The genus Loftusia

Abstract

Loftusia is a well-known genus among larger benthic foraminifera reported from various Maastrichtian strata in the Mediterranean and the Middle East. It is an important genus for palaeontologists, stratigraphers, petroleum geologists and field geologists because it is a good paleoenvironmental indicator and provides excellent resolution in age interpretations of sediments. This study is a synthesis of the Loftusia genus and its species. The focus, here, is on data obtained from Turkey and other Middle Eastern countries involving the general features of the genus using quantitative data, distribution and paleobiogeography of Loftusia, a biofabric approach and systematics.