Study of paleotemperature trends during depositional course of the Gurpi Formation at its type section

Dinoflagellate cysts and foraminiferal contents of 30 samples taken systematically from the Gurpi Formation at its type section were studied in order to determine the paleotemperature trends and relations with the KTB mass extinction.  Ecological specialist foraminifera diversity and abundance is high in the lower parts of the section studied and warm-water dinocysts and fungal reefs are also present indicating a high temperature for upper Campanian and lower Maastrichtian.  These indices decrease gradually during middle and upper Maastrichtian indicating a reduction in temperature while they increase sharply again in uppermost Maastrichtian showing a sudden increase in water temperature.  In early Danian the warm-water foraminifera are replaced with cold-water forms such as Globigerina and cold-water dinoflagellates such as different species of Cribroperidinium, Spiniferites cornutus and Carpatella cornota are dominant.  This indicate a decrease in water temperature at this time which has also been reported from around the world relating it to a global impact by many researchers.