to the determine the best counting method. Watznaueria barnesae and Micula decussata dominate the fossil assemblage and have inverse abundances to each other. Both were opportunistic species in competition for nutrients.
Q mode factorial analysis (57 samples, 19 variables) was applied to the same upper Campanian - lower Maastrichtian core and shows that two factors explain 99,2% of the total variance of the microfossil assemblage. The first factor represents 83,6% of the total variance and the second factor only 15,6%. The first is associated with Watznaueria barnesae, Cribrosphaerella ehrenbergii and Stradneria crenulata, which represent the original population of nannoplankton, while the second factor is associated with Micula decussata, which is believed to represent the effect of solution at the sediment-water interface. Both factors were used to developed a dissolution-sea level curve for nannofossils. This curve, when combined with oxygen and carbon isotopes, clearly shows that higher dissolution occurred when d18O, d13C and TOC all had lower values during late Campanian-early Maastrichtian times. These correlations indicate a strong link between high sea levels, high temperatures and lesser amount of continental organic debris.

PEDRÃO, E., CARVALHO, I.S., MARTINS, F.J.C. & SANTOS, M.H.B., 1996. Palinoestratigrafia e análise quantitativa de amostras de superfície (Formação Itapecuru, Bacia de São Luís). Anais Acad. bras. Ci., 68 (2): 268.

VICALVI, M.A., MILHOMEM, P.S. & CARVALHO, I.S. 1996. Ostracodes e carófitas da Formação Itapecuru (Pirapemas, Bacia do Parnaíba). Anais Acad. bras. Ci., 68 (2); 271-272.

(In press)
Cunha, A. S. & Koutsoukos, E. A. M., in press. Calcareous nannoplankton and planktonic foraminifers in the upper Aptian of the Sergipe Basin, NE Brazil: palaeoecological inferences. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology.

Koutsoukos, E. A. M., in press. Upper Cretaceous palaeogeography of the Sergipe Basin, NE Brazil: area of the Divina Pastora and Mosqueiro Lows. Zentralblatt für geologie und Paläontologie, Special Issue.

Dissertations and theses:
ANTONIOLI, L., in progress. Biostratigraphy, palynology and paleoenvironmments of Aptian-lower Albian strata of the Ceará Basin, northeastern Brazil. M.Sc. Dissertation, State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ).
Late Aptian to early Albian strata of the Ceará Basin constitute the Mundaœ Formation, Paracuru Formation and basal Ubarana Formation. They consist chiefly of sandstones, shales and carbonates deposited during the rift and transitional (evaporite) phases of the tectono-sedimentary evolution of the Brazilian continental margin.
The main purpose of this contribution is the characterization and determination of vertical and lateral changes of the palynoflora in the three formations under consideration. The study also aims at: (a) an improved knowledge of late Aptian-early Albian paleogeographic and paleoenvironmental evolution of the Ceará Basin; (b) identification of diagnostic spore-pollen taxa for environmental synthesis and dating, and determination of their stratigraphic ranges so as to establish a detailed biozonation of the Early Cretaceous transitional sequence in the basin; (c) comparison of the subject palynoflora with others recorded from elsewhere along the Brazilian equatorial margin; (d) integration of available data to contribute to paleoecologic and paleoclimatic reconstructions of the basin during the late Aptian and early Albian; and (e) evaluation of differences in the palynofloral content of evaporitic formations in the eastern and equatorial marginal basins of Brazil.
The results of this study should advance knowledge of time-related changes in palynological assemblages in the Cretaceous of the Ceará Basin.

ANTUNES, R.L., in progress. Albian-Maastrichtian calcareous nannofossil biostratigraphy of the Potiguar and Ceará basins, Brazilian equatorial margin.
Doctorate Thesis, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Instituto de Geociências.
From a biostratigraphical point of view, the marine section of the Potiguar and Ceará basins has been mostly studied by means of foraminifers and paynomorphs. The study of calcareous nannofossils, on the other hand, has been applied chiefly to the southeastern Brazilian margin.
Information on this fossil group for the Potiguar and Ceará basins is scarce. Thus, the goas of this project are:
1 - to investigate the calcareous nannofossil assemblages in 15 exploratory weels;
2 - to develop a biostratigraphical framework for the Cretaceous marine section of the Potiguar and Ceará basins based on calcareous nannofossils;
3 - to research the stratigraphical relationship among the zonal schemes bsed on calcareous nannofossils, foraminifers and palynomorphs; 4 - to establish an integrated biochronostratigraphical framework.
Currently, works related to the biostratigraphical investigations of the wells is in progress. Conclusion of the project is scheduled for the end of 1998.

GUZZO, J.V.P., 1997. Integrated stratigraphy and palaeolimnology of a selected Lower Cretaceous lacustrine section from the Recôncavo Basin, northeastern Brazil. M.Sc. dissertation (April 1997), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Instituto de Geociências, Porto Alegre (RS), 249 pp.
Sedimentological, geochemical (oxygen and carbon isotopes, TOC and Rock-Eval pyrolysis) and paleontological (ostracods and palynology) analyses of a cored interval (48 meters) allowed to recognize the paleolimnologic significance of facies successions and to evaluate the tectonic and climatic controls on lacustrine sedimentation. The depositional setting of the studied section represents the distal part of a deltaic system entering a lake from a shoaling half-graben margin of a rift basin. It corresponds to the basal portion of the Pojuca Formation (Lower Cretaceous, Reconcavo Basin, NE Brazil).
Cyclic variations of oxygen isotopic composition of lacustrine carbonates were interpreted as resulting from water balance changes, reflecting on variations of lake volume and used as a satisfactory proxy for lake level fluctuations in a closed basin. The higher d18O, d13C and TOC content values correspond to black shale intervals. This lithofacies also has a distinctive impoverished fauna of smooth, thin-shelled and pyritized ostracods, with amorphous organic matter and low sporomorph content. Intervals of gray shales presenting minimum d18O, d13C and TOC content values, yield an abundant, diverse, well-preserved and ornamented ostracod fauna, and relatively high frequences of spores and woody organic matter. All stratigraphic parameters indicate that black shale deposition reflect sediment starvation and water column stratification (meromixis) at lowstand lake levels. Gray shales represent distal deltaic deposition during transgression and highstand lake levels, with well oxygenated bottom waters. From a sequence stratigraphy point of view, condensed facies (black shales) occur at sequence boundaries, and deposition of retrogradational sets of sharp-based deltaic sandstones represent the transgressive phase of lake level fluctuations.

Koutsoukos, E.A.M., 1997. Cretaceous marine record and the K/T boundary of northeastern Brazil. Schriftliche Habilitationsleistung für das Fach Geologie und Paläontologie, Fakultät fue Geowissenschaften der Universität Heidelberg, 90 pp.

LANA, C.C., 1997. Palynology and Integrated Stratigraphy of the middle Cenomanian-lower Turonian section of the central-eastern portion of Potiguar Basin, NE Brazil. M.Sc. dissertation (July 1997), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Instituto de Geociências, Porto Alegre (RS).
An integrated stratigraphic analysis (sedimentology, well logging, micropaleontology, geochemistry and seismics) of the middle Cenomanian-lower Turonian section was carried out from onshore and offshore sites of the Potiguar Basin (NE Brazil), wich allowed for the establishment of a sequence stratigraphic framework. This section comprises since continental (non-marine) to open marine siliciclastic deposits of the Açu and Quebradas Formations to the carbonate and mixed marine strata from the basal part of the Jandaíra Formation.
Lateral and vertical variations in the continental palynomorph/marine palynomorph ratio, relative abundances of main palynomorph groups (polen, spores, dinoflagellates and palynoforaminifera), dinoflagellate diversity and organic matter types were recorded. These distributional variations are a major consequence of the palynomorphs behaving as sedimentary particles. As a result, their distribution is heavily dictated by progradational and retrogradational cycles in different scale orders.
Data integration allowed for the recognition and characterization of two depositional sequences and their systems tracts, whose evolution was conditioned by sea-level variations related to the overall trend of eustatic rise of the Albian-Turonian interval. The eustatic control of facies succession and their seismic responses is confirmed by the synchronous variation of stratigraphic parameters and paleobathymetric variations.
Palynozones related to the Cenomanian-Turonian section were emended and a calibration based upon seismic correlations was proposed for the planktonic foraminifera, palynomorph and ostracode biozones of the Potiguar Basin. About 28 genera and 60 species of dinoflagellates were first recorded (and most of them illustrated) from the middle Cenomanian -lower Turonian section. The analysis of the horizontal and vertical distribution of dinocyst assemblages confirm their potencial as paleobathymetrical indicators, besides allowing for paleoecological inferences to be drawn on some taxa.
Geochemical analyses (d13C, d18O and TOC) were carried out on samples from two boreholes. The typical geochemical anomaly (positive incursion of d13C and high TOC) of the global disoxic-anoxic event of the Cenomanian-Turonian boundary was not detected. However, there are evidences that these event is represented by a scarce calcareous benthic microfauna in the upper Cenomanian section. Isotopic (d180), palynologycal and sedimentological data suggests a climatic change from hot and wet conditions in the late Cenomanian to cooler and drier conditions in the early Turonian.

OLIVEIRA, L.C.V., 1997. Albian-Maastrichtian stratigraphic framework of the Campos basin: A study based on calcareous nannoplankton and the relationships with electric logs and geochemical markers. M.Sc. dissertation (May 1997), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Instituto de Geociências, Porto Alegre (RS), 181 pp.
Upper Cretaceous nannofossils of the Campos basin (southeastern Brazil) were used to identify the ages of its long established electric log markers. Also, TOC and HI were determined for Albian-Maastrichtian biozones based on nannofossils. In addition, stable isotopes of oxygen, carbon plus TOC helped to determine the paleoceanography of the basin during Upper Campanian-Lower Maastrichtian time.
A new biozonation defined by 12 zonal units was established and replaces an earlier one based on only 5 biozones.
The six electric log markers of the Upper Cretaceous in the basin correlate well with individual biozones or groups of biozones. These correlations include the orange marker, which is the Cretaceous - Tertiary boundary. Both the green and B markers have high TOC and HI values and correspond to the global anoxic events of the Cenomanian - Turonian. On the other hand, the orange electric log marker also has high TOC values, but low values to HI and thus shows a continental influence.

Working Groups on South Atlantic Evaporites and Regional Tectonics
Reported by Peter Szatmari (Chairman and Regional Coordinator)
PETROBRAS-CENPES, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

During the time period, there was extensive work done on several aspects of Cretaceous correlations and their application to the exploration of hydrocarbon resources.
In the area of physical modelling, work has proceeded on both continental and regional scale. On the continental scale, the major objective was a better comprehension of the structures created along the margins and in the continental interiors by the mechanism of continental breakup betweeen South America and Africa in early Cretaceous times. A large number of models was studied and all of them reproduced the formation of major extensional structures nearly perpendicular to the South Atlantic margins, such as the dike swarm of the Ponta Grossa Arch. This feature is of crucial importance in the volcanic activity that preceded and accompanied continental breakup, because it has been demonstrated to have supplied the latest stages of lavas in the Paraná Basin.
On the intermediate scale, physical modeling experiments were made to study the intrusion mechanism of diapirs rising from the Cretaceous (upper Aptian) evaporites. Of particular importance was the study of the relationship between buoyancy and overburden extension as the controlling factor in the rise of the diapirs. Another major factor was the igneous activity along the margin, started in Cretaceous times, that interacted with and modified salt tectonics by changing the major rheologic parameters.
The volcanic activity is being studied also by redating it in several basins. Extensive sampling of Mesozoic volcanic activity has been carried out in both intracratonic and marginal basins; most of the dating is being done by the Ar-Ar method. There is a great need for such works because many of the existing data are based on earlier methods involving much greater uncertainty.
The tectonic control of both the latest Mesozoic igneous activity and contemporaneous basin deformation has also been studied in the field and in seismics. A regional tectonic framework is emerging in which the rise of compression in South America, created by the increasing height of the Mid-Atlantic ridge, is giving rise to highly differentiated volcano-tectonic processes as it interacts with the Precambrian crustal structures.
Work in all these areas is still continuing and major conclusions are expected before the end of the ICP381.

Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ)
Departamento de Geologia, Instituto de Geociências
Reported by Ismar de Souza Carvalho - UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro.

Research Project: Brazilian Cretaceous Basins.
a. List of collaborators:
Ismar de Souza Carvalho (Coordinator)
Cândido Sim›es Ferreira
Elisabete Pedrão
Elisdíney Séfora Tucci da Frota
Félix Thadeu Teixeira Gonçalves
Francisco José Corrêa Martins
Itapotiara Corrêa Villas Bôas
Marco Aurélio Vicalvi
Maria Célia Elias Senra
Maria Dolores Wanderley
Maria Eugênia de Carvalho Marchesini Santos
Maria Helena Zuccon
Maria Somália Sales Viana
Marise Sardenberg Salgado Carvalho
Narendra Kumar Srivastava
Ramsés Capilla
Reinaldo José Bertini
Renato Rodolfo Andreis
Senira da Silva Kattah
Wagner Souza Lima

b. Sources of external funding: CNPq, CAPES, FAPERJ, Fundação Universitária José Bonifácio/Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro.

c. Short report:
The project aims the study of the outcrops of Cretaceous rocks on the Brazilian marginal and interior basins. Through this project the following studies have been carried out: record of dinosaur footprints from Sanfranciscana, São Luís, Padre Marcos and Uiraœna basins; mapping of the São Luís Basin (1:50.000); analysis of the transition from freshwater lacustrine to marine paleoenvironments of the Espírito Santo and Camamu basins; study of the conchostracofauna from interior basins of northeastern Brazil; description of new fossil groups from the Parnaíba, São Luís, Sergipe-Alagoas and Paraná basins. The main contribution of the project was a better understanding of the Cretaceous paleobiota of Brazilian basins and their palaeoenvironmental setting.

* Working Group "Cretaceous Continental Ecosystems"
Summary of work: The researches involved the study of fossil groups such as conchostracans, palynomorphs, crocodyles and dinosaur footprints. There was also the stratigraphic analyses of Cretaceous rocks from Parnaíba and São Luís basins.
The conchostracofauna of Cedro, Padre Marcos, and Sousa basins, were described and analysed their paleoecological meaning.
The ichnological studies involved the description of new footprints from Sanfranciscana basin, and some considerations about the occurrence and preservation of footprints in desertic environments. There was also the study of the geological environments of dinosaur footprints in the intracratonic basins from Northeast Brazil during the South Atlantic opening.
The palinology allowed a better comprehension of the environmental setting of the São Luís megatracksite - an wide footprint bearing strata located on the equatorial region of Brazil. In this area a gregarious behavior was observed among theropod footprints - a rare herding structure in this dinosaur group.
The Cretaceous Itapecuru Formation (Parnaíba basin) was analysed based on facies description in outcrop sections, held at Itapecuru river terraces.
New fossil groups were found on Itapecuru and Codó Formation - picnodontids and coelacanthids fishs; mollusks and turtles.
In Bauru Basin notosuchians crocodyles allowed the analyses of the relationships among the notosuchians from the northern and southern regions of South America. Besides it is possible some new paleoecological and chronostratigraphic interpretations to Bauru Basin.
The mollusks (gastropods and bivalves) from Bauru Basin have been analysed to determine their usefulness to a better comprehension of the paleoenvironments.

Publications:
CARVALHO, I.S., 1996. As pegadas de dinossauros da bacia de Uiraœna-Brejo das Freiras (Cretáceo Inferior, Estado da Paraíba). In IV Simpósio sobre o Cretáceo do Brasil (çguas de São Pedro, SP, 1996), Boletim, p. 115-121.

CARVALHO, I.S., 1996. Paleogeographic distribution of esthereliidean conchostraceans on the Cretaceous rift interior basins of Northeastern Brazil. In XXXIX Congresso Brasileiro de Geologia (Salvador, BA, 1996), Anais, v. 7, p. 387-389.

CARVALHO, I.S., 1996. A conchostracofauna da bacia de Barro (Cretáceo Inferior, Nordeste do Brasil). An. Acad. bras. Ci., 68 (4): 559-568.

CARVALHO, I.S. & KATTAH, S.S., 1996. Dinosaur footprints from Sanfranciscana basin (Upper Jurassic - Lower Cretaceous), Minas Gerais State - Brazil. Anais Acad. bras. Ci., 68 (2); 272.

CARVALHO, I.S. & SRIVASTAVA, N.K., 1996. Conchostráceos paleolimnadiopsídeos da bacia do Rio Nazaré (Cel. João Pessoa, Rio Grande do Norte). In Simpósio sobre o Cretáceo do Brasil (çguas de São Pedro, SP, 1996), Boletim, 4, p. 151-155.

CARVALHO, I.S. & VIANA, M.S.S., 1996. A bacia de Padre Marcos (Cretáceo Inferior, Estado do Piauí) e sua icnofauna dinossauriana. In XXXIX Congresso Brasileiro de Geologia (Salvador, BA, 1996), Anais, v. 2, p. 265-267.

FROTA, E.S.T. & CARVALHO, I.S., 1996. Variaç›es no paleoambiente deposicional decorrentes de ingress›es marinhas durante a fase rift da bacia do Espírito Santo. In IV Simpósio sobre o Cretáceo do Brasil (çguas de São Pedro, SP, 1996), Boletim, p. 179-181.

MENEZES, T. & CARVALHO, I.S., 1996. Análise dos argilominerais da seção-tipo da Formação Itapecuru (bacia do Parnaíba, estado do Maranhão). In XXXIX Congresso Brasileiro de Geologia (Salvador, BA, 1996) Anais, v. 1, p. 314-316.

BERTINI, R.J., NAVA, W.R. & CARVALHO, I.S., 1997. Notosuchian crocodylomorphs from the Cretaceous Bauru Basin. An. Acad. bras. Ci., 69 (1): 142.

CARVALHO, I.S., VILAS-BïAS, I. & BERGQVIST, L.P. 1997. Plesiosauros da região equatorial brasileira - Bacia de São Luís (Cretáceo Superior), Brasil. In XV Congresso Brasileiro de Paleontologia (São Pedro, SP), Boletim de Resumos, p. 93.

SOUZA LIMA, W., ZUCON, M.H. & CARVALHO, I.S. 1997. Um mosasauro no Campaniano da Bacia de Sergipe-Alagoas, Nordeste do Brasil. In XV Congresso Brasileiro de Paleontologia (São Pedro, SP), Boletim de Resumos, p. 95.

VILELA, C.G., CARVALHO, I.S. & HENRIQUES, M.H.P., 1997. Ação bioerosiva de algas e fungos em foraminíferos do Talude e Leque do Amazonas. In XV Congresso Brasileiro de Paleontologia (São Pedro, SP), Boletim de Resumos, p. 15.

(In press)
ARANHA, F.J., RODRIGUES, M.S., CORREIA, M.M.F., CARVALHO, I.S. & MARTINS, F.J.C., in press. Itapecuru River Basin (Maranhão, Brasil): limnological, geological and geomorphological: preliminary characterization. Verh. Internat. Verein Limnol.

CARVALHO, I.S., in press. Os conchostráceos da bacia de Cedro (Nordeste do Brasil, Cretáceo Inferior). In: Simpósio sobre a Bacia do Araripe e bacias interiores do Nordeste, 2, Revista de Geologia, UFCE.

CARVALHO, I.S. & KATTAH, S.S., in press. As pegadas fósseis do paleodeserto da bacia Sanfranciscana (Jurássico Superior - Cretáceo Inferior, Minas Gerais). An. Acad. bras. Ci.

FERNANDES, A.C.S. & CARVALHO, I.S., in press. Icnofósseis de invertebrados da Bacia de Sousa (estado da Paraíba, Brasil): a localidade de Serrote do Letreiro. In II Simpósio sobre a Bacia do Araripe e bacias interiores do Nordeste, Revista de Geologia, UFCE.

GONÇALVES, R.A. & CARVALHO, I.S., 1997. Contribuição ao estudo da sedimentação da Formação Itapecuru - região de Itapecuru-Mirim, Bacia do Parnaíba (Cretáceo Inferior) - Maranhão, Brasil. Revista de Geologia, UFCE.

CARVALHO, I.S., submitted. Geological environments of dinosaur footprints in the intracratonic basins from Northeast Brazil during South Atlantic opening (Early Cretaceous). In E.A.M. KOUTSOUKOS, P. BENGTSON, I. DE KLASZ & D. BATTEN (Eds), Mesozoic biogeographical patterns in the South Atlantic, Cretaceous Research, Special Issue (IGCP Project 381 Thematic Volume No. 1).

M.Sc. Dissertations :
* Estratigrafia Molecular e Isotópica do Cretáceo Inferior na Porção Sul da Bacia do Espírito Santo, Brasil.
by Elisdíney Séfora Tucci da Frota, UFRJ
Abstract: In this study rock samples from the Sernambi Member of the Cricaré Formation in a single well from the southern part of the Espírito Santo Basin were studied using an integrated geological/organic geochemical approach. Its main objectives were the identification and characterization of the depositional palaeoenvironment, and the study of the geochemical changes indicating marine ingressions in an environment originally thought to be strictly lacustrine. Hence, 37 rock samples (cuttings), from 3000 to 3200 m depositional depth, and a core sample recovered at 2918,5 m were analysed using standard organic geochemical techniques.
The Cricaré Formation represents a continental mega sequence which corresponds to the rift fase of the basin. The Sernambi Member of Early Cretaceous (pré-Alagoas) age, is composed of shales, limestones and marls, which were deposited in a predominantly lacustrine environment, with fluvial influence and the occurrence of alluvial fans close to the major faults. A number of organic geochemical studies of the section (Estrella et al., 1984, Rodrigues et al., 1988, Trindade, 1988) have shown the initial freshwater lacustrine character of the depositional environment and its gradual evolution with saline/lacustrine characteristics towards the top of the section. In addition, Rodrigues (1995a) observed the presence of biological marker compounds, thought to be diagnostic of marine influence, in an equivalent section of the basin in samples recovered from a different well.
For the present investigation the following analyses were performed: total organic carbon (TOC) content, total sulfur content, Rock-Eval pyrolysis, organic petrography, gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS), carbon and oxygen isotopic determinations of the organic and the carbonatic rock fractions.
The total organic carbon (TOC) content, source potential (S2) and hydrogen index (IH) show high values all over the section (TOC 2 to 8%; S2 15 to 50 mg HC/g rock and IH > 650 mg HC/g TOC), indicating excellent conditions for primary production and preservation of organic matter.
The relationship between carbon and sulfur contents (C/S ratio) shows changes which are indicative (Berner & Raiswell, 1984) of variations in the degree of salinity in the palaeoenvironment. Hence, alternating "high" and "low" values suggest "low" and "high" salinities, respectively, thus reflecting a freshwater lacustrine environment that envolved towards a saline/lacustrine environment via several pulses of marine ingressions.
Isotopic carbon data from the organic extract and kerogen (d13Cext and d13Cker) show a high degree of correlation and a distinct relative 13C-enrichment towards the top of the section, indicating an increase in the restriction of CO2 in the system. Hence, when interpreted together with the variations in the C/S ratios, these data suggest an overall increase in salinity with predominantly marine conditions at the top.
The relative abundances of the isoprenoid hydrocarbons pristane and phytane show a general trend towards a predominance of pristane to the top of the section, thus indicating overall less reducing conditions in this part of the section. Variations of the ratio throughout the profile show, however, inflexions with higher relative abundances of phytane coinciding with elevated C/S ratios and low d13C values, thus pointing towards the re-establishment, albeit incomplete, of lacustrine conditions after each ingression of sea water.
The base of the interval (Interval A: 3159/3195 m) is characterised by the absence of geochemical parameters considered to be indicative of marine depositional environments, such as the detection of C30 regular steranes (24-n-propil-cholestanes) originating from the marine crysophite algae Sarcinochrysidales (Raederstorff & Rohmer, 1984). The same parameter indicates, however, a very weak marine influence in two younger horizons (i.e., Interval E: around 3050 m and Interval C: around 3100 m) of predominantly lacustrine character, intercalated with the three principal marine intervals (i.e., Interval B: 3108-3159 m, Interval D: 3060-3090 m and Interval F: 3000-3045 m) of the section. Hence, the variation of the abundance of the C30 regular steranes corroborates the idea of periods of marine ingressions into a predominantly lacustrine depositional environment, and the subsequent return to less saline conditions.
The integrated geological/organic geochemical approach applied to the study of a suite of well-preserved and densely-spaced rock samples, allowed the detailed characterization of distinct endmembers of depositional palaeoenvironments in the section studied. In addition, it lead to a deeper understanding of environmental changes and allowed the construction of a palaeoenvironmental model in which a lake, initially a distinct freshwater system, is transformed stepwise into a saline lake under the influence of at least three clearly-identified marine ingressions. In addition, there appears to be a development towards the re-establishment, albeit incomplete, of lacustrine conditions after each ingression of sea water.

* Survey of geologic aspects of the region between Alcântara and the setentrional part of São Luís Island (NE of São Luís Basin), Maranhão State, Brazil.
by Francisco José Corrêa Martins, UFRJ
Abstract: In the study of lithologies of regional expression, the informations resulting from remote sensing allows a great economy of resources and time, being possible to pre-determinate promiser areas of studies of the specifics features of lithological expressions.
Through the detection of spectral electromagnetic response of the targets in the terrestrial surface, on strips established previously, converting this aspects to informations liables of a processing for futures utilizations. The aerials photographs and satellite images are products very commons, originated by this technology.
Based in panchromatic aerials photographs, satellite images with color composition (triplet, bands 3, 4 and 5) of Thematic Mapper 5 of LANDSAT satelite, topographic maps, and in bibliographic revision, we analyzed by integrate way, the geomorphologic, geologic and structural characteristics of regions of Alcântara and setentrional part of São Luís Island, in the north of Maranhão State, Brazil, possibiliting, in this way, the direction of researchs for the localicities potentially favorable to observation of lithostructural features.
Using the basic description and overhead, we can to obtain a preliminary identification of lithologies wich that, afterward, they were confirmed on the work field, just as sandstones, siltstones and mudstones, interpreted as fluvial-marine system (Itapecuru Formation; Albian-Cenomanian); limestone (Pirabas Formation; Miocene); sandstones and mudstones, considered too as fluvial-marine system (Barreiras Group; Miocene-Pliocene), and mangroves littorals areas, transversal dunes, fluvial deposits and present beaches. The levels of iron concretions in the region occurs in surfaces and layers under the surface, it reaching the cretaceous and tertiarys formations, proportioned this way, one aspect of continuity of the relief.
Structurally, it is detected blocks of SW-NE alignment, with "egg-box" pattern, related of South-Atlantian event, the Atlantic´s rift, in the equatorial portion (Aptian-Cenomanian), which remained in activity until recently.
In different lithostratigraphic units of São Luís basin were detected and corrected several problems of mapping, permitting that new cretaceous outcrops were discovered in areas before considered as Tertiary and Quaternary. And now they passing to be attributed for that period of geological time.
In a region mapped previously as Quaternary, it was detected the best occurrence of dinosaur bones in Brazil, in Cajual Island, São Marcos Bay, SW of Alcântara, to give us an adequate understanding of the geological evolution of this region.

* Geochemical and paleoenvironmental characterization of the Lower Cretaceous from the Camamu Basin, Bahia.
by Félix Thadeu Teixeira Gonçalves, UFRJ
Abstract: The Camamu Basin is located in the eastern Brazilian continental margin. In this study, 94 rock samples from a single offshore well in the basin were submitted to geochemical analyses in order to assess the depositional paleoenvironments of the rift sequence. Pyrolysis and organic petrography data suggest that the organic matter from the rift section was mainly composed by phytoplankton and baterial biomass. Observed variations of the hydrogen and oxygen indices reflect changes from oxic to anoxic deposicional conditions. The integration of palinology and oxygen isotope data indicates climate conditions of increasing aridity and water evaporation (negative water balance) during the deposition of the sediments from Rio da Serra and Aratu local stages, and increasing humidity and water (positive water balance) during Buracica and Jiquiá time intervals. The paleolimnological reconstruction suggests that the Rio da Serra strata were deposited in a fault-bounded deep lake with fresh to bracksih water.
Organic preservation was greatly enhanced by the stable water column stratification and bottom anoxia. High organic carbon contents and hydrogen indices, together with strong 13C isotopic depletion, reflect medium to low primary productivity and intense carbon recycling through the degradation of organic matter by anaerobic bacteria. Aratu and Buracica sediments were deposited in a broad and shalower lake with fresh to saline water. The high organic carbon contents and the strong13C isotopic enrichment is interpreted as the result of enhanced primary productivity due to increased input and recycling of nutrients favoured by lake morphology and humid climate.

Working Group on Paleogeographical and paleoclimatical maps
Reported by Antonio Jorge Vasconcellos Garcia - Sedimentary Geology Program, Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos (UNISINOS), 93022-000, São Leopoldo, RS, Brazil. E-mail: garcia@dgeo.unisinos.tche.br

Main Research Projects (related to SAMC):
Project No. 1: Faciologic and paleoclimatic control on diagenetic processes and porosity evolution in sandstones.
Collaborators: A. J. V. Garcia (UNISINOS University, Brazil - Chair),
S. Morad (Uppsala University, Sweden),
L.F.De Ros (UFRGS, Brazil),
K. Goldberg (Chicago University, EUA),
P.S.G. Paim (UNISINOS University, Brazil),
E.L.C.Lavina (UNISINOS University, Brazil),
U.F. Faccini (UNISINOS University, Brazil),
C.H.Novatski (UNISINOS University, Brazil).

Sources of external funding: CNPq, FAPERGS, PETROBRAS, UNISINOS University, Uppsala University, Chicago University.

Short Report (main focus): Sandstone framework composition and sedimentary basin evolution-paleogeographic and paleoclimatic control; Diagenetic processes and changes of the detrital composition; Paleoenvironmental/faciologic, paleogeographical and paleoclimatic controls on the fluid composition and early diagenetic processes; Origin and geochemical evolution of diagenetic fluids in diferent diagenetic settings/burial history; Lithofaciologic control on diagenetic processes and porosity evolution (influencing permeability heterogeneity within hydrocarbon reservoirs and aquifers).These main focus involve also the diagenetic processes on basinal scale, paleoclimatic imprints on the eo- diagenetic evolution trends, and exposure imprints on diagenetic evolution and porosity distribution.

SAMC related sub-project No. 1.1: Provenance and diagenesis of the Triassic and Cretaceous sandstones in Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil: A petrological approach to lithofaciologic and taphonomic characterization.

Publications:
Garcia, A.J.V., 1996. Carbonate cementation and porosity and porosity evolution in Early Cretaceous fluvial reservoir, Sergipe-Alagoas Basin, NE Brazil. XVIIth IAS Regional European Meeting of Sedimentology, Sfax, Tunisia. Abstract Vol., p. 104.

Garcia, A.J.V., 1997. Variação composicional de cimentos carbonáticos em arenitos e seu significado na caracterização dos fluidos eo-diagenéticos, Cretáceo Inferior, NE do Brasil. (Extended Abstract). IV Congresso de Geoquímica dos Países de Língua Portuguesa (Braga, Portugal), Actas, p. 47-50.

Garcia, A.J.V., 1997. Eo- and telo-diagenetic influence on reservoir quality in Lower Cretaceous Pre-Rift fluvial sandstone from Sergipe- Alagoas Basin, Northeastern Coast of Brazil. 3th Colloquium on the Stratigraphy and Palaeogeography of the South Atlantic. 2nd Annual Meeting of IGCP Project 381 (Yaoundé, Cameron), SAMC NEWS No. 7 (June 1997), p. 14-15.

Garcia, A.J.V., 1997. Paleogeographic and Paleoclimatic Primary Controls on Cretaceous Sandstone Diagenesis, Northeastern Brazil. (Edit. by B. Beauchamp) CSPG-SEPM Joint Convention, Global Sedimentary Geology Program, Geological Survey of Canada, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, p. 105.

Garcia, A.J.V., Morad, S., De Ros, L.F & Al-Aasm, I.S., in press. Paleogeographic, paleoclimatic and burial-history controls on the diagenetic evolution of reservoir sandstones: evidence from the Lower CretaceousSerraria Sandstones in Sergipe-Alagoas Basin, NE Brazil. In S. Morad (Ed.), Carbonate cementation in Sandstones, Distribution Patterns and Geochemical evolution, Special Publication of the IAS 26.

Project No. 2: Paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic controls on early diagenetric processes and fossil records in Mesozoic deposits in Brazil and Portugal.
Collaborators: A. J. V. Garcia (UNISINOS University, Brazil - Chair)
E.L.C.Lavina (UNISINOS University, Brazil)
U.F. Faccini (UNISINOS University, Brazil)
C.H.Novatski (UNISINOS University, Brazil)
K. Goldberg (Chicago University, EUA)
A.A.S. da Rosa (UFMT, Brazil and UNISINOS)
T.M. de Azevedo (Lisboa University)
A.N. Azeredo (Lisboa University),
M.C. de S. Cabral (Lisboa University)
N.L. Pimentel (Lisboa University)

Sources of external funding: CNPq, CAPES, JNICT, UNISINOS University, Lisboa University.

Short Report (main focus): Main focus on paleogeographic, paleoclimatic and taphononic aspects.Continental Mesozoic sequences in northesatern, center and south Brazil and in Portugal, are the main research objectives of this project. It is partialy resulted of the development of the Dinosaurs of Brazil Project (DBP), developed since 1991. The DBP is a multidisciplinary and integrated research and educational project, aiming to elucidate aspects related to dinosaurs and associated fauna, and their ancient life and death environments in Brazil. The on going project involve paleoenvironmental, paleogeographic, paleoclimatic and paleoecologic reconstructions, archieved through the integration between lithofaciologic, paleontologic and petrologic studies.

Publications:
Goldberg, K., da Rosa, A.A.S. & Garcia, A.J.V., 1996. Paleobiogeographic considerations on Juro-Cretaceous of Brazil. In S. Jardine, I. de Klasz & J-P.. Debenay (Eds.). Geologie de l'Afrique et de l'Atlantique Sud. 2nd Colloque de Stratigraphie et de Paleogeographie de l'Atlantic Sud. Angers, France. Elf Aquitaine Edition, Pau, Memoir 16, p. 373-381.

Goldberg, K. & Garcia, A.J.V., 1996. Stratigraphic correlation and paleoclimatic inferences from diagenetic and taphonomic analysis of Neo- Cretaceous dinosaurs bones in Bauru Group (Parana Basin), Brazil. In G.M. Hevia, M.F.B. Sancho & I.P. Urresti (Eds.). Comunication de la II Reunion sobre Tafonomia y Fossilization-Taphos 96, Instituicion Fernando El Catolico, Zaragoza, Spain, p. 135-140.

Garcia, A.J.V., da Rosa, A.A.S. & Goldberg, K., 1997. Paleoenvironment and paleoclimatic controls on early diagenetic processes and fossil records in continental Cretaceous sandstones in Brazil. IAS 18th Regional European Meeting of Sedimentology, Heidelberg, Germany, p. 136-137.

Teaching programs:
Continuing education programs in sedimentary geology (CEPSP), related to the development of research projects.
Focus on: An integrated approach on basin analysis towards predictive models on the characterization of ore deposits and reservoir quality.
Short Courses:
1. Diagenetic analysis: a indispensable tool in geoeconomic studies of sedimentary sequences.
2. Ore deposits in sedimentary basins.
3. Clastic depositional systems: sequence stratigraphy, reservoir architecture and permeability heterogeneity.
4. Tectonic and eustatic controls on sedimentary basin evolution.
5. Fluid origin, fluid migration and fluid-rock interation in sedimentary basins.

Focus on: Provenance analysis, paleogeographic, paleoclimatic and burial-history imprints on diagenetic processes, diagenetic evolution and reservoir quality of sandstones, lithofaciologic and diagenetic controls on permeability heterogeneity within hydrocarbon reservoirs and aquifers, sedimentary and diagenetic processes as ore forming processes, fluid sources and flow pathways in sedimentary basin and ore deposits, geochemical changes in ore-forming fluids and ore deposit generation.
Short Courses:
1. Sampling, preparation and analitic methods in sedimentary petrology.
2. Petrology of siliciclastic rocks: main constituints, textural analysis and classifications.
3. Provenance analysis of sandstone and conglomerates: a paleogeographic and petrologic approach.
4. Petrography and geochemistry of the diagenetic processes.
5. Diagenesis of ore deposits.
6. Fluids in sedimentary basins: origin, migration and fluid-rock interation.

Research Project:
The paleoflora from Cretaceous and Tertiary of King George Island, south Shetland Island, northern Antarctic Peninsula
Reported by Tânia Dutra - Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos (UNISINOS), 93022-000, São Leopoldo, RS, Brazil. E-mail: TANIA@dgeo.unisinos.tche.br
Funding agencies: CNPq and CIRM

Publications:
DUTRA, T.L., 1997. Climate, time and foliar phisiognomy : an evidence from the northern Antarctic Peninsula taphoflora. XV Congresso Brasileiro de Paleontologia (São Pedro, August 1997), Boletim de Resumos, p. 29.

DUTRA, T.L., 1997. Primitive leaves of Nothofagus (Nothofagaceae) in Antarctic Peninsula: an upper Campanian record and a Betulaceous more than Fagaceous morphological character. To be presented at the VIII Congreso Geologico Chileno, October 1997, Expanded Abstract.

DUTRA, T.L., 1997. Nothofagus leaf architecture: an old design to a new Gondwana: the use of the modern subtropical and temperate foliar characters of the genus in paleoecology. II Southern Connection Congress (January 1997), Valdivia, Chile, Program and Abstracts, p. 189.

DUTRA, T.L., 1997. History and composition of the Cretaceous and Lower Tertiary vegetation at King George Island, Antarctic Peninsula. Doctorate Thesis (September 97), Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos (UNISINOS), São Leopoldo, RS.
In general the project deal with the fossils floras that grew at King George Island . The oldest lithologies are Campanian in age and show a taphoflora with primitive angiosperm with leaf architecture that prenouces the floras that today lives at medium latitudes and oceanic climates of South America, New Zealand and Australia. MATs of 12 to 15 grades and abundant humidity also can be deduced. During Paleocene and Lower Eocene (before it occurs at most northern continents) termophyllous taxa appears. Between they,some elements indicate the the isolated character of the island (Myrtaceae, Elaeocarpaceae, Cyatheaceae, Araucariaceae and Cupressaceae) like the volcanic lithologies (andesites and basalts) suggest. Since the limit of Eocene-Oligocene, this isolation and the arriving of cold climates, consequence of Australia and Antarctic drift and the formation of cold currents, prevents the recolonization of the island by the vegetation. The most sensitive and important taxa in these inferences, was Nothofagus that shows also that probably was originated in the some place of the forearc region of northern Antarctic Peninsula.

Research Project:
The PGE metallogenesis based on stratigraphy and geochemical evolution of the Paraná continental igneous province (PCIP)
Reported by Ronaldo Luiz Mincato (E-mail: mincato@ige.unicamp.br).
Participants: R. L. Mincato* (ICBQ - PUC-Campinas and IG-UNICAMP), Alfonso Schrank and Jaccinta Enzweiler (IG-UNICAMP), Paul Randall Renne (Berkeley Geochronology Center)
* Fellowship: CAPES
Research support: FAPESP

The field work was concluded on September 1997. Along the field campaings, four ESE - WNW profiles from south to north of the Paraná continental igneous province (PCIP) have been described. Petrographic and the geochemical studies are now in progress. The preliminary results suggest the great difficulties to establish the stratigraphy of PCIP based only on chemical criteria, because the lithologies with the same geochemical signature show distint petrographic characteristics. Therefore, this implies a particular evolution for both basaltic and rhyolitic flows.
An extended abstract has been submitted to the 1997 AGU FALL MEETING, that will be held in San Francisco - CA, from 8th to 12th of December. Preliminary resultswill be presented in a poster session.
MINCATO, R. L., SCHRANK, A. & ENZWEILER, J., submitted. Relations between the chemical stratigraphy and lithologies of the Paraná continental igneous province. 1997 AGU FALL MEETING (8-12 December), San Francisco - CA, Extended Abstract.

Departamento de Geologia Sedimentar, UNESP - Rio Claro, SP, Brazil
Reported by Dimas Dias Brito (E-mail: dimas@caviar.igce.unesp.br)

Research Projects:
* South Atlantic middle-Cretaceous open sea microfacies and their biogenic constituents: stratigraphic and paleoceanographic significance.
Participants: D. Dias Brito (UNESP, Rio Claro), Bruno Ferré (Lab. de Geologie, Université d´Angers)
Research support: PETROBRAS and FAPESP.
From September 1996 to October 1997 the following research activities and results were accomplished: (a) Paleobiogeographic maps (Albian to Maastrichtian) showing the global distribution of Cretaceous calcispheres (Subfamily Pithonelloideae), calcareous dinoflagellates, and discussed the paleoceanographic significance of these maps. It was proposed to extend the limits of the warm Cretaceous Tethyan Realm to include the late Aptian-Albian northern South Atlantic (see SAMC News 8, p. 14).
(b) Paleobiogeographic map of the global distribution of Colomiellas (Calpionellidae) and discussed their apllication as a biostratigraphic tool to long distance correlation.
(c) Record of roveacrinids (stemless crinoids), Poecilocrinus dispandus elongatus Peck 1943, in lower Albian wackestones of the Santos Basin (see SAMC News 8, p. 14-15). Until then this typical Tethyan species has only been recorded in the Weno Formation of Texas.
(d) Record of Microcalamoids (crinoids ?), fossils recovered from Tethyan facies in the northern hemisphere, in marginal basins of southeast Brazil.
(e) Working up of part of the "Atlas of Cretaceous carbonate microfacies".

* Micropaleontology of the Barremian-Aptian chert deposits of south Sanfranciscan Basin: geological significance.
Participants: D. Dias Brito, Joel C. de Castro (UNESP, Rio Claro), Emille Pessagno Jr. (University of Texas, Dallas)
Research support: FAPESP
Main research activities and results:
Recent field work resulted in a large number of sampled localities which were processed and studied at the University of texas (SEM study) and UNESP, Rio Claro (petrography and microfacies study), revealing radiolarians and planktic foraminifera. Further work will be carried out to assess the geological significance of the record in the reconstruction of the paleogeographic setting.

* Paleontology of the continental Cretaceous of southeast Brazil (Bauru Group - middle to Upper Cretaceous)
Participants: D. Dias Brito, Reinaldo J. Bertini, Joel C. de Castro (UNESP, Rio Claro), Eduardo Mussachio (UNPSJB, Argentina), Maria da Saudade Maranhão (IG, USP, São Paulo), Paulo Milhomem (PETROBRAS-CENPES, Rio de Janeiro), J. M. Suarez (UNESP, Presidente Prudente),
Research support: Cretaceous Commission of the Brazilian Geological Society.
The project aims to obtain refined biochronological and paleoenvironmental data to better reconstruct the stratigraphic evolution of this sedimentary sequence and its correlation with coeval successions in the South Atlantic.

Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS)
Curso de Pós-Graduação em Geociências
Área de Estratigrafia - Convênio PETROBRAS/UFRGS
Reported by Eduardo A. M. Koutsoukos (Co-leader of IGCP Project 381)
PETROBRAS-CENPES, Rio de Janeiro, BRAZIL.

The geological department of the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, in Porto Alegre, southermost Brazil, carry out research work of strong relevance to IGCP Project 381, mainly at the M.Sc. and Doctorate level, under the supervision of PETROBRAS.

The following M.Sc. dissertations and Doctorate Theses are related to SAMC:

Research in progress:
* Fm. São Sebastião, bacias do Recôncavo e Tucano (BA): um modelo de seqüências estratigráficcas em bacias intracccontinentais
Clovis Francisco Santos - Doctorate Thesis in progress (conclusion 1997)
* Correlação tetono-sedimentar entre as bauias de Camamu e Recônavo, BA, durante o intervalo Rio da Serra/Jiquiá, em base estratigrafia de seqüências
José Antonio Cupertino - Doctorate Thesis in progress (conclusion in 1998)
* Análise estratigráfica e evolução paleogeográfica do andar Alagoas na porção sul da plataforma de São Mateus, Bacia do Espírito Santo
Roberto Adelar Bonora Vieira - M.Sc. dissertation (conclusion in 1998)
* Modelagem sedimentar aplicada à plataforma carbonática mista
José Eduardo Faccion - M.Sc. dissertation (conclusion in 1998)
* Análise estratigráfica do andar Aratu na Bacia do Recôncavo sob o enfoque da estratigrafia de seqüências
Paulo da Silva Milhomen - M.Sc. dissertation (conclusion in 1998)
* Organofacies e palinofacies da seção rift/transicional da Bacia de Sergipe/Alagoas
Gilberto Inácio Heinz - Doctorate Thesis (conclusion in 1999)
* Refinamento do arcabouçço ccronoestratigráfico dos arernitos do topo da seqüência II, Triássico da Bacia do Paraná no Rio Grande do Sul
Mônica Marques da Fonseca - M.Sc. dissertation (conclusion in 1998)
* Estratigrafia e paleoceanografia do Cretáceo "médio" marinho, da margem continental sudeste/leste do Brasil: uma abordagem holística.
Ricardo Latgé milward de Azevedo - M.Sc. dissertation (conclusion in 1999)
* Estratigrafia de seqüências aplicada a geologia de reservatórios neo-Rio da Serra, fase sin-rift, da Bacia do Recôncavo
André Tonetto Picarelli - Doctorate Thesis (conclusion in 1998)
* Análise estratigráfica do pacote vulcano-sedimentar Aptiano na margem continental sudeste do Brasil
Jeferson Luiz Dias - Doctorate Thesis (conclusion in 1998)
* Implicaç›es gedinâmicas da discordância interregional neo-Rio da Serra/eo-Aratu (Valanginiano/Hauteriviano) durante o desenvolvimento do rifte sul-atlântico.
Gilmar Vital Bueno - M.Sc. dissertation (conclusion in 1999)

Joint Brazilian/Argentinian research projects related to IGCP Project 381 on Cretaceous continental ecosystems.
Reported by Renato Rodolfo Andreis - Geology Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), 21910-240 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. E-mail: andreis@igeo.ufrj.br

1) Stratigraphy, paleoenvironments and paleontology of Upper Cretaceous sedimentary successions from Patagonia, Argentina (*).
(*) This project is being developed under the coordination of Dr. Ruben Cuneo, and is included in the research program of the Museo Paleontológico.
a) List of Collaborators:
Dr. Rubén Cunéo - Museo Paleontológico "Egidio Feruglio", Trelew, Province of Chubut, Argentina.
Dr. Sergio Archangelsky - Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia", Sección Paleobotánica, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Geol. Gerardo Cladera - Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales - Universidad de Buenos Aires.
b) Source of external funding:
Museo Paleontológico "Egidio Feruglio", Trelew, Province of Chubut, Argentina.
c) Short report on activities and main results:
This project comprises a better knowledge on stratigraphy, paleoenvironmental and paleogeographic interpretation of detrital successions belonging to the Allen and La Colonia formations. These units crop out in southern province of Rio Negro and northern province of Chubut, respectively. Both units represents part of the evolutive history of the Late Campanian - early to middle Maastrichtian interval, mainly related to the transgression of the Maastrichtian sea, that covered progressively several parts of Patagonia. This event culminate with the deposition of the Roca Formation conformable sandstones during the Late Maastrichtian.
In relation to the Allen successions, studied at the Bajo de Santa Rosa and nearest areas since 1993, during January 1997 the last revision of the outcrops has been done, mainly to complete the geological map of the region and to adjust several problems aroused in the correlation of the several detailed stratigraphic prepared, as well as with the relationship with the underlying Santonian Bajo de la Carpa Formation clastic successions. About 10000 km2 were examinated (390 30´-400 45´S Lat and 660 00´-670 00´ W Long).
It is confirmed that the Allen Formations successions cropping out at the region of the Bajo de Santa Rosa, can be separated into two sections: the lower, related to a braided fluvial and related deltaic systems, whose currents were flowing towards the W and SW, and mainly composed of lithic (acid volcanic) clast-supported conglomerates and crossbedded sandstones, and calcrete fragments as well. They include abundant silicified trunks and dinossaur remains. The successions also include many calcrete horizons of phreatic origin. The transition to the upper section is recognized by an rapid increase in the frequence of pelitic sediments in the fluvial system, as a produce of sea level rise. The upper section is mainly composed of massive, laminated or suncracked pelites (siltstones, claystones), and less rippled sandstones, vitric tuffs, and fossil remains, represented by fresh water gastropods coquines, bivalves, and turtle bone fragments. This assemblage is considered to be deposited in wide and shallow bay, under intertidal to supratidal depositional conditions. A paper related to these suceessions is now being prepared.
Also during January 1997, the La Colonia successions in their outcrops at the Sierra de La Colonia, southern border of the Meseta de Somuncurá, were studied. The detailed stratigraphic sections made in the Ca–adón de la Chiva Muerta and Cerro Bayo (430 00´ S Lat - 670 35´ W Long) allow to recognise that the unit is maily composed of thick green pelitic and less sandstones at his base and heterolithic facies in the upper sections. In the late sections, several levels containing leaves of angiosperms and conifers, seeds, and comminut ed plant fragments were found, while in the pelites several vertebrate remains (dinossaurs, plesiosaurs) may appear. After analyses of the collected data a paper will be prepared.

2) Fossil flora and stratigraphy of the Baquero Formation (Lower Cretaceous), Province of Santa Cruz, Argentina (*)(**)
(*) This project is coordinated by Dr. Sergio Archangelsky - Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia", Buenos Aires, Argentina.
(**) A Ph.D. Thesis is under development in the Meseta Baquero and related areas by Geol. Gerardo Cladera, under the direction of Dr. Rubén Cuneo.
a) List of Collaborators:
Dr. Sergio Archangelsky - Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia", Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Dr. Rubén Cuneo - Museo Paleontológico "Egidio Feruglio", Trelew, Province of Chubut, Argentina.
Dra. Ana Archangelsky - Museo Paleontológico "Egidio Feruglio", Trelew, Province of Chubut, Argentina.
Geol. Gerardo Cladera - Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales - Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
b) Source of external founding:
Museo Paleontológico "Egidio Feruglio" and CONICET (National Research Council of Argentina, Buenos Aires).
c) Short report on activities and main results:
Also during January 1997, the pyroclastic successions of the Baquero Formation cropping out in three main sections, Meseta Baquero, Estancia Bajo Tigre and Anfiteatro de Ticó, were revisited (many trips and studies were made during the last 5 years). The main objective was to established "definitively" the division of the former Baquero Formation in three depositional units. Since earliest 60´s, the first two units were considered by Archangelsky as members. Now, after our studies, the Baquero Group can be properly created!.
The lower unit is composed of white to grayish primary pyroclastics, while the middle one include primary and reworked pyroclastites. Both represents the evolution of the Baquero Basin, from initial lacustrian to later ephemerous river system sedimentation. The third and last unit (now separated from the second redefined unit) comprises the appearance of huge braided fluvial system, and the establishing of a drainage net with a principal valley filled with clast-supported lithic conglomerates, and more sandy confluent rivers. The fluvial system currents were flowing towards East (in a general sense). Abundant plant remains and pollen are included in the tuffaceous sediments (under study by Drs. Ana & Sergio Archangelsky and Dr. Rubén Cuneo).
The three units reflect an increase in the erosive processes probably related to slow changes in the regional slope. This system was latter progressively drown by intense ash falls, that also produce a drastic change in the landscape morphology, by establishing extense plains where paleosols and shallow ponds developed.
Besides the Ph.D. Thesis, another papers are under development in relation to the new stratigraphic interpretation, as well as, of paleoenviroments, composition of tuffaceous sediments, and the paleobotany in the three units. The evolutive history of the Baquero Basin will be included.

3) Paleoenvironments, paleoecology and paleoclimate in the Upper Cretaceous successions of the Triangulo Mineiro area (western Minas Gerais State, Brazil) (*).
(*) A PhD Thesis is under development by Ramses Capilla (Instituto de Geociências- Universidade Federal de Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) under the direction of Prof. Renato Andreis (same Institution).
a) List of Collaborators:
Geol. Ramses Capilla
b) Source of external funding:
Federal University of Rio de Janeiro - Geology Institute and CNPq (scholarship).
c) Short report on activities and main results:
In August 1997 during a short trip to the Uberaba-Peirópolis-Ponte Alta area, several outcrops of the Marilia Formation, as well as the underlying Uberaba Formation, were examined in their lithological, stratification, cyclicity, paleocurrent dispersion, and paleontological aspects, as a base for the Ph.D. Thesis of Mr. Capilla. Main outcrops were visited (Mangabeira, Caieira Nr.1, Cinquentão and Ponte Alta Quarries, among other smaller outcrops).

4) Stratigraphy and paleoenvironments of the Itapecuru Formation (Upper Cretaceous) in the São Luis and Alcântara areas, Maranhão State, Brazil.
Short report on activities and main results:
A M.Sc. Thesis is under development by Francisco Rodriguez da Silva Jr. under the conduction of Prof. Renato Andreis (Geology Institute - Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil).
The main results are related to the introduction of a new stratigraphic model for the Late Cretaceous successions cropping out at both margins of the São Marcos bay, including several islands (do Medo, Cajual and Livramento). Usually, all these outcrops were considered as belonging to the Itapecuru Formation (Cenomanian), but on the base of the several detailed lithostratigraphic profiles and adequate correlations of sedimentary processes as well, another unit, the Cajual Formation, has been established. The autor caracterizes lithology, paleocurrent dispersion, and sequencial analysis of the lower unit, and recognized that the region was early occuped by an estuary, later substituted by a laggonal sedimentation under intertidal to subtidal conditions. Finally, a rather rapid transgressive event produced the deposition of thin micritic limestones, followed by platform massive clay- and siltstones. Oscillations of the sea level give origin to the Cajual Formation successions. Firstly, a lowering event produced the formation of an incised valley and the deposition of fluvial conglomerates and bone-beds (crowed with rolled dinossaur remains), and crossbedded sandstones. Then, a discrete rising event, characterized by the deposition of abundant heterolithic facies produced an extense estuary.

Publications:
ANDREIS, R.R., 1996. The Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary around the Somuncurá Massif (Northern Patagonia, Argentina): considerations about the Los Alamitos and Allen formations. First Annual Conference, IGCP-381 "South Atlantic Mesozoic Correlations", Salvador (BA), Brazil. SAMC News No. 5, p. 12-14.

MAGALHAES RIBEIRO, C.M. & ANDREIS, R.R., 1997. Remarks on dinossaur egg shells from the Allen Formation (Late Cretaceous), Province of Rio Negro, Argentina. XVth Brazilian Paleontological Congress, São Pedro (SP), August 1997, Boletim de Resumos, p. 110.

SILVA JR., F.R. & ANDREIS, R.R., 1997. The bone-bed from the Laje do Coringa, Cajual Island, State of Maranhão, Brazil. XVth Brazilian Paleontological Congress, São Pedro (SP), August 1997, Boletim de Resumos, p. 102

Universidad Nacional de La PatagoniA SAN JUAN BOSCO (UNPSJB)
Ciudad Universitaria, 9000 Comodoro Rivadavia, Chubut, Argentina.
Reported by Eduardo A. Musacchio (Regional Coordinator).
Topics:
1) Research projects
1.a. List of collaborators
1.c.) Short report on activities
2) List of publications
3) Working Group
4) Meeting in Argentina

1) Research projects:
* Correlations of Jurassic and Cretaceous stratigraphic units of Central and North Argentine Patagonia in the South Atlantic geological Domain.
Coordinated by P. Vallati, M. Simeoni, M. Ríos and E. Musacchio.
UNPSJB, Laboratory of Biostratigraphy. Ciudad Universitaria. (9000) Comodoro Rivadavia, Argentina. E-mail: unpbib.edu.ar
Short report:
Two previously studied mid-Cretaceous microfloras in the productive Patagonian Basins : Neuquén (NB) and San Jorge Gulf (SJGB) are now compared. Both include primitive angiosperm pollen-grains (monosulcate - reticulate) as well as polichotomosulcate, zonasulcate and inaperturate types. In the Ranquiles Formation (NB) a rich assemblage was studied in different profiles. It includes monosulcate grains as Clavatipollenites, Retimonocolpites, Liliacidites and monocolpate specimens of Affropollis. Besides, Afropollis showing polar and equatorial anular apertures (A. zonatus, A. operculatus), inaperturate forms (A. aff. jardinus) and stephanocolpate-polichotomosulcate forms (Asteropollis asteroides) are also present. This assemblage was dated as Aptian. The same overlies a Barremian Cyclusphaera psilata - Classopollis microflora lacking angiosperm grains from the Rincón Formation (Vallati 1996, see below).
In the SJGB a similar assemblage with primitive angiosperm pollen grains was studied from D-129 Formation and assigned to the Barremian-Aptian (Vallati 1996). The later also includes monosulcate grains as Clavatipollenites and Retimonocolpites as well as polichotomosulcate forms (probably Asteropollis).
Both mentioned microfloras document the first angiosperm record in North and Central Patagonia. This took place when the geographic conditions involving the disappearance of geographic barriers of isolation at the Aptian, allow the interchange with other subequatorial regions.
The study of a post-Aptian microflora from the Huincul Formation ("Estratos con Dinosaurios") in the South of Mendoza Province is now in advance. This microflora, including tricolpate and tricolporate grains of angiosperms, is youger than the above mentioned ones.
Contact: P. Vallati. E-Mail: Vallati@unpbib.edu.ar

* The biogeographic relationships of Cretaceous microfossils from central and north Patagonia are studied in the framework of the geological evolution of this ancient part of Gondwana. The path of biogeographic changes in continental environments is documented by lacustrine ostracods and charophytes. The isolation during the K1 (early Cretaceous) was broken down during the Aptian (middle Cretaceous). During K3 times (late Cretaceous) interchange with North America and Africa is documented. In the marine environment, the relationships between microfossils from west-central Argentina, South Africa and other South Atlantic regions are considered. Cases of interchange of marine ostracods with the Tethyan realm during the K1 and K2 (middle Cretaceous) are discussed.
Contact: M. Simeoni and Eduardo A. Musacchio. E-mail: aldo@unpbib.edu.ar

* The study of the stratigraphic relationships of the volcanic-sedimentary Complex of the Sierra de Olte (Lias -Dogger) from the Rio Chubut Medium Valley, in the Chubut Province (430 S - 690 W) is in advance. More than 3,500 m thick of layered rocks joint together in a composed column, exhibit the evolution of this rift related volcanism. The composition of this volcanism evolves from a riolitic-tuffaceous episode below, which is overlain by andesites and covered by an olivine-basalt unit. Marine ammonoids, micro and macrofloras as well as lacustrine ostracods are used for chronology and correlations. The relationships with other Early Middle Jurassic Gondwanian volcanism are focused.
Contact: E. A. Musacchio. E-mail:  aldo@unpbib.edu.ar

* The Systematic of Dogger darwinulids (non marine Ostracoda - Crustacea) from the Sierra de Olte Complex (Chubut Province) is now in advance. Asian affinities are studied using a Forrier-analysis methodology in order to make possible a quantitative approach to the outline design.
Contact: M. Ríos and E. Musacchio. E-mail: aldo@unpbib.edu.ar

2) Publications :
Vallati, P, 1997. Palinología de la "Arenisca" Rincón (Grupo Huitrín-Rayoso) Cretácico Inferior, Cuenca Neuquina. Actas XIII Congr. Geol. Argent., V : 77-93, Buenos Aires.

Vallati, P., 1997. Mid Cretaceous microfloras in Central and North Patagonia. Simp. Paleobot. Palinol. Mendoza (October 1997), Abstract submitted.

Simeoni, M. & Musacchio, E., submitted. Cretaceous calcareous microfossils from Southern South America: Palaeobiogeographic relationships. In E.A.M. KOUTSOUKOS, P. BENGTSON, I. DE KLASZ & D. BATTEN (Eds), Mesozoic biogeographical patterns in the South Atlantic, Cretaceous Research, Special Issue (IGCP Project 381 Thematic Volume No. 1).

Musacchio, E., in press. Wide distributed lacustrine microfossils from the South American Aptian and their geological significance. Rev. Asoc. geol. Argent. (short paper in Spanish).

3) Working-Group: Biostratigraphy and biogeography based on non-marine fossils
Specialists dealing with different non marine fossil groups are invited to take part in this Working-Group. A task of collaboration and interchange is proposed in order to discuss the Systematics and the Synonymy of species on each fossil group. This allows to analyze the stratigraphic record of the taxonomical units in different countries, to share stratigraphic information with the purpose to settle an embraced biostratigraphic zonation and to outline stratigraphical designs. In order to reach these purposes it seems useful to organize the task in the following progressive steps:
I) According the Systematics:
A meeting of specialists, looking their respective materials and discussing the Synonymy, will be profitable to recognize the identity of species and genera as well as to select stratigraphic markers. To this objective, a "workshop" of the Working-Group in Comodoro Rivadavia 1998, is programmed. The visit to outcrops of the San Jorge Gulf Basin and other Patagonian Jurassic and Cretaceous localities of relevance are also planned.
A second meeting, mainly devoted to Systematics aspects of the involved fossil groups, will be decided in C. R. (1998). In this opportunity it should be possible to publish the contributions of authors presented in this second mini-Colloquium.
II) Publishing an Atlas of species:
Individual cards must be prepared by authors. This Atlas should be cumulative (or open) in the time. In Comodoro Rivadavia 98 must be accorded the appropiate design for the cards (previously discussed by mail). Likewise, it must be there decided, the periodical delivery plan, the referees and the Editorial. The Atlas is planned to start during the first semester of 1999.
III) Attempting the zonation and the paleobiogeography:
Details about a third Colloquium must be also decided in 1998. A book including papers of authors could be edited during the last year of life of the project. Prefered Topics should be: Stratigraphy and type profiles for reference assemblages, markers, biostratigraphic zonations, essays of interegional correlations and paleogeographic reconstructions. Topics and results must be no superimposed with other planned editorial objectives of the general coordination.
Fossil groups: microfossils, plants and palynomorphs, invertebrates, and vertebrates.
Contact: Eduardo A. Musacchio - Paleontology, UNPSJB. 9000 Comodoro Rivadavia, Argentina. Fax: 55 97 5579. E-mail: aldo@unpbib.edu.ar
Judgements and suggestions are welcome!

3) SAMC III Meeting in Argentina, November 1998.
Field-trips: Program in Central and North Patagonia.
Contact: E. A. Musacchio. E-Mail:  aldo@unpbib.edu.ar

CENTRO AUSTRAL DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICAS (CADIC-CONICET)
Av. Malvinas Argentinas s/No., 9410 Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina
Reported by Eduardo B. Olivero (Regional Coordinator) - E-mail: eolivero@ satlink.com

Research activities:
1) Jurassic-Paleogene geological evolution of the Andes of Tierra del Fuego.
Jurassic-Paleogene sedimentary and volcaniclastic marine rocks of the Southern Andes record a complex geological and tectonic evolution reflecting the initial opening of the South Atlantic Ocean and the final separation of South America from Antarctica. We continue our studies on the stratigraphy and sedimentology of the deep marine Jurassic-Cretaceous deposits of the Rocas Verdes Marginal Basin and their stratigraphic transition to slope-distal platform Cretaceous deposits and foreland Cretaceous-Paleogene successions of the Austral Basin. During the 1996-1997 season, field mapping, sedimentological, and paleontological studies of Jurassic-Paleogene rocks of these basins in the Beagle Channel, central Tierra del Fuego, and Peninsula Mitre areas resulted in new important stratigraphic and structural data. The basal unit of the Rocas Verdes Basin, the Lemaire Formation, consists of a thick, submarine succession of black, radiolarian slates, turbidites, sandstones, tuffs, breccias, rhyolitic flows and domes, and basaltic flows. The unit is interpreted as a synrift succession. In the Beagle Channel area the overlying, mainly Early Cretaceous, Yahgan Formation consists of black mudstones, fine-grained and classical turbidites; massive sandstones; and tuffs. Petrografic composition of stratified rocks of these two units differs markedly; the Lemaire sandstones and turbidites are mainly composed of quartz and feldspars and similar rocks of the Yahgan Formation are mainly composed of arc-derived andesitic rich fragments (Olivero et al., 1997a, Olivero, 1997).
The stratigrafic and paleogeographic relationships of the Albian rocks of the Yahgan Formation with age-equivalent rocks in the central part of Tierra del Fuego are presently under study. A more precise correlation between these units in now possible on the basis of recent finding of upper Early Cretaceous age-diagnostic marine invertebrates (Martinioni, 1997, Olivero, 1997). New paleontological data were also obtained recently from remote areas in Peninsula Mitre and central Tierra del Fuego consisting of Senonian, mainly Coniacian to Campanian, inoceramids. F. A. Medina, E. B. Olivero, and D. R. Martinioni presently carry out the systematic study of these faunas which are likely to offer a potential solution for regional distinction, mapping, and correlation of very thick and monotonous mudstone-dominated successions in Tierra del Fuego. Preliminary results allowing for the recognition and correlation of upper Early Cretaceous; Late Cretaceous; and Paleogene sedimentary belts (Martinioni, 1997, Martinioni et al., 1996, Olivero & Malumian, 1996) between the northern and southern blocks of the main Magallanes-Fagnano strike-slip fault system suggests a post mid Eocene left lateral offsetting in the order of 20-30 km (Olivero, 1997). New data regarding the transition from the marginal to foreland basins have been obtained in the central part of Tierra del Fuego, in the Sierra de Beauvoir and Sierra de Apen. Here, a thick unit of Paleocene, marine conglomerates and sandstones, representing the first molasse deposits cover in angular unconformity Maastrichtian mudstones (Martinioni et al., 1996, Martinioni, 1997). New structural data, regarding the latest compressional events in the main Andes of Tierra del Fuego resulted from recent field mapping along the Beagle-Moat Channel area. Preliminary observations clearly indicates that a block of the Lemaire Formation (Jurassic) is tectonically mounted on top of Cenozoic (probably of Eocene-Oligocene age) continental coal measures, along a low angle north-verging thrust fault (Olivero et al., 1997b).

2) Santonian-Maastrichtian stratigraphy, paleontology, and sedimentology of  the James Ross Basin, Antarctica.
We continue our long-term research project on the geological evolution of the Late Cretaceous of the James Ross Basin. Correlation of the most important Santonian-Maastrichtian sections across the basin by using ammonite assemblages defined mainly by the first occurrence of diagnostic kossmaticeratid taxa was used to construct a down-dip composite stratigraphic section for the James Ross Basin. This composite section shows that the Santonian-Maastrichtian rocks reach a thickness of about 3 km in the distal parts of the basin. Additional sedimentological and stratigraphical analyses resulted in the recognition of three main sequences of Santonian-early Campanian; late Campanian-early Maastrichtian; and Maastrichtian-Danian ages.
A major mid-Campanian unconformity, probably of continental significance is located at the boundary between the first and second sequences (Olivero & Medina, 1997; Olivero et al., 1997c). The refined biostratigraphic distribution of the James Ross Basin ammonite fauna, specially regarding the kossmaticeratids, allowed for a better comparison of the temporal and geographic distribution and importance of the Antarctic fauna with other areas of southern Gondwana. The resulting biogeographic pattern confirms the earlier view that kossmaticeratids were mostly restricted to southern high latitudinal areas during the late Campanian-early Maastrichtian (Olivero & Medina, 1997).

Published, in press, or submitted studies:
Martinioni, D.R., 1997. Cretaceous-Paleogene stratigraphy of the Austral Basin in the southernmost Andes: New evidences from central Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. 18th IAS Regional European Meeting of Sedimentology, Heidelberg, German, Gaea heidelbergensis, 3: 231.

Martinioni, D.R., E. B. Olivero & S. Palamarczuk, submitted. Estratigrafia y discordancias del Cretacico-Paleogeno en la region central de Tierra del Fuego. Abstract volume, Symposium Paleogene of South America. XIII Congreso Geologico Argentino y III Congreso de Exploracion de Hidrocarburos, 1996, Buenos Aires. Anales de la Secretaria de Mineria y Direccion Nacional del Servicio Geologico, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Olivero, E. B., 1997. Jurassic-Paleogene Stratigraphy and Basin Evolution of the Eastern Andes of Tierra del Fuego. 18th IAS Regional European Meeting of Sedimentology, Heidelberg, Germany, Gaea heidelbergensis, 3: 258.

Olivero, E.B., Acevedo, R.D. & Martinioni, D.R., 1997. Geologia del Mesozoico de bahia Ensenada, Tierra del Fuego. Revista de la Asociacion Geologica Argentina, 52 (2): 169-179.

Olivero, E.B. & Malumian, N., submitted. Eocene Stratigraphy of Southeastern Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. Bulletin of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG).

Olivero, E. B, Marenssi, S. Santillana, S. & Martinioni, D.M., in press. Estratigrafia y sedimentologia de la Formacion Sloggett (Terciario), Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. Asociacion Geologica Argentina, Reunion de Comunicaciones: Homenaje al Dr. A. Amos. Revista de la Asociacion Geologica Argentina.

Olivero, E. B., Martinioni, D.M., Mussel, F.A. & Robles, G.M., in press. Estratigrafia del Santoniano-Maastrichtiano, Grupo Marambio, Cuenca James Ross, Antartida. Actas Cuartas Jornadas de Comunicaciones sobre Investigaciones Antarticas, Instituto Antartico Argentino, Buenos Aires.

Olivero, E.B. & Medina, F.A., submitted. Patterns of Late Cretaceous ammonite biogeography in southern high latitudes: The family Kossmaticeratidae in Antarctica. In E.A.M. KOUTSOUKOS, P. BENGTSON, I. DE KLASZ & D. BATTEN (Eds), Mesozoic biogeographical patterns in the South Atlantic, Cretaceous Research, Special Issue (IGCP Project 381 Thematic Volume No. 1).

IGCP PROJECT 381 RESEARCH ACTIVITIES IN COLOMBIA
Reported by Luis Vergara S. (Regional Coordinator) - Universidad Nacional de Colombia. E-mail: lvergara@ciencias.ciencias.unal.edu.co

Research on the Mesozoic of Colombia keeps on focusing mainly on the Jurassic and Cretaceous systems. During the above mentioned interval a series of works in progress listed in the June 1997 report (SAMC Newsletter No. 4) have been eventually published and are herein quoted (see below).
The Geological Survey, Ingeominas, has recently released the first version of the Digital Geologic Atlas of Colombia, which represents a major effort of compilation and up dating of the current stand of the surface geology of the country at scale 1:500,000. The work was done in the framework of a GIS using Arc-Info. The previous version of the geologic map of Colombia was of 1988.
Volume 22 of Geología Colombiana, which contains contributions of interest to SAMC participants, is currently in press, expected to appear by October 1997. Edited by the Departamento de Geociencias of the National University at Bogotá, it is nowadays the only geological journal published yearly in Colombia.
In addtion, it is interesting to see how the worldwide increase in activities related to hydrocarbon exploration have contributed greatly to the knowledge of sedimentary basins in Colombia, particularly to its evolution during the Cretaceous. The results of the oil industry that became of public domain were recently divulged and debated in the VI Bolivarian Symposium of Sub-Andean Basins, held in Cartagena on September 14-17, 1997. Most of the work on stratigraphy covered the Cenozoic; however, those papers of interest to our project are listed below.

Papers relevant to SAMC, published or submitted:
Cediel, F., Etayo, F. & Cáceres, C., 1997. Distribución de las facies sedimentarias y su marco tectónico durante el Fanerozoico, Colombia. VI Simposio Bolivariano de Cuenas Subandinas, Memorias, Tomo II: 34-37 , Cartagena.

Etayo-Serna, F. & Carrillo, G., 1996. Bioestratigrafía del Cretácico mediante macrofósiles en la sección El Ocal, Valle Superior del Magdalena. Geología Colombiana No.20: 81-92, Bogotá.

Forero, G., 1997. Atlas geológico digital de Colombia. VI Simposio Bolivariano de Cuenas Subandinas, Memorias, Tomo II: 48-52, Cartagena.

Guerrero, J. & Sarmiento, G., 1996. Estratigrafía física, palinológica, sedimentológica y secuencial del Cretácico Superior y Paleoceno del Piedemonte Llanero. Implicaciones en exploración petrolera. Geología Colombiana No. 20: 3-66, Bogotá.

Groesser, J., 1996. Cretaceous MOR-type basalts at the crest of the Central Cordillera of Colombia, S. A.: Setting and geotectonic significance. Zeitblatt fuer Geologie und Palaeontologie, Heft 7/8: 899-913, Suttgart.

González, J.O. & Martínez, J. I., in press. El género Siphogenerinoides en el Cretáceo Superior del Valle Superior del Magdalena, Colombia. Revista Espa–ola de Micropaleontología, Madrid.

Mann, U. & Stein, R., 1997. Organic facies variation, source rock potential, and sea level changes in Cretaceous black shales of the Quebrada Ocal, Upper Magdalena Valley, Colombia. AAPG Bulletin vol. 81, n. 4: 556-576

Mojica, J., Kammer, A. & Ujueta, G., 1996. El Jurásico del sector Noroccidental de Suramérica y guía de la excursión al Valle Superior del Magdalena (Nov. 1-4/95), Regiones de Payandé y Prado, Departamento del Tolima, Colombia. Geología Colombiana No. 21: 3-40, Bogotá.

Mora, C., Torres, M.P. & Escobar, J., 1997. Potencial generador de hidrocarburos de la Formación Chipaque y su relación con la estratigrafía secuencial en la zona axial de la Cordillera Oriental (Colombia). VI Simposio Bolivariano de Cuenas Subandinas, Memorias, Tomo I: 217-237, Cartagena.

Patarroyo, P., in press. El Barremiano inferior en la base de la Formación Paja, Barichara, Santander, Colombia. Geología Colombiana No. 22, p. 1-6, Figs. 1-2, Bogotá

Tchegliakova, N., 1996. Registro de las biozonas de foraminíferos planctónicos Gansserina gansseri y Abathomphalus mayaroensis (Maastrichtiano medio y superior) en el extremo meridional del Valle Medio del Magdalena (Colombia, Sur América). Geología Colombiana No. 20: 67-80, Bogotá.

Tchegliakova, N., Sarmiento, G. & Guerrero, J., in press. Bioestratigrafía y paleoecología de los foraminíferos bentónicos de la Formación Chipaque y del Grupo Guadalupe. Turoniano-Maastrichtiano del Piedemonte Llanero de los Andes Colombianos. Geología Colombiana No. 22, p. 1-20, Figs. 1-3, 1 Table, Bogotá.

Schultze, H.P. & Stoehr, D., 1996. Vinctifer (Pisces, Aspidorhynchidae) aus der Unterkreide (oberes Aptium) von Kolumbien. Neues Jahrbuch fuer Geologie und Palaeontologie, Abhandlungen 199/3: 395-415, Suttgart.

Valasek, D., Alemán, A., Marksteiner, R. & Hodgkins, P., 1997. Cretaceous sequence stratigraphy of the MOP basins, northeastern Peru, eastern Ecuador and southeastern Colombia: Application ot reservoir prediction. VI Simposio Bolivariano de Cuenas Subandinas, Memorias, Tomo I: 337-350, Cartagena.

Vergara, L., 1997a. Stratigraphy, foraminiferal assemblages and paleoenvironments of the Late Cretaceous of the upper Magdalena Valley (Colombia). Journal of South American Earth Sciences, vol. 10, No. 2: 111-132, Oxford

Vergara, L., 1997b. Cretaceous black shales in the upper Magdalena Valley (Colombia): New organic geochemical results. Journal of South American Earth Sciences vol. 10, No. 2: 133-145, Oxford.

Vergara, L., in press. Paleontological Notes on some Foraminifera from the Cretaceous of the Upper Magdalena Valley. Geologia Colombiana No. 22, p. 1-11, Fig. 1, Tables 1-2, Bogotá.

Vergara, L. & Guerrero, J., 1996. Significado estratigráfico secuencial de algunos depósitos basales del Cretácico en Colombia: Caso de las formaciones Yaví y Tibasosa. Geología Colombiana No. 20: 133-140, Bogotá.

Vergara, L. & Rodríguez, G., in press. The Upper Cretaceous and lower Paleocene of the eastern Bogotá Plateau and Llanos Thrustbelt, Colombia: Alternative Appraisal to the Nomenclature and Sequence Stratigraphy. Geología Colombiana No. 22 p. 1-23, Figs. 1-15, Bogotá.

Vergara, L., Rodríguez, G. & Martínez, I., 1997. Agglutinated foraminifera and sequence stratigraphy of the Chipaque Formation (Upper Cretaceous) of El Crucero Section. Micropaleontology vol. 43, n. 2: 185-201, New York.

Villamil, T., 1996. Paleobiology of two new species of the bivalve Anomia from Colombia and Venezuela and the importance of the genus in recognition of the base of the Turonian. Cretaceous Research, 17: 607-632.

IGCP PROJECT 381 RESEARCH ACTIVITIES IN MEXICO
Reported by Maria del Carmen Rosales-Dominguez
Instituto Mexicano del Petróleo - Exploración, Eje Central Lázaro Cardenas No. 152, Col. San Bartolo Atepehuacan, Mexico D.F. 07730, Mexico.

Research projects:
* Strontium isotopes on Cretaceous limestones of Mexico.
PhD thesis in progress by Jose Manuel Grajales Nishimura, Instituto de Geologia, Division de Estudios de Posgrado, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico.

Published Abstracts:
Grajales-Nishimura J.M., Cedillo-Pardo, E., Sanchez-Rios, M.A., Padilla-Avila, P., Moran-Zenteno, D. & Rosales-Dominguez, M., 1997. Stratigraphy of carbonate Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary sections from SE Mexico. 18th IAS Regional European Meeting of Sedimentology (Heidelberg 2-4 september 1997):

Rosales-Dominguez, M.C., 1997. Biohorizontes cronoestratigraficos en facies de plataforma del Cretacico medio-Superior de la Sierra de Chiapas. Libro de Resumenes de la II Convencion sobre la evolucion geologica de Mexico y recursos asociados, Pachuca, Hidalgo, Mexico, Mayo, 1997.

Articles:
Rosales-Dominguez, M.C., SANTANA, J. B. & PI"A, M. A., in press. Mid and Upper Cretaceous foraminiferal assemblages from the Sierra de Chiapas, SE Mexico. Cretaceous Research, Vol. 18.

Theses:
RUIZ RUIZ, Hector, 1996. Analisis de la diversidad y abundancia del Nanoplancton calcareo y sus implicaciones a traves del limite KT en dos secciones del NE de Mexico. Tesis de licenciatua, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (unpublished).

AVILA, Patricia Padilla, 1996. Analisis bioestratigrafico de los foraminiferos planctonicos a traves del limite K/T de las secciones La Lajilla y Coxquihui del NE de Mexico. Tesis de Maestria, Facultad de Ciencias, Division de Estudios de Posgrado, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (unpublished).

Meetings:
* Second Joint AAPG/AMGP Hedberg Research Symposium
Oil and Gas Exploration and Production in Fold and Thrust Belts
Veracruz, Mexico, February 23-26, 1997
A huge volume was published regarding this Symposium. It contains a lot of abstracts regarding different geologic ages, including Cretaceous.

* II Convencion sobre la evolucion geologica de Mexico y recursos asociados
Pachuca, Hidalgo, Mexico, Mayo, 1997
A symposium on Mesozoic talks was presentd during this meeting. It includes topics on sedimentology, tectonics, stratigraphy, and paleontology.

IGCP Project 381 RESEACH ACTIVITIES IN THE U.S.A.

U.S. Research activities in West Africa
Reported by Thomas W. Dignes (Regional Coordinator) - Chevron Overseas Petroleum, Inc., San Ramon, CA 94583, USA. E-mail: TWDI@chevron.com

Four meetings of note took place in 1997 involving Project 381 participants:
1 - Oil and Gas Habitats of the South Atlantic - February 24-26, London, England.
2 - Second Annual IGCP 381 Conference - March 8-13, Yaoundé, Cameroon.
3 - Local Meeting of IGCP 381 in association with the 15th Brazilian Paleontological Congress - São Pedro, Brazil.
4 - Regional Meeting of IGCP 381 in association with the European IAS Meeting - Heidelberg, Germany.

U.S. authored contributions to the London meeting:
Karner & Driscoll. Timing, distribution, and structure of West African and Brazilian offshore rift basins: implications for deep-water exploration.
Jones et al. Continental margin evolution in the Equatorial Atlantic: constraints from deep-water investigations.
Damuth & Pirmez. Sediment facies and architecture of the Amazon Fan: implications for sand distribution in "mud rich" submarine fans.
Schiefelbein et al. Petroleum systems in the South Atlantic margin.
Hardman. Evolution from shelf to deep-water exploration in the Niger Delta, Nigeria.
Rosendahl et al. The continental margin in the Gulf of Guinea.
Preece et al. - Miocene benthic foraminiferal morphogroups in an oxygen minimum zone offshore Cabinda, Angola
Brooks et al. Macroseepage of oil and gas on the West African margin.
Griffith & Grant. Worldwide occurrence of hydrocarbons associated with plateau basalts
Ethetton & Cameron. Rocks and money
A symposium volume for the London meeting is to be published in 1998.
Contact: Nick Cameron

U.S. authored contributions to the Yaoundé meeting:
Yow-Yuh. Ear-like appendages: palynomorphs from Chad and Niger and their stratigraphic significance
Gaponoff & Nelson. Albian palynoflora of the Pinda Formation, Cabinda, Angola: a time and environmentally controlled approach to a palynological zonation.
Preece et al. An expression of the periodic intensification of the Benguela System through agglutinated foraminifers.
Wood & Miller. Paleoecologic and sequence stratigraphic implications of chlorophyta in the Cretaceous of South America and western Africa.
Wood et al. Palynology, palynofacies, and geochemistry of the Early Cretaceous Cocobeach Group, Gabon.
Brandão & Dignes. Upper Cretaceous planktonic foraminifers of the Cuanza Basin, Angola: a preliminary approach to biostratigraphic zonation.
Braccini et al. Reevaluation of the Pre-Salt petroleum system of Cabinda, Angola: the chronostratigraphic chart.
A symposium volume for the Yaoundé meeting is to be published in the Journal of African Earth Sciences. Contact: C.A. Kogbe.

U.S. authored contributions to the Heidelberg meeting:
Braccini et al. Chrono-lithostratigraphic framework for the Pre-Salt (Early Cretaceous) of Cabinda, Angola.
Wood & Miller. The stratigraphic and paleoecologic importance of acritarchs, chitinozoans, and spores from the Silurian Vargas Pena Shale, Paraguay.
Wood et al. Palynomorphs, smaller foraminifers, fusulinaceans and associated calcareous microfossils from the Copacabana Formation (Pennsylvanian-Lower Permian), Peru.

Other U.S. based notable events for 1997:
1 - Exxon's offer of joint SAMC cooperation with Petrobras (details in SAMC News No. 7, p. 4).
2 - Chris Denison - Appointed Coordinator - Palynomorphs - South Atlantic Index Microfossil Species: Systematics, Biostratigraphy, and Paleoecology.

U.S. Research activities in South America
Reported by William V. Sliter (Regional Coordinator) - U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA. E-mail: wsliter@octopus.wr.usgs.gov

Francia Galea-Alvarez (Corpoven S.A.)presented a multi-authored poster on the biostratigraphy of the La Luna Formation at the meeting in Heidelberg (Distribution of Cretaceous planktonic foraminifers in Venezuela: preliminary results).

Irene Truskowski (Maraven S.A.) attended the Symposia of SubAndean Basins in Cartagena, Colombia, and reports that Intevep presented 2 posters related with geochemical analysis and biostratigraphy. Marta Carillo is the first author of the Querecual section (Evidencias bioestratigraficas y geoquimicas de la ocurrencia de eventos anoxicos Cenomaniense-Turoniense (OAEII) en Venezuela Oriental). The other poster was presented by Intevep-Lagoven on changes of organic facies and paleoenvironments of Late Cretaceous (Variaciones de las facies organicas y paleoambientales en el Cretacico Tardio (Cenomaniense-Santoniense) en Venezuela oriental). In addition, Irene is working on the Lower Cretaceous (Cogollo Group) of Aptian-Albian age with mostly benthic fauna which she plans to present at Forams'98.

Linda de Romero of the University de Los Andes in Merida, Venezuela is starting her Ph.D. studies at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
Supervisor: Dr. Timothy Bralower
Title: Patterns of organic carbon deposition in the La Luna Formation of western Venezuela.
This project is designed to provide an understanding of the processes that led to the accumulation of organic material in the Upper Cretaceous La Luna Formation of western Venezuela. The La Luna is one of the largest petroleum source rocks in the world. The unit accumulated along the northern continental margin of South America and contains enormous quantities of organic carbon throughout its 20 million year history. Despite the economic significance of the La Luna, little is known about the processes that controlled the accumulation of organic carbon. Whether organic richness is a result of high surface-water productivity or poor bottom-water ventilation, and what the effect of relative sea level changes is unknown. The absence of an established high-resolution stratigraphic framework prevents accurate correlation between the La Luna and global Oceanic Anoxic Events.
A team of scientists has been assembled whose combined expertise will enable an investigation of the factors controlling organic accumulation in the La Luna. The proposed study is based on thirteen widely-spaced outcrop and borehole sections. The first goal is to establish a high-resolution stratigraphic framework based on integrated calcareous nannofossil and planktonic foraminiferal biostratigraphy combined with carbon- and strontium-isotope stratigraphies. This framework will serve as a basis for mapping the spatial and temporal patterns of organic richness.
A variety of data will be collected to investigate the processes that controlled the accumulation of organic carbon in the La Luna. Spatial and temporal patterns of sedimentary lamination will gauge the role of bottom-water oxygenation. Microfossil assemblage studies can assess the effect of surface water productivity. Basinal sequence stratigraphy and paleodepths determined from benthic foraminiferal assemblages will establish the relationship of organic carbon accumulation with relative sea level changes. Finally, detailed carbon-isotopic stratigraphy can determine the response of organic carbon accumulation in the La Luna to Late Cretaceous Oceanic Anoxic Events.
Collection and analysis of these data will provide a clearer understanding of the processes that led to the accumulation of organic carbon in the La Luna Formation and in marine organic-rich deposits throughout earth history.

Sandra de Cabrera of Corpoven S.A., Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela started her Ph.D. studies last year.
Supervisor: Dr. Ian Jarvis. Reader in Geochemistry, Kingston University, School of Geological Sciences, UK
Title: Late Cretaceous basin development in Venezuela: An integrated biostratigraphic and chemostratigraphic framework.
Thesis: To establish a chronostratigraphic, chemostratigraphic, and paleoenvironmental framework which will allow the definition and characterization of the potential source rocks and reservoirs sedimented during this period of time, and providing at the same time, alternative means of correlations.
Most of the Cretaceous strata in Venezuela were deposited on a passive margin where alternations of clastic and calcareous sedimentation took place over a wide range of environments, that vary from shallow water to bathyal, or deeper conditions. The oceanographic conditions prevailing at that time account for the widespread deposition of "black shales" which constitute the source rock for most of the oil so far discovered in Venezuela.
The correlation of the main reservoirs has been done through conventional biostratigraphy, especially utilizing foraminifera, with the limitations that the distribution of these organisms is environmentally controlled. This results in a fragmented or discontinous stratigraphy wherever marked lateral facies changes occur, from sediments deposited in the distal part of the basin, to those more proximal (the location of most reservoirs).
Chemostratigraphic (inorganic geochemistry) characterization of the stratigraphic column, tied to biostratigraphy, will provide an alternative means of correlating reservoirs and will help to more precisely define petroleum systems in space and time.

IGCP Project 381 RESEARCH Activities in Germany
Reported by Peter Bengtson (Co-leader of IGCP Project 381, member of Project Working Group [regional coordinator], national representative for Germany ) - University of Heidelberg, Germany. E-mail: Peter.Bengtson@urz.uni-heidelberg.de

Activities of the German group in 1997

In 1997 the following 30 workers based in Germany were registered as participants of IGCP 381:
Bandel, Klaus (Univ. Hamburg)
Bebiolka, Anke (TU Berlin)
Baecker-Fauth, Simone (Univ. Heidelberg)
Bengtson, Peter (Univ. Heidelberg)
Bengtson, Suzana (Univ. Heidelberg)
Boeger, Horst (Univ. Kiel)
Carvalho, Marcelo de Araujo (Univ. Heidelberg)
El Albani, Abderrazzak (Univ. Kiel)
Fauth, Gerson (Univ. Heidelberg)
Graefe, Kai-Uwe (Univ. Bremen)
Hay, William W. (GEOMAR, Kiel)
Herrmann, Achim (Univ. Heidelberg)
Hildebrand-Habel, Tania (Univ. Bremen)
Holbourn, Anne (Univ. Kiel)
Kiessling, Wolfgang (Univ. Erlangen)
Koutsoukos, Eduardo A.M. (Univ. Heidelberg; Petrobras, Rio de Janeiro)
Kowalczyk, Gotthard (Univ. Frankfurt)
Kuhnt, Wolfgang (Univ. Kiel)
Luther, Axel (Univ. Heidelberg)
Mutterlose, Joerg (Univ. Bochum)
Pletsch, Thomas (Univ. Kiel)
Reicherter, Klaus (Univ. Hamburg)
Schlicht, Peter (Univ. Köln)
Schneider, Stefanie (Univ. Heidelberg)
Seeling, Jens (Univ. Heidelberg)
Seibertz, Ekbert (Univ. Braunschweig)
Speijer, Robert P. (Univ. Bremen)
Stinnesbeck, Wolfgang (Univ. Karlsruhe)
Walter, Simone (Univ. Heidelberg)
Willems, Helmut (Univ. Bremen)

Individual project involvement ranges from 100 % research commitment to that of observer's status, with most participants showing medium to high activity within the project.

Research activities :
In the following, research projects carried out by participants active in Germany and of relevance to IGCP 381 are listed, as reported by 25 September 1997. A number of projects are being carried out in collaboration with workers outside Germany.

BRAUNSCHWEIG
* Middle Cretaceous of Mexico.
Coordinated by E. Seibertz - Project funded in part by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft.
During the past year previously collected fossil material has been revised and stratigraphically reassigned on the basis of the recommendations of the Second International Symposium on Cretaceous Stratigraphy in Brussels, 1995. Palaeobiogeographic patterns have been used as a base for modelling palaeocurrent systems. The first results were presented at a meeting in Mexico.

Seibertz, E., 1997: Evolution of the mid-Cretaceous in northern Mexico under paleoceanographic aspects. Segunda Convención sobre la Evolución Geológica de México y Recursos Asociados (Pachuca/Hidalgo, Mexico, 25-28 May 1997), Abstracts.
 

BREMEN
* Evolution of South Atlantic calcareous dinoflagellates since the Late Cretaceous
Coordinated by T. Hildebrand-Habel and H. Willems - Project funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft DFG within the "ODP Schwerpunktprogramm".
Calcareous dinoflagellates are prominent contributors to the microfossil content of Mesozoic and Cenozoic marine sediments. Although research activities have been intensified during the last two decades, a general extensive investigation of the evolution of these significant organisms is needed. The aim of this project is a detailed examination of Mesozoic and Cenozoic dinoflagellate assemblages in DSDP/ODP cores of the South Atlantic Ocean. The objective is to contribute to a better understanding of the factors controlling the temporal and spatial distribution patterns of Mesozoic and Cenozoic calcdinoflagellates in the South Atlantic. During the past year the study of Maastrichtian to Eocene calcdinoflagellates of DSDP Site 356 (São Paulo Plateau) was completed and the examination of DSDP Site 357 (Rio Grande Rise) started. Both sites reveal an association of calcdinoflagellates mainly consisting of long-ranging forms, fluctuating qualitatively and quantitatively in distinct stratigraphic patterns. The Maastrichtian is characterized by stable calcdinoflagellate associations, exhibiting high percentage occurrences of the subfamilies Obliquipithonelloideae and Orthopithonelloideae. Although no accelerated rates of extinctions are discernible at the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary, the broad species spectrum is modified by an extreme dominance of tangentially structured Fuettererelloideae. During the Paleocene-Eocene transition, the nature of the association changes to a highly variable assemblage. These obvious changes in calcdinoflagellate associations clearly correspond to variations in the environmental conditions.
 

ERLANGEN
* Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous Radiolaria from Antarctica as a key to understanding middle Mesozoic paleoceanography.
Current subprojects :
(a) Correlation of marine Upper Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous fore-arc and back-arc basin deposits of the Antarctic Peninsula.
(W. Kiessling, in collaboration with R. Scasso, A. Riccardi, F. Medina, A. Zeiss)
The objective of this subproject is to correlate the South Atlantic back-arc deposits with coeval fore-arc deposits of the Palaeo-Pacific Ocean.
For this purpose Tithonian-Berriasian basins of the northern Antarctic Peninsula (Nordenskjäld Formation at Longing Gap and on Joinville Island; Anchorage Formation on Livingston Island) have been selected for study. A major aim is to find out to what extent oceanographical changes in the two basins occured simultaneously.
Carbonate concretions within the mudstone sequences contain excellently preserved radiolarian faunas exhibiting typical high-latitude characteristics. The main features of the faunas are: (1) Dominance of Parvicingula/Praeparvicingula with apical horn; (2) Abundance of spongy spumellarians; (3) Scarcity of Hagiastridae and Syringocapsidae; (4) Relatively low diversities compared with Tethyan faunas; (5) Presence of high-latitude subspecies, pathogenic morphotypes and endemic species; (6) Absence of Mirifusus; (7) Fluctuating abundance of pantanelliids.
A manuscript is currently in preparation, entitled "Combined ammonite-radiolarian stratigraphy of the Late Jurassic of the northern Antarctic Peninsula". There is evidence that the North American radiolarian biozonation has been incorrectly assigned chronostratigraphically. Some zonal boundaries have been given precise ages. The results of this subproject were presented at the Interrad VIII meeting in Paris 1997.

(b) Biogeography of Late Jurassic Austral Radiolaria. (W. Kiessling)
Qualitative and semi-quantitative data combined with cluster analysis based on species counts of the well preserved radiolarian faunas from the Nordenskjäld and Anchorage formations on the Antarctic Peninsula and Livingston Island allow the definition of an Austral radiolarian province. This Austral Province is similar in many respects to the Southern Boreal Province. Mixing of the Austral and Southern Boreal radiolarian provinces was possible along the eastern Pacific margin, where an East Equatorial Province is evident. The new data from Antarctica allow a preliminary paleoceanographical interpretation of the global biogeographical distribution of Late Jurassic radiolarian faunas.
Results of studies of the Tithonian global radiolarian biogeography were presented at the Interrad VIII meeting. A manuscript on Antarctic radiolarian taxonomy with paleoceanographical remarks has been submitted to "Micropaleontology".
 

HAMBURG
* Reevaluation of the Maastrichtian Quiriquina fauna of Central Chile, especially the gastropods.
Coordinated by K. Bandel, W. Stinnesbeck, in collaboration with A. Quinzio.
Project funded by the German Academic Exchange Service DAAD.

 
HEIDELBERG
* The Cenomanian-Turonian boundary in north-eastern Brazil: high-resolution stratigraphy and palaeoenvironmental evolution.
Coordinated by P. Bengtson, J. Seeling, S. Walter, A. Herrmann. - Project funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft DFG.

Current subprojects :

(a) Cenomanian-Turonian biostratigraphy and palaeontology of the Sergipe Basin.
(J. Seeling, P. Bengtson)
Recent field work in the Laranjeiras area made it possible to redefine the Vascoceras harttii-Pseudaspidoceras footeanum ammonite zone, subdividing it into a lower zone characterized by the genera Vascoceras and Pseudaspidoceras and an upper zone characterized by Pseudotissotia. The Cenomanian-Turonian stage boundary is likely to lie near boundary between these two zones but needs to be correlated with the recently proposed boundary stratotype in Colorado, USA. Taxonomic work has focused on inoceramids, oysters and echinoids, and a number of manuscripts are in draft stage. For the ammonites, a major task consists of reaching a taxonomic consensus. In addition to the stratigraphical work, palaeoecological factors and diversity changes across the stage boundary are also taken into account.

(b) Environmental and facies analysis of the Cenomanian-Turonian transition in the Sergipe Basin. 
(S. Walter, P. Bengtson).
Additional field work was carried out in late 1996 in the Laranjeiras and Rita Cacete areas and detailed profiles were established on the basis of microfacies analysis. Besides macrofossil fragments, some thin sections contain high quantities of planktic and benthic foraminifers, ostracods and roveacrinids, the latter potentially useful for stratigraphical purposes. The magnesian-calcitic roveacrinidal remains are more resistant against dolomitization than other calcitic microfossils and commonly constitute the only remaining biological structures in such rocks, thus offering possibilities for chronostratigraphic correlation where other fossils are scarce or lacking.
Results of this subproject were presented at the Regional Meeting of IGCP Project 381, in Heidelberg, 2 September 1997.

(c) Lithostratigraphy and facies analysis of the Cenomanian-Turonian boundary in the Sergipe Basin. 
(A. Herrmann, P. Bengtson).
This subproject aims at establishing the broad litho- and biostratigraphical relationships of selected areas in the northern part of the Sergipe Basin, where previous work has indicated the presence of a Cenomanian-Turonian boundary succession. Outcrop mapping and study of thin sections have led to a facies model, comprising an outer and mid ramp carbonate environment at a water depth of 40-80 m. At the base of the section there are abundant pelagic microfossils such as roveacrinids, calcispheres and foraminifers, whereas in the upper part shallow-water organisms (especially fragments of echinoderms and inoceramids) brought in by currents increase in number. This, and the increase in bioclasts, indicate a progressive shallowing of the area during the Cenomanian-Turonian transition. The project was completed in 1997 with an M.Sc. thesis (Herrmann 1997).

(d) Dinoflagellates of the Cenomanian-Turonian boundary in the Sergipe Basin, north-eastern Brazil.
(E.A.M. Koutsoukos, P. Bengtson, in collaboration with C. Lana, Petrobras, and others).
The study is based on material from outcrops in the southern part of the Sergipe Basin and aims at a biostratigraphic scale for dinoflagellates that can be integrated with the current ammonite and foraminifer scales for the basin.

Publications :
Ferré, B., Walter, S. & Bengtson, P., 1997. The role of roveacrinids in study of the mid-Cretaceous of the Sergipe Basin, north-eastern Brazil. In T. Bechstaedt, P. Bengtson, R. Greiling & V. Schweizer (eds.): 18th IAS Regional European Meeting of Sedimentology, Heidelberg, September 2-4, 1997, Abstracts, 130-131. Gaea heidelbergensis 3.

Herrmann, A., 1997. Geologische Kartierung südlich von Japaratuba und Faziesanalyse der Cenoman/Turon-Grenze im Sergipe-Becken, Nordostbrasilien. 96 pp., one map. M.Sc. thesis, Universität Heidelberg, 92 pp.

* Aptian-Maastrichtian ammonites and integrated biostratigraphy of north-eastern Brazil.
Coordinated by P. Bengtson, E.A.M. Koutsoukos. -

Subprojects:

(a) Aptian ammonites and foraminifers from the Sergipe Basin.
(P. Bengtson, E.A.M. Koutsoukos)
The oldest biostratigraphically significant marine faunas of the north-western South Atlantic are of Aptian age. Biogeographical relationships show strong central and northern Atlantic affinities, which indicates that there was at least intermittent surface-water exchange between the South and Central Atlantic during this time through a Gulf of Guinea seaway. Taxonomic treatment of the faunas will provide the basis for a reliable dating of the first marine connections. The ammonites studied have been obtained from a Petrobras boring and complemented with material collected from outcrop.

(b) Biostratigraphic correlation of the upper Aptian-Albian succession of north-eastern Brazil. 
(E.A.M. Koutsoukos, P. Bengtson).
On the basis of composite outcrop and subsurface sections in the Sergipe Basin the microbiostratigraphy has been calibrated with ammonite occurrences. However, correlation of the basal marine beds with the international scale, which is based mainly on ammonites, is problematic. Apparently, the variable palaeoenvironmental settings of the initial marine depositional phase in the northern South Atlantic controlled the composition of the biotopes, constraining the occurrence of biostratigraphically significant fossils, of which many were deep-water dwellers. The results of this analysis were presented at the Regional Meeting of IGCP Project 381, in Heidelberg, 2 September 1997.

(c) Campanian ammonites and inoceramids from the Sergipe Basin.
(P. Bengtson, E.A.M. Koutsoukos, in collaboration with W.S. Lima, K.-A. Tröger, J. Burnett, M.H. Zucon).
Comparatively little is known about the uppermost Cretaceous macropalaeontology of the Sergipe Basin. The occurrence of ammonites and inoceramid bivalves at an isolated outcrop are therefore of considerable importance. The project aims at a systematic and biostratigraphical treatment of these macrofossils, supported by biostratigraphical data on the accompanying foraminifers and calcareous nannoplankton. Field work in 1997 produced new material, including vertebrate remains.

(d) Ammonite taxonomy and biostratigraphy of north-eastern Brazil.
(P. Bengtson, S. Bengtson)
Work on middle Cretaceous ammonites from the Sergipe Basin continues, focusing in 1977 on the lower Cenomanian fauna. The material derives from the only known outcrop of ammonite-bearing lower Cenomanian rocks on the western margin of the South Atlantic. The fauna is diverse with a dominantly Tethyan character and shows close palaeobiogeographic relationships with the Texas Mexico region, notably through the common occurrence of Graysonites lozoi Young, 1958, and Forbesiceras brundrettei (Young, 1958). There are also significant ties with southern and western Africa and Algeria Tunisia, e.g. through Sharpeiceras vohipalense Collignon, 1964, Sharpeiceras laticlavium nigeriense Zaborski, 1985, and abundant Stoliczkaia (Shumarinaia) africana Pervinquière, 1907. The fauna is referred to the Mantelliceras mantelli "Standard Zone", although the diagnostic genus Mantelliceras appears to be missing in Brazil. The results were presented at the Regional Meeting of IGCP Project 381, in Heidelberg, 2 September 1997.

Publications:
Koutsoukos, E.A.M. & Bengtson, P., 1997. Biostratigraphic constraints for correlation of the upper Aptian-Albian succession of north-eastern Brazil. In T. Bechstaedt, P. Bengtson, R. Greiling & V. Schweizer (eds.): 18th IAS Regional European Meeting of Sedimentology, Heidelberg, September 2-4, 1997, Abstracts, p. 207. Gaea heidelbergensis 3.

Bengtson, S., 1997. Lower Cenomanian ammonites from the Sergipe Basin, Brazil. In T. Bechstaedt, P. Bengtson, R. Greiling & V. Schweizer (eds.): 18th IAS Regional European Meeting of Sedimentology, Heidelberg, September 2-4, 1997, Abstracts, p. 72. Gaea heidelbergensis 3.
 

* Cretaceous macropalaeontology, biostratigraphy and palaeoecology of Antarctica. 
Coordinated by P. Bengtson, A. Luther, S. Bengtson). 

Subprojects:

(a) Cenomanian-Coniacian ammonites from the James Ross Basin, Antarctica.
(P. Bengtson, in collaboration with M.R.A. Thomson, British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge) - Project partly funded through travel grants within the ARC programme of DAAD/British Council.
Since its discovery nearly a century ago the 3-4 km thick Cretaceous marine succession of the James Ross Basin, north-eastern Antarctic Peninsula, was referred exclusively to the Campanian. It is now known that Campanian fossils are restricted to the upper quarter of the sequence; in the lower, less fossiliferous part there occur Albian, Cenomanian, possible Turonian and definite Coniacian ammonites. Many genera are cosmopolitan; nevertheless, the biogeographical ties with southern Patagonia are evident. A common feature of both areas is a poorly defined Turonian Stage. The subproject, which consists of a taxonomic, biostratigraphic and biogeographic study of the pre-Campanian Upper Cretaceous ammonites of the James Ross Basin, was concluded during the past year.

(b) Upper Cretaceous palaeoecology and sedimentology of the James Ross Basin, Antarctic Peninsula. 
(A. Luther, P. Bengtson, in collaboration with the British Antarctic Survey.) - 
Project funded by the German Research Council DFG.
The marine Upper Cretaceous of West Antarctica has been known for nearly a century but it is only during the last decades that detailed stratigraphical and palaeontological investigations were carried out. Recent sedimentological and geochemical studies have indicated the need for palaeoecological data. The aim of the 1994/95 British Antarctic Survey field project in the main Upper Cretaceous outcrop area, the James Ross Basin, was to obtain an integrated view of the development of the basin by studying the fossil floras and faunas, the sedimentology and the palaeoecology. Palaeoecological investigations, which form the major part of this project, should clarify the relationship between biota and sedimentary facies.
During the past year investigations have been pursued along three main lines:
(1) Ichnofossils associated with giant inoceramid bivalves in the Campanian of the James Ross Basin, Antarctica and their paleoecological significance. (A. Luther)
Specimens of Antarcticeramus rabotensis Crame & Luther, 1997 - a mid to late Campanian giant inoceramid from the James Ross Basin, Antarctic Peninsula - are hosts of a rich and diverse ichnofossil assemblage. The inoceramids occur in the Santa Marta Formation in the middle part of the Rabot Member, south-eastern James Ross Island, and in the stratigraphically equivalent lower part of the Herbert Sound Member, northern James Ross Island. They are the youngest inoceramids known in the Antarctic. The trace fossils occur on the surfaces of the internal moulds and within the shell. Some of the borings in the shell were caused by parasitic and/or commensalic organisms. Although the negative influence of these organisms was not lethal, it certainly deteriorated the living conditions of the host. The traces on the surface of internal moulds belong to the Nereites ichnofacies (Paleodictyon, Cosmorhaphe and Urohelminthoida). Considering that A. rabotensis lived at mid-shelf depths, this is an exceptionally shallow occurrence of the Nereites ichnofacies. The trace fossils of the host sediment belong to the Cruziana and Skolithos ichnofacies, which one would expect in these environmental settings. This study attempts to explain the unusual isolated occurrence of the Nereites facies in a mid to outer shelf environment among typical outer shelf trace fossils of the Cruziana and Skolithos ichnofacies.
(2) The southern hemisphere Euscalpellum, cirripede or coelenterate? (A. Luther, P. Bengtson).
Fossil peduncles and capitular plates of a new cirripede species of Euscalpellum were found at Hamilton Point, James Ross Island, and compared with previously collected material from The Naze, James Ross Island; Leal Bluff, Vega Island; Humps Island; and Sanctuary Cliffs, Snow Hill Island. Similar peduncles occur in South America (Tierra del Fuego) and in New Zealand (Waipara Gorge). Because of their unusual massive internal morphology and the lack of capitular plates (the material from Hamilton Point represents the first Cretaceous capitular plates of the genus Euscalpellum found in the southern hemisphere) these peduncles were interpreted by Buckeridge (1993) as coelenterates of the Pennatulacea. The present study has shown that they are indeed cirripedes and it has also contributed to interpretation of their mode of life. All southern hemisphere peduncles occur in loose, fine-grained sediments which is an unusual environment for cirripedes. The results were presented at the Regional Meeting of IGCP Project 381, in Heidelberg, 2 September 1997.
(3) Trace fossils of Rabot Point and their palaeoecological significance (A. Luther, in collaboration with L. Buatois, D. Martinioni).
This study concerns the trace fossil assemblages of Rabot Point, James Ross Island, including comparisons with material from Hamilton Point. A palaeofacies reconstruction based on lithological and ichnological data will be given in this paper.

(c) Ammonites of the genus Spiticeras from Livingston Island, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. 
(S. Bengtson, in collaboration with M.R.A. Thomson).
An abundant and diversified fauna and flora is found in the Upper Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous sedimentary sequence of Byers Peninsula, Livingston Island. The macrofauna includes a rich olcostephanid-berriasellid ammonite assemblage with representatives of the chiefly Berriasian genera Spiticeras, Blanfordiceras, Himalayites and Corongoceras and, less commonly, oppeliids and bochianitids. Spiticeras is the most common genus and the subject of this study. More than 150 species and subspecies of this geographically widespread Tethyan and "Indo-Pacific" genus have been described, virtually all in need of modern revision. The taxonomic part of this subproject will be concluded in 1997.

(d) Revision of the Austral Kossmaticeratidae.
(P. Bengtson, S. Bengtson, in collaboration with M.R.A. Thomson).

Publications:
Crame, J.A. & Luther, A., 1997. The last inoceramid bivalves in Antarctica. Cretaceous Research, 2: 179-195.

Luther, A., 1997. Euscalpellum antarcticum - cirripede or coelenterate? In T. Bechstaedt, P. Bengtson, R. Greiling & V. Schweizer (eds.): 18th IAS Regional European Meeting of Sedimentology, Heidelberg, September 2-4, 1997, Abstracts, p. 224. Gaea heidelbergensis 3.

* Late Cretaceous radiolarian palaeoceanographyy and biostratigraphy in the equatorial Atlantic Ocean.
Coordinated by S. Baecker-Fauth, P. Bengtson.
Project funded by the Brazilian Research Council (CNPq)
This project, which started in 1997, comprises study of samples from ODP Legs 75, 80, 108 and 159. Samples are being processed and have yielded fairly well preserved radiolarians.

* Ostracode assemblages across the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary in the Pernambuco-Paraíba Basin, north-eastern Brazil: Systematics, biostratigraphy and palaeoenvironments.
Coordinated by Gerson Fauth, P. Bengtson, E.A.M. Koutsoukos.
Project funded by the German Academic Exchange Service DAAD.
The material for this study was collected from the Poty quarry in Pernambuco. After inventory of the South Atlantic Maastrichtian-Danian ostracodes, taxonomic work on the Maastrichtian faunas followed. Seventeen species have been determined and referred to the genera Cytherella, Brachycythere, Protobuntonia, Cythereis, Cytheropteron, Paracypris, Bythocypris, Bairdia and Costa. The results to date were presented at the Regional Meeting of IGCP Project 381, in Heidelberg, 2 September 1997.

Publication:
Fauth, G., Koutsoukos, E.A.M. & Bengtson, P., 1997. Uppermost Maastrichtian Ostracoda from the Poty Quarry section, Pernambuco-Paraíba Basin, northeastern Brazil. In T. Bechstaedt, P. Bengtson, R. Greiling & V. Schweizer (eds.): 18th IAS Regional European Meeting of Sedimentology, Heidelberg, September 2-4, 1997, Abstracts, p. 128. Gaea heidelbergensis 3.

* Lower Cretaceous palynomorphs of the Sergipe Basin.
Coordinated by M.A. Carvalho, P. Bengtson, E.A.M. Koutsoukos.
Project funded by the German Academic Exchange Service DAAD.
The project consists of a palaeoenvironmental and biostratigraphic study of the Aptian-Albian sequence of the Sergipe Basin, based on palynology and palynofacies analysis. The borehole profiles have been analyzed for improved stratigraphical control in order to permit the establishment of sequence and system tracts. The Karogodin system for registration of the vertical pattern of sedimentation has been tested in collaboration with M.A.M. Medeiros, University of Rio de Janeiro.
 

KARLSRUHE
* The Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary in Mexico and adjacent areas.
Coordinated by W. Stinnesbeck.
 

KIEL
* Cretaceous of the equatorial Atlantic Ocean.
Coordinated by W. Kuhnt, T. Pletsch, A. Holbourn, A. El Albani, F. Luderer.
Project funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft DFG within the "ODP Schwerpunktprogramm", by DAAD/British Council (Holbourn) and by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation/DFG (El Albani).

Research within this major project is concentrated on the following topics.
(a) Biostratigraphy, palaeoecology and palaeobiogeography of late Cretaceous benthic foraminifers. (W. Kuhnt).
(b) Sedimentology and clay mineralogy of Cretaceous sediments of the eastern Atlantic. (T. Pletsch).
(c) Biostratigraphy, palaeoecology and palaeobiogeography of early Cretaceous benthic foraminifers. (A. Holbourn).
(d) High-resolution stratigraphy, palaeoecology and sedimentology at the Cenomanian-Turonian boundary in western African basins. (A. El Albani & F. Luderer).
Cretaceous deposits from Ocean Drilling Program Leg 159 on the Côte d'Ivoire-Ghana Transform Margin (CIGTM, eastern Equatorial Atlantic) are characterized by distinct stratigraphic changes in sedimentary facies associated with changes in the composition of the clayey and organic fractions, and of the radiolarian and benthic foraminiferal assemblages. The existence of marine depositional environments as early as the late Aptian to early Albian close to the Leg 159 drill sites puts constraints on the timing of the opening of the equatorial Atlantic gateway. The absence of lower to middle Cretaceous deposits from drill sites on the crest of the Marginal Ridge probably results from the elevated position of this ridge and its concurrent erosion, during the mid-Cretaceous. Marine sedimentation both towards the north and the south of the ridge suggests that the West African and South American cratons were largely detatched at this segment of the margin by the middle Albian. However, it may have taken until after the Turonian that a deep-water connection between the Central Atlantic and the South Atlantic became established.

Publications:
Pletsch, T. & Wagner, T., 1997. Evolution of the Côte d'Ivoire-Ghana Transform Margin (ODP Leg 159) during the Cretaceous: evidence from clay minerals and organic matter. Abstract, "The Oil and Gas Habitats of the South Atlantic", 24-26 February 1997, Geological Society, London.

Pletsch, T., Wagner, T., Holbourn, A., Kuhnt, W., Erbacher, J. & Moullade, M., 1977. Sedimentary dynamics along an opening oceanic gateway: the Cretaceous Equatorial Atlantic (ODP Leg 159). In T. Bechstaedt, P. Bengtson, R. Greiling & V. Schweizer (eds.): 18th IAS Regional European Meeting of Sedimentology, Heidelberg, September 2-4, 1997, Abstracts, 276-277. Gaea heidelbergensis 3.

* The Santa Maria sequence in southern Brazil and its eolian frame: sedimentology, palaeoecology and palaeogeography of an aquatic sedimentary trough within the Botucatu desert during the Kazanian-Norian interval.
Coordinated by H. Boeger, G. Kowalczyk.
Project funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft DFG.
In the eastern part of the Paraná Basin (southern Brazil and Uruguay) eolian arid sedimentation persisted during the early Mesozoic over at least 100 Ma. This sequence is known as Gondwana Beds, the uppermost part of which is the Botucatu Sandstone. The sequence comprises a time span from the latest Permian to the onset of the "Serra Geral" volcanic activities in the Early Cretaceous (133 Ma). Earlier work by Boeger & Kowalczyk and Bortoluzzi (1974) have shown that the eolian sedimentation was locally interrupted by aquatic episodes. These resulted in fossiliferous deposits which seem to be either fluviatile or bound up with smaller local troughs, the sediments of which are partly of sabkha type. In Rio Grande do Sul (southern Brazil) these sediments constitute the Santa Maria Formation, which is well known for its occurrences of tetrapods. The main part of the aquatic sequences seems to be confined to the Kazanian-Norian interval. The intradesert sedimentary basins appear to reflect the beginning of the South Atlantic spreading event. Furthermore they represent an ancient ecosystem of importance for the early stages of the evolution of higher tetrapods (dinosaurs, archosauria, mammal-like reptiles, etc.). In contrast to earlier opinions, von Huene's view that all the significant tetrapod sites in the central part of Rio Grande do Sul are confined to approximately the same stratigraphical level, ca. 228 Ma in age, is accepted. One of the principal aims of the project is to substantiate this theory.
In 1996 and 1997 detailed fieldwork has indicated that our former theory that the Rio do Rasto sequence in Santa Catarina is equivalent with the Santa Maria Formation in Rio Grande do Sul can probably not be upheld. Detailed sedimentological and palaeoecological analysis has been carried out and will be continued in October 1997.
  

IGCP PROJECT 381 RESEARCH ACTIVITIES IN FRANCE
Reported by Edwige Masure (Correspondante Française pour le PICG 381)
Laboratoire de Micropaleontologie, Département de Géologie Sédimentaire, Université P. & M. CURIE, 75252 Paris, France. E-mail: edmasure@ccr.jussieu.fr

Mesozoic ammonites:
MEISTER, C., M'BINA, M. & LANG, J., 1996. Les ammonites cénomano-turoniennes du Gabon: intérêt pour la liaison Tethys-Atlantique Sud et corrélations. (affiche). First annual Conference Bahia, Brésil, 2 - 5 september 1996.
Les études des ammonites cénomano-turoniennes du Gabon (Libreville) et du Brésil (bassin de Sergipe) et la synthèse des données acquises au Niger et au Nigeria permettront de comprendre les relations entre la Téthys et l'Atlantique Sud naissant, via la mer Saharienne.

Mesozoic benthic foraminifers:
Coordinator : Ivan de KLASZ, La Verdiane, 74 Av. du Mont Alban, F-06300 Nice

BIO-LOKOTO, A., CARBONEL, G., de KLASZ, I., de KLASZ, S., LANG, J. & SALARD-CHEBOLDAEFF, M., 1997. Données nouvelles biochronologiques et Paléoécologiques sur le Bassin sédimentaire côtier du Benin entre le Crétacé supérieur et l´Eocène basal (Afrique de l´Ouest). Second annual Conference, Yaoundé, 8-13 Mars, 1997.

KUHNT, W., KAMINSKI, M. A., HOLBOURN, A., DE KLASZ, S., MOULLADE, M., PLETSCH, T. & the Leg 159 Shipboard Scientific Party, 1996. Cretaceous benthic foraminifera from the Guinea Margin (Leg 159) and the paleoceanography of the Equatorial Gateway: preliminary results.1st EuroColloquium ODP, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, Oldenburg, february 28 - march 1, Abstracts, 1 p.

N'DA, V. & SAINT-MARC, P., 1996. Données stratigraphiques nouvelles sur le Crétacé du Golfe de Guinée. First annual Conference Bahia, Brésil, 2 - 5 september 1996.
L'étude des foraminifères d'un forage du bassin profond ivoirien du Cénomanien au Paléocène inférieur permet de mettre en évidence l'évolution complexe de la sédimentation liée ˆ la proximité de la marge transformante Côte d'Ivoire-Ghana.

Mesozoic planktic foraminifers:
BELLIER, J.-P. et l'équipe embarquée, 1996. Les foraminifères planctoniques albiens du Leg 159 (O.D.P., Atlantique Est-équatorial). Réunion spécialisée Soc.Géol. de France, P. I. C. G., Paris, 4-5 novembre 1996, Strata, sér.1, vol.8, p. 91.

BELLIER J.-P. et l'équipe scientifique embarquée, 1996. Foraminifères planctoniques albiens de l'Atlantique Est-équatorial (ODP Leg 159). Deuxième Congrès National de Paléontologie, A P F, 13-15 novembre, Paris, Carré des Sciences, Résumés, p.7.
Les morphotypes albiens récoltés ˆ proximité de la marge transformante Côte d'Ivoire-Ghana possèdent des affinités très marquées avec ceux connus dans le bassin d'Angola et la ride de Walvis, ˆ affinité australe. L'influence de la Téthys ˆ cette époque se fait sentir qu'au Nord de la latitude des Canaries

BELLIER, J.-P., in press. Cretaceous planktonic foraminifers from Leg 159, eastern equatorial Atlantic. Ocean Drilling Program, Sc. Results, vol. 159

MASSALA, A., BELLIER, J.-P., MAGNIEZ-JANNIN, F. & LAURIN, B., 1996. Biostratigraphie (foraminifères planctoniques) et environnements du Crétacé supérieur d'après deux sondages du Bassin Côtier Congolais. Géologie de l'Afrique et de l'Atlantique Sud: Actes Colloques Angers 1994: 29-38.

Mesozoic ostracodes:
Coordinator : Jean-Paul COLIN, ESSO Rep, Cours Victor Hugo, 33323 Bègles cedex

COLIN, J.P., & BABINOT, J-F., 1996. Preliminary account of ostracodes from the Aptian-Albian of Venezuela: paleobiogeographic implications. In KEEN, M (Ed), Proceedings of the 2nd European Osctacodologists Meeting, Glasgow, 1993, British Micropaleontological Society, London: 29-34.

COLIN, J.P.,TAMBAREAU, Y. & KRASHENNIKOV, A., 1996. Ostracodes liminiques et lagunaires dans le Crétacé Supérieur du Mali (Afrique de l´Ouest) : Systématique, paléoécologie et affinités paléobiogéographiques. Revue de Micropaléontologie, 39: 211-222.

COLIN, J.P., & DEPECHE, F., in press. Early Cretaceous lacustrine ostracode faunas of intra-cratonic basins of west Africa and Brazil: palaeobiogeographical considerations. Second annual Conference, Yaoundé (8-13 Mars 1997), African Geoscience Review, Special Volume.

COLIN, J.P., & DEPECHE, F., 1997. Early Cretaceous lacustrine ostracode faunas of intra-cratonic basins of west Africa and Brazil: palaeobiogeographical considerations. SAMC News, 7: 13.

COLIN, J.P. & DEPECHE, F., sous presse. Faunes d´ostracodes lacustres des bassins intra-cratoniques dÕâge albo-aptien en Afrique de l´Ouest (Cameroun, Chad) et au Brésil: considérations d´ordre paléoécologiques et paléobiogéographique. Africa Geoscience Review, vol. 4, No. 2-3.

COLIN, J.P.,TAMBAREAU, Y. & KRASHENNIKOV, A., 1997. An early record of the genus Cytheridella DADAY, 1905 (Ostracoda, Limnocytheridae, Timiriaseviinae) from the Upper Cretaceous of Mali, West Africa: palaeobiogeographical and palaeocological considerations. Journal of Micropalaeontology, 16: 91-95.

COLIN, J.P.,TAMBAREAU, Y., HOTTINGER, L. & KRASHENINNIKKOV, A., 1996. Ostracod and shallow benthic foraminifera assemblages around the Cretaceous:Tertiary boundary in Mali, Western Africa. Impact Cratering and Evolution of Planet Earth, (Affiche), Sept. 27-Oct. 2, 1996, Postojna, Slovenia.

Early Cretaceous lacutrine Ostracodes have been studied from West Africa (Chad-Cameroun) et Brazil (Araripe basin). Strong faunal similarites have been noticed especially between Aptian-early Albian suggesting similar lake system.

An assemblage of limnic and brackish-water ostracodes is described for the first time in sediments ofCampanian-Maastrichtien age of Mali. The paleogeographical affinities are with the southern Europe.

Palynomorphs:
ARAI, M. & MASURE, E., 1997. Les dinoflagellés vraconniens du bassin de Campos (Brésil). Second annual Conference, Yaoundé, 8-13 Mars, 1997.
Les assemblages de kystes de dinoflagellés de la roche réservoir vraconienne (Albien terminal) du bassin de Campos contiennent des espèces cosmopolites et des espèces endémiques. Ces dernières (Endoscrinium tabulatum, Gordiacysta coronata et Walvisia woodii) ont été découvertes au large de l´Angola et caractérisent les bassins côtiers de l´Atlantique Sud. Elles sont très caractéristiques puisque deux des trois sont les espèces types de deux nouveaux genres.

ARAI, M., LANA, C.C., & PEDRÃO, E., 1996. Le genre Subtilisphaera, dinoflagellé pionnier des premières transgression de l'Atlantique Nord en région équatoriale. PICG: participation française, bilan, perspectives (Soc.Géol. de France, Paris, 4-5 novembre, 1996), (Affiche), Strata: 90.
Ce dinoflagellé est le premier a coloniser et a pulluler dans les bassins côtiers brésiliens qui se développent lors des premières transgressions marines, aptiennes ou albiennes.

DEJAX, J. & BRUNET, M., 1996. Les flores fossiles du bassin d'Hama-Koussou, Crétacé inférieur du Nord-Cameroun : corrélations biochronologiques avec le Fossé de la Bénoué, implications paléogéographiques. - Géologie de l'Afrique et de l'Atlantique Sud : Actes Colloques Angers 1994. - Bull. Centres Rech. Explor.-Prod. Elf Aquitaine, Mém. 16: 145-173.

MASURE, E., TEA, J. & YAO, R., 1997. Le kyste de dinoflagellés Andalusiella: émendation du genre, révision des espèces, A. ivoirensis sp. nov. Second annual Conference, Yaoundé, 8-13 Mars, 1997 (affiche).
Le genre Andalusiella est un kyste de dinoflagellés du Crétacé Supérieur marqueur des faibles latitudes (25¡ des latitudes Nord et Sud). Les espèces se limitent au Campanien et au Maastrichtien de l´Atlantique équatorial et permettent de découper ces étages.

MASURE, E., RAUSCHER, R., DEJAX, J., & SCHULER, M., 1997. Palynologie du Crétacé au Paléocène de la marge transformante Côte d´Ivoire-Ghana, Leg O.D.P. 159, sites 959, 960, 961, 962. PICG: participation française, bilan, perspectives (Soc.Géol. de France, Paris, 4-5 novembre, 1996), Strata: 92. Second annual Conference, Yaoundé, 8-13 Mars, 1997.

MASURE, E., RAUSCHER, R., DEJAX, J., SCHULER, M., & FERRE, B., in press. Cretaceous-Paleocene palynology from Côte d´Ivoire-Ghana transform margin Leg 159, sites 959, 960, 961 , 962. Ocean Drilling Program, Scientific Results, vol. 159.
Le forage 959D situé au large de la Côte d´Ivoire a permis l'étude en continue des palynomorphes de l'Albien au Paléocène supérieur. Les spores et grains de pollen datent de lÕAlbien la base du forage. Les kystes de dinoflagellés prennent le relais ˆ partir du Coniacien-Santonien et précisent les limites dÕétages du Crétacé supérieur et du Tertiaire basal.

MOULLADE, M., WATKINS, F., OBOH-IKUENOBE, E., BELLIER, J.-.P., MASURE, E., HOLBOURN, A.E.L., ERBACHER, J., KUHNT, W., PLETSCH, T., KAMINSKI, M.A., RAUSCHER, R., SHAFIK, S., YEPES, O., DEJAX, J., GREGG, J.M., SHIN, I.C., SCHULER, M., in press. ODP Leg 159, equatorial Atlantic: Mesozoic biostratigraphic, paleoenvironmental and paleobiogeographic synthesis. Proc. ODP Scientific Results.
La synthèse des données biostratigraphiques crétacées acquises (foraminifères planctoniques, benthiques, nannofossiles, radiolaires et palynomorphes) permet la datation des événement majeurs de l´évolution géodynamique de la marge transformante Côte dÕIvoire Ghana. La confrontation des résultats a conduit a une meilleure qualibration des échelles utilisées par ces différents groupes.

OBOH-IKUENOBE, F. E., YEPES O & ODP Leg 159 Scientific Party, 1997. Palynofacies analysis of sediments from the Côte d'Ivoire-Ghana transform margin: Preliminary correlation with some regional events in the Equatorial Atlantic. Palaeogeo., Palaeocli., Palaeoeco., 129: 291-314.

Calcareous nannofossils:
FOGORASI, A., BIO LOKOTO, A., & LANG, J., 1997. Nannofossiles du Crétacé Supérieur dans le Bassin sédimentaire côtier du Bénin (Afrique de l´Ouest). Second annual Conference, Yaoundé, 8-13 Mars, 1997.

Microfacies:
DIAS-BRITO, D. & FERRÉ, B., 1997. Albian roveacrinids (stemless crinoids) in fine-grained carbonates from the Santos Basin in southeastern Brasil, western South Atlantic. Regional Meeting of IGCP Project 381, Heidelberg 2-4 september 1997, Session 17 of 18th IAS Regional European Meeting of Sedimentology: 118-119.

FERRÉ, B.& BENGTSON, P., 1997. An articulated roveacrinid from the Turonian of the Sergipe Basin, Brazil. Regional Meeting of IGCP Project 381, Heidelberg 2-4 september 1997, Session 17 of 18th IAS Regional European Meeting of Sedimentology: 128-129.

FERRÉ, B. & GRANIER, B., 1997. The Albian sternless microcrinoids (Roveacrinidae, Crinoidea) of the Congo Basin, Angola. Regional Meeting of IGCP Project 381, Heidelberg 2-4 september 1997, Session 17 of 18th IAS Regional European Meeting of Sedimentology: 129-130.

FERRÉ, B. WALTER, S. & BENGTSON, P., 1997. The role of roveacrinids in study of the mid-Cretaceous of the Sergipe Basin, noth-eastern Brazil. Regional Meeting of IGCP Project 381, Heidelberg 2-4 september 1997, Session 17 of 18th IAS Regional European Meeting of Sedimentology: 130-131.
Roveacrinoid are stemless pelagic microcrinoids. Originally recorded from the Albian-Cenomanian of Texas, the brazilian specimen extends its stratigraphical record to the upper Turonian, as well as its geographical distribution farther to the South. The Angolan roveacrinoid are the oldest and the souhernmost ones recorded. Roveacrinoid are also observed in the Anglo-Paris basin (FERRE, 1995).

FERRÉ, B., 1995. Incidences des évènements anoxiques sur les microfaunes cénomano-turoniennes du Bassin de Paris. Univ. P. & M. Curie, Mémoire des Sciences de la Terre, 95-10: 1-391.

Work in progress :
NERAUDEAU, Didier. Origin and history of the South Atlantic Cretaceous echinoid faunas. Muséum National d´Histoire Naturelle de Paris, Laboratoire de Paléontologie, 8 rue Buffon 75005 Paris France & Bernard MATHEY Centre des Sciences de la Terre & UMR-CNRS 5561, Univ. de Bourgogne, 6 bld. Gabriel, 21000, Dijon, France.

Regional geology:
BELLIER, J.-P., 1997. ODP Leg 171 B: La transversale du Blake Nose (Atlantique NW). Géochronique, No. 62, p. 3-4.

BRACCINI, E., DENISON, CN, SCHEEVEL, JR, JERONIMO, P., ORSOLINI, P. & BARLETTA V., 1997. Chronolithostratigraphic framework for the Pre-Salt (Early Cretaceous) in Cabinda, Angola. Regional Meeting of IGCP Project 381, Heidelberg 2-4 september 1997, Session 17 of 18th IAS Regional European Meeting of Sedimentology: 85.
Les données biostratigraphiques sont apportées par les palynomorphes et les ostracodes. A partir des 190 forages effectués dans cette formation, une nouvelle interprétation tectono-stratigraphique régionale est proposée en trois dimensions.

HISADA, K., ISHII, T., ARAI, S. & Leg 159 Shipboard Scientific Party, 1996. High- and low-Ti detrital chrome spinels in lacustrine sediments from Hole 960A, CIG Marginal Ridge. 1st EuroColloquium ODP, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, Oldenburg, february 28 - march 1, Abstracts, 1 p.

Geochemistry and geotectonic of Côte d´Ivoire-Ghana transform margin:
BASILE C. & ODP Leg 159 Shipboard Scientific Party, 1996. The Côte d'Ivoire-Ghana transform margin: first results from FMS logging in holes 959D and 960C, ODP Leg 159. 1st EuroColloquium ODP, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, Oldenburg, february 28 - march 1, Abstracts, 1 p.

BASILE, C., MASCLE, J., SAGE, F., PONTOISE, B., & LAMARCHE, G., 1996. ODP 159 Pre-cruise surveys and Site surveys : a synthesis of marine geological and geophysical data on the Côte-d'Ivoire - Ghana transform margin. In : Proc. of ODP, Init. Rept 159, College Station, TX, (Ocean Drilling Program), In MASCLE, J., LOHMANN, G.P., CLIFT, P. et al.: 47-60.

BENKHELIL J., MASCLE J., BASILE and the ODP 159 Scientific Party, 1996. Structural records in the Cretaceous and Tertiary sediments of the Côte d'Ivoire-Ghana transform margin after the ODP Leg 159 data. 1st EuroColloquium ODP, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, Oldenburg, february 28 - march 1, Abstracts, 1 p.

BENKHELIL, J., MASCLE, J., GUIRAUD, M., BASILE, CH. & The EQUANAUTE Scientific team, 1997. "In situ" and samples observations of Cretaceous "syntransform" deformations along the Côte-d'Ivoire - Ghana transform. Geo-Marine Letter, vol. 17: 73-80.

BENKHELIL, J., GUIRAUD, M., MASCLE, J., BASILE, CH, BOUILLIN, J. P., MASCLE, G., & COUSIN, M., 1996. Enregistrement structural du coulissage Afrique:Bresil au sein des sediments cretaces de la marge transformante de Côte-d'Ivoire - Ghana. C.R. Acad. Sci. Paris, t. 323, serie II: 73-80.

BOUILLIN, J. P., POUPEAU, G., LABRIN, E., BASILE, CH., SABIL, N., MASCLE, J., MASCLE, G., GILLOT, F. & RIOU, L., 1997. Fission track study heating and denudation of the marginal ridge of the Ivory Coast-Ghana transform margin. Geo-Marine Letter, vol. 17, 55-61.

CLIFT P., ALLERTON S., BOULLIN J.P. & ODP Leg 159 Shipboard Scientific Party, 1997. Formation of the Côte d'Ivoire-Ghana marginal ridge: transform tectonics versus thermal rejuvenation. Geol. Soc. London Meet., Abstract.

GUIRAUD, M., MASCLE, J., BENKHELIL, J., et al., 1997. Early Cretaceous deltaic sedimentary environment of the Côte d'Ivoire - Ghana transform margin as deduced from deep dives data. Geog Marine Letter, vol. 17: 79-86.

GUIRAUD, M., BENKHELIL, J., MASCLE, J., BASILE, CH., MASCLE, G. & The EQUANAUTE Scientific team, 1997. Syn-rift to syn-transform deformation along the Côte-d'Ivoire -Ghana transform margin : evidences from deep sea dives. Geo-Marine Letter, vol. 17: 70-78.

MASCLE, J. & ODP Leg 159 Scientific Party, 1996. Transform margin in eastern Equatorial Atlantic. Jour. Geol. Soc. Japan, vol. 102, No. 2: 5-6.

MASCLE, J. & ODP Leg 159 Scientific Party, 1997. Development of a passive transform margin : preliminary results from ODP Leg 159 on the Côte-d'Ivoire - Ghana transform margin. Geo-Marine Letter, vol. 17: 4-11.

MASCLE, J., LOHMAN, P. & ODP Leg 159 Scientific Party, 1996. ODP 159 principal results. Proc. of ODP, Init. Rept. 159, College Station, TX, (Ocean Drilling Program): 297-314.

MASCLE, J., LOHMANN, G. P., CLIFT, P. & ODP Leg 159 Scientific Party, 1996. Init. Rep., Proc. of ODP, vol.159, Sites 959-962, Côte d'Ivoire-Ghana Transform Margin, Eastern Equatorial Atlantic, College Station, Texas (Ocean Drilling Program), 616 p.

MASCLE, J., LOHMANN, G. P., CLIFT, P. & ODP Leg 159 Scientific Party, 1996. Leg ODP 159 on the Cäte d'Ivoire-Ghana margin: transform margin evolution. 1st EuroColloquium ODP, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, Oldenburg, february 28 - march 1, Abstracts, 1 p.

MASCLE, J., LOHMANN, G. P., CLIFT, P. & the Shipboard Scientific Party, 1996. Leg ODP 159 : an introduction. In Proc. of ODP, Init. Rept 159, College Station, TX, (Ocean Drilling Program): 5-16.

MASCLE, J., GUIRAUD, M., BENKHELIL, J., BASILE, CH., BOUILLIN, J. P., MASCLE, G., COUSIN, M., DURAND, M., DEJAX, J. & MOULLADE, M., sous presse. A geological field trip to a transform margin segment : results from a deep sea submersible survey across the Côte-d'Ivoire - Ghana Transform Margin. Oceaonologica Acta.

OBOH-IKUENOBE, F. E., YEPES, O. & ODP Leg 159 Scientific Party (dont J. MASCLE), 1997. Palynofacies analysis of sediments from the Côte d'Ivoire-Ghana Transform Margin: preliminary correlation with some regional events in the Equatorial Atlantic. Sedimentary Geology, 129: 291-314.

PEIRCE, C., WHISTMARSH, R.B., SCRUTTON, R.A., PONTOISE, B., SAGE, FR. & MASCLE, J., 1996. Côte d'Ivoire-Ghana margin: seismic imaging of passive rifted crust adjacent to a transform continental margin. Geophys. J. Int., 125: 781-795.

PLETSCH, T. & the Leg 159 Scientific Party, 1996. Cretaceous climate and environments of the Eastern Equatorial Atlantic (ODP Leg159, Côte d'Ivoire-Ghana transform margin). 5th International Cretaceous Symposium and 2nd Workshop on Inoceramids, Freiberg University of Mining and Technology, september 16-24, Abstract Volume, 59.

PLETSCH, T., ERBACHER, J., KHUNT, W. & Shipboard Scientific Party, 1996. Clay minerals of Cretaceous and Paleogene deposits from the Eastern Equatorial Atlantic: preliminary results from ODP Leg 159 (Côte d'Ivoire-Ghana transform Margin). 1st EuroColloquium ODP, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, Oldenburg, february 28 - march 1, Abstracts, 2 p.

PLETSCH, T., WAGNER, T., KUHNT, W. & Leg 159 Scientific Party, 1996. Palaeoenvironment of Upper Cretaceous black claystones from ODP Leg 159 (Côte d'Ivoire-Ghana transform margin). 1st Ann. Conf. IGCP Project 381 (South Atlantic Mesozoic Correlations), Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, 2-5 september, SAMC News, No. 5: 51-52.

SAGE, F., PONTOISE, B., MASCLE, J., & BASILE, CH., 1997. Structure of oceanic crust adjacent to a transform margin segment: example of the Côte-d'Ivoire- Ghana transform margin. Geo-Marine Letter, vol. 17:31-39.

STRAND, K. & the ODP Leg 159 Shipboard Scientific Party, 1996. Sedimentary processes in response to development of a transform continental margin (ODP, Leg 159). 1st EuroColloquium ODP, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, Oldenburg, february 28 - march 1, Abstracts, 1 p.

IGCP PROJECT 381 research activities at the British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, U.K.
by J. Alistair Crame (Regional Coordinator)
British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, U.K.

New exposures of fossiliferous Late Jurassic sedimentary rocks on Jason Peninsula (65¡37'S ; east coast of the Antarctic Peninsula) have been assigned to the Middle - Late Jurassic Latady Formation (Riley et al., submitted). Small exposures of fossiliferous sandstones and siltstones have yielded a macrofossil assemblage which includes perisphinctid ammonites, belemnopseid belemnites and oxytomid bivalves. A Kimmeridgian - Early Tithonian age would seem most appropriate. The geological significance of these new exposures lies in the fact that the Latady Basin, previously confined to the south-eastern margins of the Antarctic Peninsula, must have extended at least 500 km further to the north.
Our long-running studies of Mesozoic arc-marginal sedimentation on Byers Peninsula, South Shetland Islands, have produced a number of key papers. A thorough revision of the lithostratigraphy of the Byers Group has recently been finalised by Hathway & Lomas (in press). A detailed sedimentological appraisal of the Berriasian President Beaches Formation, a thick marine slope-apron system deposited rapidly during a major pulse of arc expansion, has also been completed (Lomas, submitted). Geochronological and palynological studies of the non-marine Cerro Negro Formation by Hathway et al. (1997; in prep.) have demonstrated an early Aptian age for this formation, and provide a radiometric tie-point for Southern Hemisphere terrestrial palynostratigraphy.
Work continues on our major long-term investigation into the stratigraphy, palaeontology and palaeoenvironments of the Cretaceous strata exposed within the James Ross Basin. A palynological re-examination of the basal Lagrelius Point Formation has led to the lower age limit of the Gustav Group being redefined as Early Aptian (Riding et al., submitted). Stratigraphically significant dinoflagellate cyst taxa present within this unit include Herendeenia postprojecta, Muderongia spp. and Odontochitina spp. The presence of unequivocal Hauterivian and Barremian strata in the Antarctic Peninsula region still remains conjectural.
S.A. Lomas has been working on the sedimentology and stratigraphy of a well-exposed interval of Maastrichtian sediments from Snow Hill Island. A new palaeoenvironmental and sequence stratigraphic interpretation is presently being written up. It is hoped eventually to integrate this sedimentological framework with palaeoecological work by J.A. Crame and micropalaeontological studies by R.V. Dingle to document the response of shelf biomass to sea level changes.
A major revision of the macro- and microfloras from the Coniacian - Santonian Hidden Lake Formation is in progress (D.J. Cantrill and P. Hayes), and a revision of Campanian - Maastrichtian echinoids has just been completed (Néraudeau & Crame, submitted). Provisional Sr isotope dating of key horizons within the Marambio Group has proved successful (collaboration with J. McArthur, University College London), and further work is in progress. We have plans for further fieldwork in the James Ross Island - Snow Hill Island - Seymour Island region in the 1998-1999 season.

Publications :
Crame, J.A. & Luther, A., 1997. The last inoceramid bivalves in Antarctica. Cretaceous Research, 18, 179-195.

Crame, J.A., 1997. The Maastrichtian in Antarctica. Gaea heidelbergensis, 3, 111.

Hathway, B., 1997. Non-marine sedimentation in an Early Cretaceous extensional continental-margin arc, Byers Peninsula, Livingston Island, South Shetland Islands. Journal of Sedimentary Research, 67, 686-697.

Hathway, B., Duane, A.M., Kelley, S.P. & Cantrill, D.J., 1997. 40Ar/39Ar geochronology and palynology of the Lower Cretaceous Cerro Negro Formation, western South Shetland Islands - a key succession for nonmarine, Antarctic Mesozoic biostratigraphy. Gaea heidlebergensis, 3, 159.

Hathway, B., Duane, A.M., Cantrill, D.J. & Kelley, S.P., in prep. A new radiometric tie for Lower Cretaceous terrestrial biostratigraphy in the Southern Hemisphere: 40Ar/39Ar geochronology and palynology of the Cerro Negro Formation, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. Australian J. Earth Sciences.

Hathway, B. & Lomas, S.A., in press. The uppermost JurassicÐLower Cretaceous Byers Group, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica: revised stratigraphy and regional correlations. Cretaceous Research.

Lomas, S.A., 1996 Characterization and significance of cryptic parasequences in a late Cretaceous shallow marine siliciclastic system, James Ross Basin, Antarctica. Geol. Soc. America Abstr. Progr., 28, A406.

Lomas, S.A., submitted. A rapidly deposited arc-margin slope succession in the Lower Cretaceous of Livingston Island, Antarctica: depositional processes, sand-body characteristics and implications for slope apron facies models. Sedimentology.

López-Martínez, J., Hathway, B., Lomas, S.A., Martínez de Pisón, E. & Arche, A., 1996. Chapter 3: Structural Geomorphology and Geological Setting. In: López-Martínez, J. et al., Geomorphological Map of Byers Peninsula, Livingston Island. BAS GEOMAP, 5-A, 9-14, British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge.

Néraudeau, D. & Crame, J.A., submitted. Upper Cretaceous echinoids from James Ross Basin Antarctica. Palaeontology.

Pirrie, D., Crame, J.A., Lomas, S.A. & Riding, J.B., 1997. Late Cretaceous stratigraphy of the Admiralty Sound region, James Ross Basin, Antarctica. Cretaceous Research, 18, 109-137.

Riding, J.B., Crame, J.A., Dettmann, M.E. & Cantrill, D.J., submitted. The gae of the base of the Gustav Group, James Ross Basin, Antarctica. Cretaceous Research.

Riley, T.R., Crame, J.A., Thomson, M.R.A. & Cantrill, D.J., submitted. Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian - Tithonian) macrofossil assemblage from Jason Peninsula, Graham Land : evidence for a significant northward extension of the Latady Formation. Antarctic Science.

Symposium volume Oil and Gas Habitats of the South Atlantic, meeting held at the Geological Society, London, 24-26 February 1997
Reported by Nick R. Cameron - Dept. of Geology, Imperial College, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2BP, UK. E-mail: nick@topaz.primex.co.uk

The book is making good progress and to date we either have or are more or less promised the following papers (these are listed in brackets):

Overview (provisional theme titles):
Karner et al. (promised). Timing, distribution, and structure of West African and Brazilian offshore rift basins: implications for deepwater exploration.
Coward et al. (promised). Rift propagation and hydrocarbon potential in the South Atlantic.
Davison. Tectonics and hydrocarbon distribution along the Brazilian South Atlantic margin.
Matos. History of NE Brazilian Rift System: Kinetic implications for the breakup between Brazil and W Africa.
Rosendahl et al. (promised). The Continental Margin in the Gulf of Guinea.
Gallagher & Brown (promised). The onshore evolution of the Namibian and Brazilian passive margin.
Macdonald et al. (promised) Mesozoic evolution of SW Gondwana: implications for the hydrocarbon potential of the Falkland/Malvinas Plateau area.
Jungslager (pursue). Structure, stratigraphy and petroleum habitats of South Africa's Atlantic margin.
Crossley (pursue). Kalahari to the Red Sea: pre-rift to drift analogues for the evolution of the South Atlantic.

Organic Geochemistry:
Burwood. Angola: Source rock control for Lower Congo Coastal and Kwanza Basin petroleum systems.
Schiefelbein et al. Petroleum systems in the South Atlantic margin.
Frost (pursue). An alternative Cretaceous age petroleum system model for the Niger Delta.
NPA Ltd. (coming soon). Offshore basin screening of the South Atlantic margin: seepage mapping and basin delineation using ERS radar satellite data.

Biostratigraphy:
El Albani. Palaeoenviroment of the Upper Cretaceous sequence in the Tarafaya Basin SW Morocco.
Holbourn. Upper Cretaceous palaeoenviroment and benthic foraminiferal assemblages of potential source rocks from the W African margin: Central Atlantic.
Pletsch & Wagner (promised). Evolution of the Côte d'Ivoire-Ghana Transform Margin (ODP Leg 159) during the Cretaceous: evidence from clay minerals and organic matter.
Preece. Miocene benthic foraminiferal morphogroups in an oxygen minimum zone offshore Cabinda.
Weston. The role of micropalaeontology in sequence stratigraphy as exhibited in the Lower Congo Basin, offshore Angola.
Bagguley. The interpretation of passive margin depositional processes using seismic stratigraphy: examples from offshore Namibia.
Bate. Non-marine Ostracod Faunas of the Pre-salt Rift Basins of W Africa and their role in sequence stratigraphy.
Dingle. The mid-Cretaceous Walvis Ridge barrier and some ostracod distributions in the early South Atlantic.

Applications:
Turner. Detachment faulting and prospectivity in the Rio Muni Basin, Equatorial Guinea, W Africa.
Kirstein et al. (due). Early Rifting of the South Atlantic constrained by magmatism in South America and Africa.
Clemson et al. The structure of the Karoo Namib Rift, offshore Namibia.
Stanistreet. Onshore equivalents of the main Kudu gas reservoir in Namibia.
Jerram. Facies architecture of the Etjo Sandstone Fm and its intersection with the Basal Entendeka Flood Basalts of NW Namibia: implications for offshore analogues.
Lawrence et al. Tectono-stratigraphic evolution of the North Falkland Region.
Bransden (promised). Evidence for multi-phase rifting in the North Falklands Basin.
Meadows. Basin evolution and sedimentary fill in the Palaeozoic sequences of the Falkland Islands.

Department of Marine Geology, Earth Science Centre, Gotenbourg University, Sweden
Reported by Joen Widmark (National Representative) - Marine Geology, Earth Science Centre, Göteborg University, 413 81 Göteborg, Sweden. E-mail: joen@gvc.gu.se

Research activities related to SAMC (October 1996 - September 97):
Michal Kucera is in the process of completing his Ph.D. project (supervised by Prof. Bjärn Malmgren) on evolutionary patterns (planktic and benthic foraminifera) in the Late-Cretaceous and Cenozoic oceans. Dr. Robert Speijer, who primarily is working on foraminifera from the Paleocene/Eocene boundary in the Middle East, but has been involved with the K/T boundary in the same region, has obtained an Alexander von Humbolt fellowship and moved to Bremen, Germany, early this spring - we wish him all the best in his new affiliation! Dr. Stefan Majoran studies deep-sea ostracods in DSDP/ODP material from the Late Cretaceous South Atlantic; he has also became a shorebased scientist investigating ostracods in the Maastrichtian and K/T boundary material derived from ODP Leg 171B, which was drilled earlier this year at Blake Nose, western North Atlantic. Dr. Joen Widmark had the opportunity to participate as shipboard scientist on that leg and will work on the Leg 171B material including benthic foraminiferal patterns across the K/T boundary and Late Cretaceous benthic foraminiferal distribution in terms of their paleoceanographic and paleoenviromental implications.

Publications:
Kucera, M. & Malmgren, B.A., 1996. Latitudinal variation in the planktic foraminifer Contusotruncana contusa in the terminal Cretaceous ocean. Marine Micropaleontology, 28: 31-52.

Kucera, M., Malmgren, B.A. & Sturesson, U., 1997. Foraminiferal dissolution at shallow depths of the Walvis Ridge and Rio Grande Rise during the latest Cretaceous: Inferences for South Atlantic bottom-water circulation. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 129: 195-213.

Majoran, S., 1996. Mid-Cretaceous "Veeniacythereis" (Ostracoda) from Africa and the Middle East. Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie, 1996: 183-192.

Majoran, S., Widmark, J.G.V. & Kucera, M., 1997. Palaeoecological preferences and geographical distribution of Late Maastrichtian deep-sea ostracodes in the South Atlantic. Lethaia, 30: 53-64.

ODP Leg 171B Scientific Party (Widmark, J.G.V. among 29 co-authors), 1997. Critical boundaries in Earth´s history - and the K/T boundary. JOIDES Journal, 23(1): 1-3, 10.

Speijer, R.P. & Van der Zwaan, G.J., 1996, Extinction and survivorship of southern Tethyan benthic foraminifera across the Cretaceous/Palaeogene boundary. In: Hart, M.B., ed., Biotic recovery from mass extinction events. Geological Society of London, Special Publication, 102: 343-371.

Widmark, J.G.V., 1997. Deep-sea benthic foraminifera from Cretaceous - Tertiary boundary strata in the South Atlantic - Taxonomy and paleoecology. Fossils & Strata, 43: 1-94.

Widmark, J.G.V. & Speijer, R.P., 1997. Benthic foraminiferal assemblages and trophic regimes at the terminal Cretaceous Tethyan seafloor. PALAIOS, 12: 352-369.

Widmark, J.G.V. & Speijer, R.P., 1997. Benthic foraminiferal ecomarker species of the terminal Cretaceous deep-sea Tethys. Marine Micropaleontology, 31(3/4): 135-155.

(In press)
Kucera, M. & Malmgren, B.A. Poleward migration of Contusotruncana contusa (planktonic foraminifera) morphotypes in the terminal Cretaceous South Atlantic Ocean. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology.

Majoran, S., Kucera, M. & Widmark, J.G.V. Maastrichtian deep-sea ostracods from DSDP/ODP Sites 327, 356, 525, 527, 528, 529, and 698 in the South Atlantic. Revista Espa–ola de Micropaleontologia.

ODP Leg 171B Scientific Party (Widmark, J.G.V. among 29 co-authors). Leg 171B. Initial Reports of the ODP, 171B.

Widmark, J.G.V. & Kucera, M. New species of the genus Parkiella (Foraminiferida) from the Late Cretaceous Central Pacific Ocean: biostratigraphy, biogeography, and the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary. Journal of Micropaleontology, 17: 1-11.

(Accepted)
Kucera, M. & Malmgren, B.A. Differences betwen evolution of mean form and evolution of new morphotypes: an example from Late Cretaceous planktonic foraminifera. Paleobiology.

(In review)
Widmark, J.G.V. Biogeography of terminal Cretaceous benthic foraminifera: deep-water circulation and trophic gradients in the deep South Atlantic.In E.A.M. KOUTSOUKOS, P. BENGTSON, I. DE KLASZ & D. BATTEN (Eds), Mesozoic biogeographical patterns in the South Atlantic, Cretaceous Research, Special Issue (IGCP Project 381 Thematic Volume No. 1).

(Submitted)
Kucera, M. & Widmark, J.G.V. Gradual morphological evolution in the Late Cretaceous deep-sea foraminifer Parkiella lineage. Historical Biology.

Meeting abstracts:
Kucera, M. & Malmgren, B.A., 1996. Gradual morphological evolution in a Late Cretaceous lineage of planktonic foraminifera. Paleontological Society Spec. Publ. 8: 225. (NAPC-6, Washington, D.C., USA).

Kucera, M. & Malmgren, B.A., 1996. Microevolutionary patterns in the Late Cretaceous Contusotruncana contusa lineage of planktonic foraminifera. Fifth International Congress of Systematic and Evolutionary Biology (ICSEB V), Abstracts, p. 179, Budapest.

Kucera, M. & Malmgren, B.A., 1997. Southern mid-latitude warming event preceding the Cretaceous - Tertiary boundary: Evidence from poleward migration of planktonic foraminiferal morphotypes. Lund Publications in Geology, No. 134, p.15. Lund. (Lundadagarna I historisk geologi och paleontologi, V).

Kucera, M., Malmgren, B.A. & Sturesson, U., 1997. Deep water upwelling and shallow foraminiferal lysocline along the Walvis Ridge and Rio Grande Rise during the latest Cretacoeus. Development of Paleoceanography as a New Field of Science, Abstract Volume, p. 67.

Majoran, S., Widmark, J.G.V. & Kucera, M., 1997. Palaeoenvironmental and geographical distribution of late Maastrichtian deep-sea ostracods in the South Atlantic. Development of Paleoceanography as a New Field of Science, Abstract Volume, p. 64.

Widmark, J.G.V, Kucera, M. & Malmgren, B.A., 1997. Maastrichtian deep-water reversal in the low latitudes: evidence from deep-sea benthic foraminifera. Development of Paleoceanography as a New Field of Science, Abstract Volume, p. 92.

Widmark, J.G.V. & Speijer, R.P., 1996. Tethyan benthic foraminifera and trophic regimes in upper bathyal-to-abyssal environments at the end of the Cretaceous. Paleontological Society Spec. Publ., 8: 420. (NAPC-6, Washington, D.C., USA).

IGCP PROJECT 381 RESEARCH ACTIVITIES IN EGYPT
Reported by Mohamed I. Ibrahim (Regional Coordinator and National Representative)
Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, Egypt (Current address: Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, University of Qatar, P.O. Box 2713, Doha, Qatar, E-mail: M.Ibrahim@qu.edu.qa)

The following are research activities related to SAMC carried out by Egyptian members from the Department of Environmental Sciences, Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University and the National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries.

I - Research projects:
1. Palynochronostratigraphic calibration of the Lower Cretaceous successions in NE Brazil and North Egypt.
The Cretaceous sedimentary basins in NE Brazil and North Egypt are of special interest to palynologists and attract the attention of oil companies in general. This is because the Cretaceous deposits in both areas contain most of the hydrocarbon reservoirs and source rocks. Moreover, palynological assemblages recovered from this interval comprise distinct palynomorph assemblages not found neither above or below this interval. The Lower Cretaceous deposits in NE Brazil are mainly non-marine, in contrast to their counterparts in northern Egypt which are an alternation of shallow marine and continental strata. On the other hand, it is well known that both areas were located within the Northern Gondwanan Realm (Province) during the Early Cretaceous. Arid climatic conditions prevailed during the Aptian and caused the deposition of evaporite (salt) deposits in northem South America, West and North Africa as well. Therefore, palynological correlation of both sides of the northern equatorial South Atlantic using marine and non-marine biota will be of great interest and worthwhile.
Objectives. The project is aimed at the following:
1 - Palynotaxonomic description for the endemic palynomorphs of both sides of the South Atlantic.
2 - Palynostratigraphic correlation between NE Brazil and North Egypt.
3 - Construction of paleoenvironmental models of the Early Cretaceous in both areas.
4- Paleobiogeographic maps of the Early Cretaceous of Northern Gondwanan Realm.
Material and Methods:
The material used in this study composed of cores and cutting samples covering the Lower Cretaceous interval (Berriasian-Albian) from at least two wells chosen from certain basin in each pilot area. The methodology includes separation of palynomorphs (spores, pollen grains and dinoflagellates) using standard palynological techniques, identification of palynomorphs under light microscope and finally SEM observation.
Research Coordinators: Egypt: Mohamed I.A.Ibrahim, Alexandria University, e-mail: "Mibrahim@Alex.eun.eg". Brazil: Dr. Rodolfo Dino, Petrobras-Cenpes/Divex/Sebipe, Rio de Janeiro, e-mail: "Dino@cenpes.petrobras.com.br".

2. Organic geochemical studies on the Jurassic coal deposits of El-Mughuru area, north Sinai, Egypt.
Research proposal by: Mohamed A. Younes, Geology Department, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, Egypt.
Introduction: El-Maghara area represents the first massif about 50 Km south of the Mediterranean coast. The occurrence of coal in El-Maghara was firstly reported by the geological survey and mineral research Department dated in April 1959.
The maximum section of El-Maghara area is about 1900 m from the lowest exposed bed to the highest Jurassic beds. The coal deposits of El-Maghara area is assigned to the Middle Jurassic Safa Formation which is formed from seven seam beds, five of them are too tbin while the other two beds are situated in the middle and considered to be of economic importance. This investigation is aimed at the following steps:
1- Microfacies analysis of the coal succession in the El-Maghara area to define the different microfacies associations.
2- Organic petrographic analysis including macerel analysis and maturity studies by means of Vitrinite Reflectance measurements to evaluate the thermal maturity and its relation to the coal rank.
3- Organic geochemical analysis including the biological marker study by Gas Chromatography (G C) and Gas Chromatographic / Mass Spectrographic analysis (GC / MS) for the coal extract to asses the organic input and paleoenvironmental deposition of coal section and the interbedded shale in the El-Maghara area.
4- Sequence stratigraphic analysis using the biostratigraphic, geochemical and sedimentological data within the framework of the global sea level changes.
5- Construction of paleoenviromental model by the integration of the results collected from the different methods.
6- Study the type of coal deposits and their quality in relation to the industrial purposes.

II - Doctorate Theses:
* Palynostratigraphical studies of Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous strata in the subsurface of the northern Eastern Desert, Egypt.
By: Suzan E.A. Kholeif (National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Alexandria), Ph.D. thesis presented in 1997 to the Geology Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Giza.
Supervisors: Prof. Dr. Aly Sadek (Cairo Univ.)
Prof. Dr. Nabil Aboul Ela (Cairo Univ.)
Prof. Dr. Atef Moussa (Institute of Oceanography)
Dr. Mohamed Ismail Ibrahim (Alexandria Univ.)
Thesis Summary and Conclusion:
Paleopalynology is an extensive field with applications to hydrocarbon and coal exploration, beside a fundamental clues in the story of land plant evolution, dating of the sediments, paleoenvironmental analysis, paleoclimatic and paleogeographic reconstruction. The present study deals with palynological analysis of the Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous rock samples ofthree deep wells, namely: the Abu Hammad-l, Kabrit-l and Q-71-IX which are located in the northern part of the Eastern Desert, Egypt.
The present thesis is considered as the first attempt to document and present a complete imformation on the palynological zonation and distribution of the organicwalled dinoflagellate cysts and miospores recovered from the Lower Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous sediments of the north Eastern Desert of Egypt.
The data presented and conclusions drawn are based entirely on the analysis of 113 cuttings and core samples from the three boreholes which have been treated for their organic and palynological content.
The purpose of this study is to present a complete dinoflagellate cyst and spore-pollen zonation and illustrate, and discuss the palynomorph species from the Jurassic to Early Cretaceous. In addition, it is aimed at deterrnination of the nature of organic matter preservation, kerogen types, organic thermal maturation history and a rough estimation of the hydrocarbon generation potential. Moreover, the recovered palynomorphs are compared to previously reported assemblages from other regions in and outside Egypt especially from the Circum-Mediterranean Region. The depositional regimes, paleoenvironment, paleoclimate and paleogeography of the Lower Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous deposits are also discussed and contirmed.
The Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous rocks encountered by the studied wells m the northern part of the Eastern Desert are subdivided into eight formations from top to base as follows:
1 . Kharita Formation (Early Albian).
2. Alamein Formation (Aptian).
3. Alam El Bueib Formation (Barremian-Aptian).
4. Masajid Formation (Latest Calovian/Early Oxfordian Kimmeridgian).
5. Khatatba Formation (Early Bathonian-Late Callovian)
6. Bir Maghara Formation (Late Aalenian/Early Bajocian-Late Bajocian).
7. Shusha Formation (Latest Toarcian-Early Aalenian)
8. Rajabiah Formation (Toarcian/Early Aalenian)
The Jurassic/Cretaceous boundary in the subsurface of the studied area is unconformable. A stratigraphic break (hiatus) of varying magnitude exists in the three wells. The upper part of the Masajid Formation and the lowermost part of the Alam El Bueib Formation (Late Oxfordian- Late Neocomian) were eroded in the Abu Hammad-l well, whereas the lowerrnost part of the Alam El Bueib Formation (Neocomian-Barremian) is missed in the Kabrit- 1 well, while the uppermost part of the Masajid Formation in addition to the whole Cretaceous and Lower Tertiary sequences ue not present in the Q-71-lX well as a result ofthe "Clysmic" erosion which took place in the Late Oligocene time.
Palynological analysis led to the recognition of about 250 species of dinoflagellate cysts belonging to 69 genera which are arranged in stratigraphic order according to their last occurrence in plates 1-18. Accordingly, twelve dinoflagellate cyst zones have been proposed for the Jurassic to Early Cretaceous intervals of the studied wells. These zones from base to top are as follows:
1. Parvocysta ampulla Total Range Zone (Toarcian - Aalenian).
2. Pareodinia ceratophora Interval Zone (Bajocian).
3. Dichadogonyaulax selhvoodii Total Range Zone (Bathonian - Early Callovian).
4. Ctenidodinium continuum - Ctenidodinium ornatum Concurrent Range Zone (Middle-Late Callovian).
5. Wanaea digitata Total Range Zone (Latest Callovian - Early Oxfordian).
6. Gonyaulacysta jurassica - F.piplosphaera reticulospinosa Concurrent Range Zone (Middle Oxfordian).
7. Epiplosphaera bireticulata-Acanthaulax granuligera Concurrent Range Zone (Late Oxfordian).
8. Amphorula dodekovae Total Range Zone (Early Kimmeridgian).
9. Gochteodinia mutabilis Range Zone (Late Kimmeridgian).
10. Pseudoceratium anaphrissum- Muderongia simplex Concurrent Range Zone (Barremmian).
11. Pseudoceratium securigerum Range Zone (Aptian).
12. Subtilisphaera senegalensis-Dinopterygium cladoides Concurrent Range Zone (Early Albian).
These zones are compared with well documented data from several localities in and outside Egypt. The zones were correlated, firstly with the Tethyan Realm zonation and secondary with other realms including Boreal and Transitional (mixed) Realms. The similarities and dissimilarities were also discussed.
Miospore analysis of the studied wells yielded about 228 miospore species belonging to 81 genera. Among these 135 pteridophytic spores related to 54 genera, 45 gymnosperm pollen species belonging to 15 genera and 38 angiosperm pollen species belonging to 12 genera. Most of these species have been photographed and depicted in plates 19-27. According to the stratigraphic ranges and frequencies ofthese species, six miospore informal zones have been established and proposed for the Lower Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous intervals of the studied wells. These zones are compared with other contemporaneous microfloral assemblages from different realms and the similarities and/or dissimilarities are remarked. The miospore zones from base to top are:
I. Classopollis/Circulina - Deltoidospora spp. Assemblage Zone (Toarcian-Aalenian).
II. Verrucosisporites spp.-Converrucosisporites spp.-Trilobosporites spp. Assemblage Zone (Early Bajocian - Callovian).
III. Cincatricosisporites spp. - i spp. Assemblage Zone (Oxfordian- Kimmeridgian).
IV. Stellatopollis spp. - ?i spp. Assemblage Zone (Barremian).
V. Afropollis operculatus - Brenneripollis- Tricolpites spp. Assemblage Zone (Aptian).
VI. Crybelosporite pannaceus- Afropollis jardinus- Tricolporopollenites Assemblage Zone (Early Albian).
Moreover, in the present study an attempt to classify the particulate organic matter POM was achieved in order to elucidate the palynofacies characterization and hence the paleoecological conditions prevailed during the deposition of the encountered rock units. POM are categorized into four groups namely: a) palynomorphs: include all miospores, dinocysts, acritarchs, other algal fragments and microforamimferal test limngs; b) phytoclasts: include structured terrestrial plant fragments such as cuticle, wood tracheid and cortex tissues; c) opaques (black debris): oxidized or carbonized brownish black to black colour woody tissues including charcoal, (group a, b, and c are usually termed Structured Organic Matter (SOM)); and d) Amorphous Organic Matter (AOM): all particulate organic components that appear structureless at the scale of light mmcroscopy, including bacterially-derived AOM, resins, and amorphous products ofthe diagensis of macrophyte tissues.
Accordingly, seven palynofacies types have been identified from the Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous sediments of the studied wells, depending on the abundance analysis of the four POM groups. These palynofacies types and their equivalent kerogen types are summarized as follows:

Palynofacies                                                                         Kerogen type

1. Terrestrial palynomorph facies                                         Il,oil prone material

2. Marine phytoplankton facies                                            II, oil prone material

3. Structured orgamc matter SOM facies                             Il-III, oil or gas prone material

4. Opaque terrestrial and palynomorph facies                       III, gas prone material

5. Opaque terrestrial facies                                                 IV, inert material

6. Palynomorphs and AOM facies                                     l-II, oil prone material

7. Amorphous orgamc matter AOM facies                       I, highly oil prone material

The paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic reconstruction of the studied area throughout the Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous and the trends in rismg and falling sealevels were deduced from the palynofacies parameters as for instance the marine/nonmarine ratio, dinofiagellate diversity, cyst morphotypes, type of particulate organic matter and Classopollis-Circulina percentage of the total sporomorphs.
The lower part of the Rajabiah Formation (Toarcian-Aalenian) was formed in shallow marginal marme or sabkha environment, while the upper part of the Rajabiah and the Shusha formations were deposited in shallow marine environment (inner shelf) under warm subtropical climatic conditions. The deposition of the Bir Maghara Formation is believed to be in shallow marine of the inner to middle shelf depth. The formation of the mixed clastic and carbonate sequence of the Khatatba Formation (Bathonian-Callovian) was took place in the middle to outer shelf conditions (30- 100 m). The Masajid Formation (latest Callovian-Kimmeridgian) is a massive carbonates with shales that was deposited in normal marine conditions of the outer shelf to upper slope (100-600 m). The siliciclastic deposhs of the Alam El Bueib Formation (Barremian-Aptian) were accumulated in near shore to inner shelf (~30 m) environment, under arid to semiarid conditions. The Alamein Formation (Aptian) may be took place in shallow marine environment of the middle shelf, while the clastics of the Kharita Formation (Lower Albian) may deposited in the inner shelf environment.
In addition, the organic maturation level in terms of the thermal alteration index TAI of the studied intervals was interpreted as mature or immature using the changes in spore colour with depths. In the Abu Hammad- I well, the Jurassic sequence is generally themlaly mature (1950-4248 m), while the overlained Lower Cretaceous sediments (1308-1950 m) are immature. In Kabrit-l well, only the Lower and Middle Jurassic sediments (lower part of the Khatatba, Bir Maghara, Shusha and Rajabiah fomlations (2515-2926 m) are mature, whilst the overlamed sequence (upper Khatatba, Masajid, Alam El Bueib, Alamein and Kharita fommations, 1615-2515 m) is immature. Although, the Jurassic sediments in Q-71-IX well were encountered in shallow depth (650-1300 m) in comparison with the Jurassic fomlations in the Abu Hammad-l and Kabrit-l wells. The Lower and Middle Jurassic sequence (775-1253 m) is mature and this intum suggests that a huge thickness of the Cretaceous and Lower Tertiary sediments which represent the hiatus between the Oxfordian Oligocene were eroded as a result of the Late Oligocene tectonics.
Finally, an attempt has been done to evaluate the hydrocarbon potentiality of the Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous sequences in the site of the studied wells using the type, amount and maturation of the organic matter. This in tum may increase the chances of discovering an oil field in the northem part of the Eastem Desert. The hydrocarbon potentiality of the encountered rock units are summarized as follows:
=> Highly oil-prone and mature amorphous source rocks are applied to the shales of the lower Masajid, Khatatba and middle Rajabiah formations in the Abu Hammad-l well.
=> Highly oil-prone but immature amorphous source rocks are attributed to the Alamein and Alam El Bueib formetions in the Abu Hammad-l well, and the upper Masajid Formation in the Kabrit-l well.
=> Oil-prone, mature source rocks can be distinguished in the upper Masajid Formation in the Abu Hammad-1 well, Rajabiah Formation in Kabrit-l well, middle Khatatba, and Shusha formations in Q-71-lX well.
=> Gas-prone, mature source rocks are detected in the upper Rajabiah Formation in the Abu Hammad- I well, Bir Maghara in Kabrit- I, upper Khatatba, Bir Maghara and Rajabiah formations in Q-71-IX well.

* Stratigraphical and paleontological studies of the Upper Cretaceons succession in Westcentral Sinai, Egypt. Doctorate thesis in progress.
by Ahmed El-Sabbagh (Geology Department, Faculty of Science, Alexandria Univ.)

III - Papers in press and submitted for publication:
ABOUL, ELA, N.M., IBRAHIM, M.I.A. & KHOLEIF, S.E., submitted. Jurassic to Early Cretaceous dinoflagellate cyst zonation from the north Eastem Desert, Egypt. IGCP Project 381 (SAMC) Thematic volume "Mesozoic Biogeographical Patterns in the South Atlantic", Cretaceous Research, Special Issue.

IBRAHIM, M.I.A., ABOUL, ELA N.M. & KHOLEIF, S.E., in press. Paleoecology, palynofacies, thermal maturation and hydrocarbon scource-rock potential of the Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous sequence in the subsurface of the north Eastern Desert, Egypt. Qatar Univ. Sci. Journal, 16 (2).

IBRAHIM, M.I.A., ABOUL ELA, N.M. & KHOLEIF, S.E., submitted. Palynostratigraphy of Jurassic - Lower Cretaceous sequences from north Eastem Desert of Egypt. IGCP Project 381 (SAMC) Thematic volume "Mesozoic Biogeographical Patterns in the South Atlantic", Cretaceous Research, Special Issue.

EL-BEIALY, S.Y. & IBRAHIM, M.I.A., in press. Callovian-Oxfordian (Middle-Upper Jurassic) mircoplankton and miospores from the Masajid Formation, WXI borehole, El Maghara area, North Sinai, Egypt. Neues Jahrbuch fur Geologie und Palaontologie Abh.

IBRAHIM, M.I.A. & ABDEL-KIREEM, M.R., in press. Late Cretaceous palynofloras and foraminifera from Ain El-Wadi area, Farafra Oasis, Egypt. Cretaceous Research.

EL-HEDENY, M.M.A., submitted for publication. Genus Nicaisolopha Vialov, 1936, (Bivalvia: Ostreidae) in the Upper Cretaceous of Egypt. N. Jb.

ABDEL AAL, A.A. & EL-HEDENY, M.M.A., submitted for publication. On the variability of the Campanian Pycnodonte (Phygraea) vesiculare (Lamarck). Joumal of African Earth Sciences.

ALVES, Laureen Sally da Rosa - Laboratório de Paleobotânica, Instituto de Geociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Av. Bento Gonçalves, 9500, prédio 43127/ sala 201, 91501-970 Porto Alegre, RS/ Rua Eurico Lara, 75 apt. 118, 90880-390 Porto Alegre, RS, BRAZIL. Tel.: +55-(0)51-3166378, Fax: 3191811, E-mail: Laureen@if.ufrgs.br
Research interests: Paleobotany (fossil woods, anatomy, growth rings), palynology, taphonomy, paleoclimatology.

CRANE, Peter R. - The Field Museum, Roosevelt Road at Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60605-2496, USA. Tel.: +1-312-9229410 Ext. 559, Fax: 3609858, E-mail: pcrane@fmnh.org
Research interests: Paleobotany, palynology.

DILCHER, David - Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-7800, USA. Tel.: +1-352-3926560, Fax: 3922539, E-mail: dilcher@flmnh.ufl.edu
Research interests: Lower-middle Cretaceous, angiosperm evolution, plant distribution.

AFFATON, Pascal - 93 BD Sakakini, 13005 Marseille, FRANCE.
Tel.: +33-4-91474537, Fax: +33-4-91745054 / 91789437, E-mail : mfaffato@ap-hm.fr

MENOR, Eldemar de Albuquerque - Rua Conselheiro Silveira de Souza, 604/201, 50721-170 Recife, PE, BRAZIL. Tel./FFax: +55-(0)81-2279390.
Research interests: phosphogenesis, chemo-stratigraphy, clay sedimentology.

RAMKUMAR, M. - Research Scientist, Delta Studies Institute, Andhra University, Visagapatnam - 530 003, INDIA. Tel.: +91-891-554871, Fax: +91-891-555547, E-mail: geolrk@gg.iitkgp.ernet.in

SPEIJER, Robert P. - Department of Geosciences, Bremen University, P. O. Box 330440, 28334 Bremen, GERMANY. Tel.: +49 421 218 4512, Fax: +49 421 218 4515, E-mail: speijer@uni-bremen.de
Research interests: http://www.palmod.uni-bremen.de/ FB5/geochron/ wwwspeij. htm
Paleogene stratigraphy: http://www.gvc.gu.se/mgeo/isps/index.htm

Villamil, Tomas - Advance Exploration Organization, Conoco Inc. OF 3084, P.O. Box 2197, Houston, TX 77252-2197, USA. E-mail: villat@gatekeeper.es.dupont.com

Obituary (William V. Sliter):

It is with deep sorrow that we inform the passing of our colleague and friend William V. SLITER (U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park). Bill was a former President of the Cushman Foundation for Foraminiferal Research, and its honorary Director. He was one of the world leading researchers in Cretaceous foraminiferal biostratigraphy and paleoecology, and currently shared the U.S. regional coordination for IGCP Project 381, reporting for the U.S. research activities in South America (see this issue of SAMC News). He will be greatly missed by his family, and by all friends and colleagues who had the opportunity to know and work with him.

Acknowledgements :

We would like to express our gratitude to PETROBRAS-CENPES, Rio de Janeiro, for support involved in editing, photocopying and mailing all the copies of SAMC News 9.

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