Geological History of Nannofossils

Nannofossils first appeared in the Late Triassic, apparently confined to low latitudes. They flourished in all marine environments during the Jurassic and Cretaceous and attained their maximum diversity peak during the Late Cretaceous. Nannofossils had a mass extinction at the Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary when over 90% of species became extinct. During the Early Paleocene, nannofossils re-established rapidly and reached another maximum peak in the Lower Eocene, especially at Zone NP12. Nannofossil diversity drastically reduced during the Oligocene but flourished again during the Miocene to Pliocene., followed by a significant reduction in diversity during the Pleistocene.