Contribution to the biostratigraphy of the Lower Cretaceous in eastern Serbia: Upper Hauterivian Orbitolinidae from the Kamenica 1 section, Kurilovo anticline

Upper Hauterivian deposits in the Kurilovo area, Kamenica 1 section, NE of Niš, are described based of abundant and diverse orbitolinids. So far, the interval was assigned to the Barremian–Aptian on the geological map. Such a new age assignment results from the first detailed study carried out on the orbitolinid fauna contained in the Lower Cretaceous (upper Hauterivian) shallow-water limestones of eastern Serbia. The upper Hauterivian is documented on the basis of two key stratigraphic markers, specifically Valserina primitiva and Paleodictyoconus beckerae. ition to these late Hauterivian index fossils, the studied section bears orbitolinids having a larger stratigraphic distribution: Cribellopsis neoelongata, Cribellopsis thieuloyi?, Montseciella glanensis, Orbitolinopsis debelmasi, Orbitolinopsis cf. debelmasi, Orbitolinopsis sp., Paleodictyoconus cuvillieri, Paleodictyoconus cf. cuvillieri, Paleodictyoconus cf. beckerae, Paleodictyoconus cf. actinostoma, Paleodictyoconus sp., Paracoskinolina? jourdanensis, Paracoskinolina cf. hispanica, Urgonina alpillensis, Valserina sp. The microfossil assemblage includes other foraminifers such as Charentia cuvillieri, Mayncina bulgarica, Nautiloculina cretacea, Pfenderina globosa, Pseudocyclammina cf. lituus, Pseudolituonella gavonensis, Ammobaculites sp., Bolivinopsis sp., abundant trocholinids, various miliolids, other foraminifers and sparse algae which will be presented separately.