Abstract:
There is not yet a precise classification of or terminology for ecostratigraphic boundaries. SHE analysis for biozone identification (SHEBI) objectively places boundaries between abundance biozones (ABs). Alpha diversity (=S (sub E) =e (super H) , where H is the information function) measures the community diversity within an AB in units of effective species, whereas the dimensionless beta diversity (=S (sub E2) /S (sub E1) , where S (sub E1) and S (sub E2) are the alpha diversities of successive ABs) quantifies the difference in alpha diversity between successive ABs. Three categories of AB boundary are recognized depending on the value of beta . In Type -1beta , the alpha diversity of the younger AB is significantly less than that of the older. In Type 0beta , S (sub E2) nearly equal S (sub E1,) while in Type +1beta , the alpha diversity of the younger AB is significantly greater than in the older. Benthonic foraminifera were sampled from the approximately 124-m-thick Pleistocene strata of DSDP Hole 148 (eastern Caribbean Sea). SHEBI indicated 18 ABs; of the 17 AB boundaries, seven were Type -1beta , two were Type 0beta , and eight, Type +1beta . The direction of inflection of the graph of lnE versus lnN did not indicate AB boundary type. Although the Pleistocene was characterized by repeated alternations between glacial and interglacial conditions, there was no regular alternation of Type -1beta and +1beta AB boundaries. Complementarity (i.e., species level distinctiveness of successive ABs) was measured using a percentage similarity index, C (sub P) . Differing complimentarities show that boundaries between ABs varied with respect to permeability to species, while beta diversities and C (sub P) were uncorrelated.