New Gabonita species from the Upper Cretaceous of southeastern Nigeria

Abstract

Eight species of the foraminiferal genus Gabonita Diem, 1974, are recorded from the Late Cretaceous Calabar Flank sediments in southeastern Nigeria. Of these eight, only two had previously been recorded from any part of the country and three, Gabonita centrocostata sp. n., G. nigeriensis sp. n., and G. quadrata sp. n., are here described as new species. The lower and upper parts of the Gabonita-beatring strata are dated with the associated planktic foraminiferal species and the benthic species Afrobolivina afra Reyment as the Senonian (Santonian-Campanian) ,and Maastrichtian respectively. Paleoecologic niches inferred for the Gabonita species range from shallow to moderately deep ocean to shallow restricted marine environment.