A late Bartonian-early Priabonian benthonic foraminiferal assemblage from Tornimparte near L'Aquila (Central Italy).

A previously undescribed microfaunal assemblage from a late Bartonian-early Priabonian slope setting from Tornimparte near L'Aquila (Central Apennines) is illustrated, yielding taxonomically diverse smaller benthonic and larger foraminifera. The slope represents an area of redeposition, erosion and in situ deposition, with hemipelagic deposits and resediments. The assemblage consists of mainly upper bathyal smaller benthonics and redeposited taxa typical of shallow water. The present work shows that, in terms of the current larger foraminiferal standard biozonation, the recognizability of the biozones at the Middle/Upper Eocene boundary is seriously hampered by the rareness of suitable markers, even in taxonomically diverse assemblages.