Briguglio, A.; Gandolfi, A.; Giraldo-Gómez, V.M.; Arena, L.; Baucon, A.; Papazzoni, C.A.; Luciani, V.; Pignatti, J.; Piazza, M. 2024. Toward a comprehensive palaeogeographic reconstruction of the Paleogene foredeep basin in the Provençal Domain. Abstract book, XXIV Edition of the “Giornate di Paleontologia” Pisa, (4) 5-7 June 2024, p. 39.

The Paleogene sedimentary succession of the Provençal domain, cropping out along the Maritime Alps, is composed by a deepening-upward sequence that starts from paralic to shoreface deposits and ends with relatively deep flyschoid units. Despite the relatively monotonous character of the succession, each locality investigated within a ten kilometers radius from Ventimiglia displays a specific set of characters that makes each one unique and rather different from the others. Some successions show the transgression sequence that starts from shoreface deposits (e.g., near the Sealza village) whilst others start with paralic to continental Microcodium-Taenidium facies (e.g., near the Olivetta San Michele village) and others with open marine settings (near the Capo Mortola promontory). In some cases, the fossil associations are so diverse that some taxa dominate in a certain locality and are very rare to absent in others nearby. Some localities are rich in resedimented deposits, others show in situ material only. Within this framework, a detailed study of the successions permitted a rather comprehensive reconstruction of the possible paleogeographic setting that could constrain all data. The paleogeography proposed is characterized by a very active riverine system that controlled both water turbidity and sedimentary rate; this had a clear impact on the benthic community, especially on the symbiont-bearing taxa. The ramp was relatively wide to permit current-driven sediment distribution, therefore differentiating muddier vs. sandy seafloors and nutrient-rich from nutrient-depleted surface waters. Lastly, the tectonic regime kept the entire system extremely unstable and affected abruptly the sedimentation rate.