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Quantitative nannofossil correlation to open ocean deep-sea sections from Plio-Pleistocene boundary at Vrica, Italy

Abstract

Although numerous studies have been performed on material from the Vrica section, southern Italy1–3 with a view to establishing its suitability as a type section for the Plio-Pleistocene boundary, these studies have failed either to establish the age of the boundary, or to achieve accurate correlation to other regions. We report here quantitative studies of selected nannofossil species in this section which unambiguously correlate it with open ocean piston cores in which an accurate chronology has been established. The age of the Plio-Pleistocene boundary as proposed by Colalongo et al.4 is estimated to be 1.6 Myr.

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Backman, J., Shackleton, N. & Tauxe, L. Quantitative nannofossil correlation to open ocean deep-sea sections from Plio-Pleistocene boundary at Vrica, Italy. Nature 304, 156–158 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1038/304156a0

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