Radiolarian biostratigraphy of Paleogene deposits of the Russian Platform (Voronesh Anticline)

The aim of the present biostratigraphic investigation is to construct a discrete radiolarian biochronological scale for the Paleogene of the Voronesh Anticline, processing data with the BIOGRAPH program (Savary & Guex 1991). The subdivisions of this scale are characterized by unique and mutually exclusive assemblages of taxa which are similar to "Concurrent Range Zones" or "Oppel Zones". This new approach allows to resolve the contradictions in correlation that have existed in numerous previous publications and resulted in the creation of three different radiolarian biostratigraphic schemes for the same region of the Russian Platform. The base material for our study are radiolarian assemblages collected from four Paleogene sections located in Russia and Ukraine. Eighteen Unitary Associations and seven Unitary Associations Zones are established for the (?)late Paleocene and Eocene deposits of this area. These Unitary Associations Zones are tied to the standard stages by means diatoms, nannoplankton, foraminifera, silicoflagellates and dinoflagellates co-occurring with radiolarians in the same sections. We give a brief descriptions of 119 determined and zoned radiolarian taxa.