Paleobiodiversity, Paleobiogeography, and Paleoenvironments of the Middle–Upper Eocene Benthic Foraminifera in the Fayum Area, Western Desert, Egypt

The middle–upper Eocene successions of northwest Fayum, Egypt, provide a crucial archive for reconstructing paleoenvironmental conditions and paleobiogeographical patterns of the southern Tethys realm. Stratigraphically, the investigated section is subdivided into three rock units: the Gehannam Formation (Bartonian-Priabonian), the Birket Qarun Formation, and the Qasr El Sagha Formation (Priabonian). A total of 101 benthic foraminiferal taxa, representing 31 genera, 23 families, 13 superfamilies, and four suborders, were identified. The middle–late Eocene age is primarily determined by the co-occurrence of index spinose planktonic foraminifera (Acarinina spp., Morozovelloides spp., and Globigerinatheka semiinvoluta) and benthic foraminiferal assemblages, further supported by the presence of the nannofossil marker Chiasmolithus oamaruensis. Four local benthic biozones are identified and correlated with coeval zones in nearby areas. Quantitative analyses of benthic foraminiferal individuals, diversity indices, ecological parameters, and the benthic foraminiferal oxygen index (BFOI) reveal distinct environmental shifts. The rock unit occupied by the late middle Eocene assemblages is diversified and dominated by calcareous infaunal taxa (e.g., Bolivina spp., Fursenkoina spp., and Nonionella spp.), indicative of low-oxygen outer neritic conditions associated with elevated organic influx. In contrast, the late Eocene Birket Qarun and Qasr El Sagha showed an increase in epifaunal forms and reduced diversity, suggesting a transition to dysoxic-oxic conditions. Paleobiogeographical analysis indicates a strong affinity with the Tethyan realm, with potential faunal exchange through the Trans-Saharan Seaway. These findings enhance our understanding of Paleogene marine connections between the Tethyan and Indo-Pacific realms, contributing to broader discussions on Eocene paleobiogeography and depositional dynamics in North Africa.