Foraminifera and Sequence Stratigraphy Study of the Early Maastrichtian to Paleocene Sediments of Kalambaina Formation, Sokoto Basin, Borth western Nigeria

Abstract

Communication in Physical Sciences, 2024, 11(4): 887-896

Authors: Ola-Buraimo A. Olatunji and  Meshack Blessing Hosea

Received: 14 March 2024/Accepted : 02 September 2024

Fieldwork was conducted at the Kalambaina Limestone Quarry in Wammako, Sokoto State, to collect samples for a detailed foraminiferal study. The aim was to determine the relative age, paleo-environment of deposition, and the impact of sea level changes on the sediments. A total of eleven samples were collected and analyzed using methods including disaggregation, digestion, washing, and microscopic examination. The results revealed a stratigraphic interval rich in benthic foraminifera, both calcareous and agglutinated, but devoid of planktonic forms. Specifically, the recovered calcareous benthic foraminifera included Rosalina koeneni (12.5% relative abundance), Pararotalia tuberculifera (8.7%), Gavelinella lellingensis (6.3%), Pararotalia perclara (5.2%), Elphidiella africana (4.9%), and Planulina nacatochensis (7.8%). The agglutinated forms identified were Haplophragmoides hausa (9.1%), Trochamina wickedeni (7.4%), Haplophragmoides sp. (6.6%), Miliammina telemaquensis (5.5%), and Haplophragmoides talokaensis (4.2%). Associated fossils included moderate quantities of ostracods and a few echinoderm spines. The foraminiferal assemblage aligns with previous studies that date the sediments from Maastrichtian (Upper Cretaceous) to Paleocene. The paleo-environment ranged from a hypersaline epeiric sea to a lagoonal deposit, suggesting significant sea level fluctuations. This study reaffirms the Maastrichtian to Paleocene age of the Kalambaina Formation, contradicting earlier Paleocene-only attributions and challenging the validity of the "Sokoto Group" nomenclature.