Benthic foraminifera as proxy for fossil seagrass from the Lower Pleistocene deposits of the Stirone River (Emilia-Romagna, Italy) - Raw Data

The aim of this project is to test foraminifera as Indirect Palaeo-Seagrass Indicators (IPSIs). Foraminiferal analyses, based on these data, focused on two different biofacies: a Thalassinoides biofacies, characterised by an oligotypic assemblage (samples R) and a Pinna biofacies, that shows high biodiversity and represents an infralittoral soft bottom colonised by marine phanerogams (samples S).

Several indexes have been calculated using these data, such as the IndexEP, the modified FORAM index (FI’), the “long vs. short life-span index” (ILS), and the K/REXT (keeled/rounded morphotypes). Morphotype-based analysis has been provided, too. Among the tested indexes, the latter (K/REXT) proved to be the most reliable IPSI, considering also the presence of morphotype A*, permanently attached, encrusting foraminifera and the abundance of Rosalinidae.