Sains Malaysiana 44(10)(2015): 1397–1405

Miocene Larger Benthic Foraminifera from the Kalumpang Formation in Tawau, Sabah

(Foraminifera Bentos Besar Berusia Miosen dari Formasi Kalumpang di Tawau, Sabah)

JUNAIDI ASIS¹* & BASIR JASIN²

¹Geology Programme, Faculty of Science and Natural Resources, Universiti Malaysia Sabah,

Jalan UMS, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia

²No. 22 Jalan 2/4F, Section 2, 43650 Bandar Baru Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

Received: 6 December 2013/Accepted: 12 August 2015

ABSTRACT

Miocene larger benthic foraminifera have been discovered from a limestone unit of the Kalumpang Formation. The limestone is exposed at the Teck Guan Quarry, Tawau, southeast Sabah. The Kalumpang Formation consists predominantly of interbedded mudstone and sandstone (graywacke), conglomerate, limestone, marl, chert and volcanic rocks. Five limestone samples have been collected and processed for petrographic analysis and identification of larger benthic foraminifera. The limestone is classified as packstone and mudstone. A total of seventeen species of larger benthic foraminifera have been identified. The foraminifera are divided into two assemblages namely Assemblage I and Assemblage II. Assemblage I is characterized by the presence of Lepidocyclina (Nephrolepidina) parva, Operculina sp. and Lepidocyclina (Eulepidina) formosa. This assemblage is an indicative of Aquitanian to Burdigalian in age (Early Miocene). Assembalge II comprises of Lepidocyclina (Nephrolepidina) sumatrensis, Lepidocyclina (Nephrolepidina) angulosa, Lepidocyclina (Nephrolepidina) ferreroi Lepidocyclina sp., Miogypsina sp., Katacycloclypeus annulatus, Katacyloclypeus martini, Cycloclypeus carpenteri, Cycloclypeus indopacificus, Cycloclypeus sp., Flosculinella bontangensis, Operculina complanata, Amphistegina bowdenensis and Amphistegina sp. This assemblage is an indicative of Langhian to Serravallian age (Middle Miocene). The foraminiferal assemblages suggest that the depositional environment was a warm tropical shallow-marine at the fore-reef shelf zone.

Keywords: Kalumpang Formation; larger benthic foraminifera; Miocene; Tawau

ABSTRAK

Foraminifera bentos besar berusia Miosen telah ditemui daripada unit batu kapur Formasi Kalumpang. Batu kapur tersebut terdedah di Kuari Tech Guan, Tawau, tenggara Sabah. Formasi Kalumpang ini terdiri daripada selang-lapis batu lumpur dan batu pasir (greiwak), konglomerat, batu kapur, marmar, rijang dan batuan volkano. Lima sampel batu kapur telah diambil dan diproses untuk analisis petrografi dan pengenalpastian foraminifera bentos besar. Sebanyak tujuh belas spesies foraminifera bentos besar telah dikenal pasti. Foraminifera dibahagikan kepada dua himpunan iaitu Himpunan I dan Himpunan II. Himpunan I dicirikan oleh kehadiran Lepidocyclina (Nephrolepidina) parva, Operculina sp. dan Lepidocyclina (Eulepidina) formosa. Himpunan ini menunjukkan usia Aquitanian hingga Burdigalian (Miosen Awal). Himpunan II terdiri daripada Lepidocyclina (Nephrolepidina) sumatrensis, Lepidocyclina (Nephrolepidina) angulosa, Lepidocyclina (Nephrolepidina) ferreroi Lepidocyclina sp., Miogypsina sp., Katacycloclypeus annulatus, Katacyloclypeus martini, Cycloclypeus carpenteri, Cycloclypeus indopacificus, Cycloclypeus sp., Flosculinella bontangensis, Operculina complanata, Amphistegina bowdenensis dan Amphistegina sp. Himpunan ini menunjukkan usia Langhian hingga Serravallian (Miosen Tengah). Himpunan foraminifera ini membuktikan bahawa sekitaran pengendapannya adalah pada sekitaran laut cetek kawasan tropika di zon pelantar depan terumbu.

Kata kunci: Foraminifera bentos besar; Formasi Kalumpang; Miosen; Tawau

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*Corresponding author; email: junaidiasis@gmail.com