Middle Triassic (Anisian) benthic Foraminifera from the Monte Prà della Vacca / Kühwiesenkopf section (Dont Formation, Braies Dolomites, Northern Italy).

The recent discovery at Monte Pra' della Vacca/Kuhwiesenkopf (Braies Dolomites) of a significant plant deposit in the lower part of the Dont Formation, a basinal unit consisting of hemipelagic terrigenous-carbonate sediments, prompted an investigation of the benthic foraminiferal assemblage to provide a better chronostratigraphic definition of the deposit. The Anisian benthic foraminifera discovered in this section are widely distributed in the Tethys domain, and have been studied from the Dolomites region by several authors. The foraminiferal assemblage from Monte Pra' della Vacca/Kuhwiesenkopf has never been previously described or illustrated; it consists mainly of Ammodiscidae, Cornuspiridae and Duostominidae which are concentrated in the carbonate banks, while these are lacking in the stratigraphic interval corresponding to the plant deposit. The Pilammina densa, Meandrospira dinarica and Pilamminella semiplana association, typically Pelsonian in age, characterizes most of the section; towards the topmost layers the Paulbronnimannia judicariensis-Paulbronnimannella whirrakeri association occurs, which is referred to the upper Pelsonian. It is worth noting the occurrence of Paulbronnimannia judicariensis before the appearance of Meandrospira dinarica, and its co-existence with this latter. According to the foraminiferal association and distribution, the plant deposit can be referred to the Pelsonian.