NEW RECORD OF THE EGYPTIAN MAASTRICHTIAN PLANKTIC FORAMINIFERA PLUMMERITA HAGGAGAE ANAN IN IRAQ

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INTRODUCTION
. The numbers are the studied section by the author and others: 5. Duwi section at the Red Sea coast is related to the Nile Valley Facies.
The Maastrichtian-Paleocene ( K/T) boundary outcrops have an extensive distribution in the Middle East, particularly Egypt and Iraq and caught the attention of a great numbers of researchers (Nakkady, 1950;Said & Kenawy, 1956;Abdel-Kireem, 1986;Anan, 2008;Bamerni et al., 2021).Anan (2008) presented an new species Plummerita haggagae of last fourchambers volution from Gabal Duwi, Red Sea coast of Egypt (Figure 1), which represents the third group of Plummerita: P. haggagae group, beside P. hantkeninoides group and P. reicheli group (Anan, 2008;Brönnimann, 1952).In this study another record of P. haggagae in Per Fat section, Duhok, NE Iraq to be the second record of this species outside Egypt.The position of Duwi section in Southern Tethys is shown in Figure 2. The location map of Per Fat section, Duhok, NE Iraq is shown in Figure 3.

STRATIGRAPHY
The stratigraphy and paleontological studies on Gabal Duwi of many authors (Nakkady, 1950;Youssef, 1957;Krasheninnikov & Abd El Razik, 1969;Anan, 2008)    3. FAUNAL REVIEW Anan (2008) presented the third group of the Plummerita: Plummerita haggagae group (with last four-chambered volution), beside the other two groups of Plummerita: P. hantkeninoides group (with last five-chambered volution) and Plummerita reicheli group (with last six-chambered volution).The Plummerita haggagae species was originally recorded from the Late Maastrichtian of Duwi section of Egypt, but now it is also recorded also from the Late Maastrichtian of Per Fat section, Duhok area, NE Iraq.

TAXONOMY
The classification of Loeblich and Tappan ( 1988) is followed here .Keller (2002) noted that among Rugoglobigerinids, only P. hantkeninoides is largely restricted to the low latitude Tethys, and these surface dwellers rarely appear in middle latitudes (Figure 6).Anan (2008) noted that the wide geographic distribution of the closed forms which are treated here as Plummerita haggagae in many localities in the Nile Valley Facies of Issawi, et al., 1999) at Central Egypt, and in Sinai (represents the Sinai Facies of Issawi et al., 1999).In this study, it is also recorded also from the Late Maastrichtian of Per Fat section, Duhok area, NE Iraq.6. PALEOENVIRONMENT Frerichs (1971) noted that the radiations of planktonic foraminiferal genera are characteristic of the warm stratigraphic intervals, and the oxygenic level of the atmosphere should be low during times of extinction (e.g.K/T boundary).Anan & Hewaidy (1986) (north, center, south) in the K/T boundary time (Speijer, 2003).Keller (2002) noted that the wide geographic distribution of the P. hantkeninoides (s.l.) in different localities in central Egypt and Sinai are controlled by most probably similar, deep marine, outer shelf-upper bathyal environment, 200-400 m.The Plummerita haggagae Anan (2008) was recorded in Central Egypt (Nile Valley Facies) and Northern Egypt (Sinai Facies), which seems that both facies are controlled by middle-deep marine environment by many authors (i.e. Nakkady, 1950;Ziko et al, 1993;Speijer, 2003;Anan, 2008;Obaidalla et al., 2017).The high resolution planktonic foraminiferal biostratigraphy across the K-Pg boundary in the Dohuk area, NE Iraq by Bamerni et al. (2021) reveals that the boundary transition covers the uppermost part of the Shiranish Formation (late Maastrichtian) and the entire Aaliji Formation (Danian)

PALEOGEOGRAPHY
(see Figure 5), and the planktonic foraminiferal biozonation shows continuous sedimentation occurred across the K-Pg boundary in this section.

CONCLUSIONS
The present study deals with the recording of only two locations of the planktic foraminiferal species Plummerita haggagae Anan (2008) in the Southern Tethys: originally from Egypt and later from Iraq.The existence of this species (P.haggagae) in many localities in the Southern Tethys (Egypt and Iraq) prove again that these wide provinces are connected in an open sea water in the Maastrichtian-Paleogene times.The rarity recorded of this species in other localities in the Southern Tethys, or even the Northern Tethys may due to probability of species occurrence, habitat suitability, or misidentification of the species (see synonymy).More detailed studies in the future may prove the existence of the recorded species (P.haggagae) in another localities in the Southern Tethys, and also Northern Tethys.

Figure 1 :
Figure 1: Location map of the Nile Valley facies, NVF in Egypt and Sinai Facies, SF(Issawi et al., 1999).The numbers are the studied section by the author and others: 5. Duwi section at the Red Sea coast is related to the Nile Valley Facies.

Figure 3 :
Figure 3: The location map of Per Fat section in the Duhok region, the Northeast Iraq (Bamerni et al., 2021).
are pertinent to the present study.Seven samples around K/T boundary were collected from the Maastrichtian (Plummerita hantkeninoides Zone) and Danian (Parasubbotina pseudobulloides).The Cretaceous/Tertiary (K/T) boundary of Gabal Duwi section is represented by a thin layer (about 0.1 m) of Nucula spp.within the Dakhla Shale which rests directly on about 2 m of barren black shale (Figure 4).

Figure 4 :
Figure 4: Stratigraphic log of the Cretaceous /Tertiary (K/T) boundary at Gabal Duwi, Red Sea coast, Egypt (Anan, 2008).The Late Maastrichtian chocolate marly bed with about 1.0 m thick (bed.No. 1) yields rich and well preserved planktic and benthic foraminifera, e.g.P. haggagae Anan as well as the members of Plummerita h.hantkeninoides group.The stratigraphy and paleontological studies on Per Fat section, Duhok area, NE Iraq were treated by some authors (Al-Omari, 1970; Abawi & Abdo, 2001; Bamerni et al., 2021), and the K/T boundary is represented by the upper part of the Shiranish Formation (late Maastrichtian) with the overlying Aaliji Formation (Danian), positioned in a continuous pelagic marlstone that exhibits a change in color from pale blue of the Cretaceous (Shiranish Fm.) to light brown at the base of the Paleogene (Aaliji Fm.) (Figure 5).

Figure 6 :
Figure 6: The open Tethyan sea water between the Egypt and Iraq in the Southern Tethys during the K/T boundary (Morsi et al., 2008, with some modifications).

Figure 7 :
Figure 7: The paleoenvironmental depths of the Egyptian localities(north, center, south) in the K/T boundary time(Speijer, 2003).