APPENDIX 1
Geographical coordinates of the stratigraphic sections mentioned in MATERIAL AND METHODS:
Tunisia: El Kef (latitude 36°8'45" N, longitude 8°38'48" E), Aïn Settara (latitude 36°46'44" N, longitude 8°29'53" W), and Elles (latitude 35°56'40" N, longitude 9°4'59" E).
Spain: Caravaca (latitude 39°5'19" N, longitude 1°52'26" W), Agost (latitude 38°27'80" N, longitude 0°38'11" W), Zumaia (latitude 43°17'56" N, longitude 2°16'4" W), Osinaga (latitude 42°54'6" N, longitude 1°44'36" W) and San Sebastian (latitude 43°18'47" N, longitude 2°0'42" W)
France: Bidart (latitude 43°26'54" N, longitude 1°35'16" W)
Italy: Gubbio (latitude 43°21'57" N, longitude 12°34'57" E)
Israel: Ben Gurion (latitude 30°50'54" N, longitude 34°45'37" E)
Mexico: El Mulato (latitude 24°53'3" N, longitude 98°56'30" W), El Mimbral (latitude 23°12'40" N, longitude 98°40'30" W), La Lajilla (latitude 23°39'21" N, longitude 98°44'3" W), Bochil (latitude 17°0'43" N, longitude 92°56'50" W) and Guayal (latitude 17°32'39" N, longitude 92°36'80" W)
Cuba: Loma Capiro (latitude 22°24'35" N, longitude 79°56'77" W)
USA (Mississippi): Lynn Creek (latitude 33°12'1", longitude 88°43'47")
Argentine: Bajada del Jaguel (latitude 38°6'11" S, longitude 68°23'19" W)
North Pacific: DSDP Site 305 (latitude 32°0'21" N, longitude 157°51'0" E).
APPENDIX 2
Taxonomic list and diagnostic characters of the lower Danian species of Palaeoglobigerina Arenillas, Arz and Náñez (2007), Eoglobigerina Morozova (1959), Parasubbotina Olsson, Berggren and Liu (1992) and Subbotina Brotzen and Pozaryska (1961) mentioned in the text:
Palaeoglobigerina alticonusa (Li, McGowran and Boersma, 1995): Small trochospiral test, with high spire, 3 ½ - 4 spherical chambers in the first whorl, 3 ½ - 4 sub-globular chambers in the last whorl, low to moderate rate of chamber size increase, aperture intraumbilical, high arch, lip thin, wall surface smooth or secondarily granular (Figures 2.1-2.2).
Palaeoglobigerina fodina (Blow, 1979): Small trochospiral test, with low spire, 3 ½ - 4 spherical chambers in the first whorl, 3 ½ - 4 subglobular chambers in the last whorl, low to moderate rate of chamber size increase, aperture intraumbilical, usually high arch, lip thin, wall surface smooth or secondarily granular (Figures 2.3-2.5; Figures 5.1-5.3).
Eoglobigerina simplicissima Blow (1979): Trochospiral test, with low spire, 3 ½ - 4 spherical chambers in the first whorl, 3½ - 4 subglobular chambers in the last whorl, low to moderate rate of chamber size increase, aperture intraumbilical, lip moderately thick, wall surface weakly cancellate, spinose (Figures 2.6-2.9; Figures 5.4-5.5; Figures 6.1-6.3; Figure 7.5; Figures 9.1).
Eoglobigerina fringa (Subbotina, 1950): Trochospiral test, with low spire, 3 ½ - 4 spherical chambers in the first whorl, 4 subglobular chambers in the last whorl, low to moderate rate of chamber size increase, aperture umbilical to somewhat extraumbilical, lip moderately thick, wall surface cancellate weakly developed, spinose (Figures 4.1-4.3; Figures 6.4-6.5; Figures 8.1-8.3).
Eoglobigerina eobulloides Morozova (1959): Trochospiral test, with low spire, 4 - 5 spherical chambers in the first whorl, 4 - 4 ½ subglobular chambers in the last whorl, low rate of chamber size increase, aperture umbilical to somewhat extraumbilical, lip moderately thick, wall surface cancellate, spinose (Figures 2.10-2.13; Figures 7.1-7.3).
Eoglobigerina praeedita Blow (1979): Trochospiral test, with low spire, 4 ½ - 5 spherical chambers in the first whorl, 4 ½ - 5 subglobular chambers in the last whorl, low rate of chamber size increase, aperture umbilical to somewhat extraumbilical, lip moderately thick, wall surface cancellate, spinose (Figures 2.14-16; Figure 7.4).
Eoglobigerina edita (Subbotina, 1953): Trochospiral test, with slightly raised spire, 4 ½ - 5 spherical chambers in the first whorl, 4 ½ - 5 subglobular chambers in the last whorl, low rate of chamber size increase, aperture umbilical to somewhat extraumbilical, lip moderately thick, wall surface cancellate, spinose (Figures 2.17-2.20).
Eoglobigerina microcellulosa (Morozova, 1961): Trochospiral test, with low spire, 3 ½ - 4 spherical chambers in the first whorl, 3 ½ subglobular chambers in the last whorl, moderate rate of size increase, aperture umbilical to somewhat extraumbilical, lip moderately thick, wall surface cancellate weakly developed, spinose (Figures 3.8-3.10; Figures 9.2-9.3).
Eoglobigerina cf. trivialis (E. trivialis Subbotina, 1953, sensu Blow, 1979): Trochospiral test, with lightly high spire, 3 ½ - 4 ½ subglobular chambers in the first whorl, 3 ½ - 4 spherical chambers in the last whorl, low to moderate rate of chamber size increase, aperture intraumbilical, lip moderately thick, wall surface cancellate, spinose (Figures 3.1-3.7).
Parasubbotina moskvini (Shutskaya, 1953): Trochospiral test, with low spire, 4 spherical chambers in the first whorl, 4 subglobular chambers in the last spiral whorl, moderate rate of chamber size increase, aperture umbilical-extraumbilical, lip moderately thick, wall surface cancellate, spinose (Figures 4.4-4.6; Figures 8.4-8.5).
Parasubbotina pseudobulloides (Plummer, 1927): Trochospiral test, with low spire, 4 ½ - 5 spherical chambers in the first whorl, 4 ½ - 5 subglobular chambers in the last spiral whorl, moderate rate of chamber size increase, aperture umbilical-extraumbilical, lip moderately thick, wall surface cancellate, spinose (Figures 4.10-4.12).
Parasubbotina varianta (Subbotina, 1953), Trochospiral test, with low spire, 4 -4 ½ spherical chambers in the first whorl, 4 subglobular chambers in the last whorl, high rate of chamber size increase, aperture umbilicalextraumbilical, lip moderately thick, wall surface cancellate, spinose (Figures 4.7-4.9).
Subbotina triloculinoides (Plummer, 1927): Trochospiral test, with low spire, 3 ½ - 4 spherical chambers in the first whorl, 3 - 3 ½ subglobular chambers in the last whorl, moderate to high rate of chamber size increase, aperture umbilical to somewhat extraumbilical, lip thick, wall surface cancellate, spinose (Figures 3.11-3.15; Figure 9.4).