Sea level changes through the Jurassic/Cretaceous boundary in western Cuba indicated by taphonomic analysis

Resumen

The taphonomical and
microfacies analyses of the Guasasa Formation in the San Vicente
section of western Cuba, allowed the recognition of regional sea
level fluctuations through the Jurassic/Cretaceous transition. Four
discrete taphofacies associated with different depositional
conditions were characterized through the section. The
paleoecological conditions reconstruction indicates that the site of
deposition changed from a shallow water carbonate bank recognizable
at the base of the section (late Tithonian facies of the San Vicente
Member) into a deep-water basinal environment at its top through the
Berriasian, as facies of the overlying El Americano member. This
continuous deepening of the basin was interrupted only by a
short-term sea level drop close to the Jurassic/Cretaceous
boundary