An integrated biozonation of the Early Paleogene based on shallow benthic foraminifera is presented.
The use of index fossil names for designating biozones in a zonation integrating many parallel index fossil groups corresponding to different habitats is not very practical nor stable when taxonomic revisions on the genus and species level occur. Therefore, a numbered zonation is proposed, bearing SB for Shallow Benthlcs as a prefix, in accordance with current procedures in plankton biostratigraphy. The zonation proposed covers all Early Paleogene sediments deposited under oligotrophic to mesotrophic conditions in warmer tropical to subtropical waters of the euphotic zone