Late Pleistocene-Holocene paleoclimate and related paleoenvironmental changes as recorded by calcareous nannofossils and planktonic foraminifera assemblages in the southern Tyrrhenian Sea (Cape Palinuro, Italy)

A quantitative analysis of calcareous nannofossils and planktonic foraminifera assemblages and geochemical studies were carried out on core C18 (40degrees00' 55"N, 15degrees09' 22"E), recovered near Cape Palinuro (southern Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy). Four radiocarbon ages place the core in the time interval 32-0 ky BP. Coccolithus pelagicus, Gephyrocapsa caribbeanica and Gephyrocapsa mullerae dominated the coccolith assemblages during the glacial period, while foraminifera assemblages show high percentages of Turborotalita quinqueloba and Globorotalia scitula. Calcidiscus leptoporus and Gephyrocapsa oceanica seem to be controlled by nutrient availability; moreover, low percentages of iron seem to influence the distribution of G. oceanica(1). Low nutrient availability seems to overlap the climatic signal in the distribution of Syracosphaera pulchra. An increase in Umbilicosphaera sibogae and Rhabdosphaera claviger, the occurrence of tropical taxa and an increase in sub tropical and temperate species, among the planktonic foraminifera, characterise the Holocene assemblages. During this period, Globorotalia truncatulinoides reached its highest percentages, testifying to the onset of deep winter convection and vertical mixing that characterise the modem Tyrrhenian Sea. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.