LATE TRIASSIC CALCAREOUS NANNOFOSSILS FROM THE PUCARÁ GROUP, PERU: A NEW BIOSTRATIGRAPHIC TOOL FOR REGIONAL CORRELATION IN WESTERN SOUTH AMERICA.

Micropaleontological investigations performed at four sections in the Pucará Group, northwestern Peru, revealed the presence of late Triassic calcareous nannofossils. Recovered assemblages are poorly preserved and show low abundance and species richness. However, these findings represent one of the three records outside the Tethyan Realm and allow independent biostratigraphic constraints for the Pucará Group. In the Cantera Tello section, Chambará Formation, only the genus Prinsiosphaera was observed, suggesting a late Norian age for the lower part, and the occurrence of Eoconusphaera zlambachensis indicates a Rhaetian age for the upper part. In the Río Cocahuayco section, Chambará, and Aramachay formations, only the genus Prinsiosphaera was recovered, indicating the late Triassic. In Ricardo Palma section, Aramachay Formation, the presence of E. zlambachensis indicates a Rhaetian age. The Aguas Verdes section, Condorsinga Formation, yields an assemblage with P. triassica and E. zlambachensis, indicating that, at least in this part of the basin, the lower section of this Formation is Rhaetian. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]