I thank Dr. S.W. Wise for supervising this study, which was submitted in partial fulfillment of the Master of Science degree at Florida State University. I would also like to thank Prof. Toshiaki Takayama from Kanazawa University for his hospitality during my stay in Tokyo, for helping me review the samples, and for valuable suggestions on my research. Dr. Tokiyuki Sato helped me elucidate the concept of several important species and provided guidance on the spindle diagram. I also thank all the members of the ODP Leg 186 Shipboard Party for their collaboration and helpful discussion. Mr. Bryan Ladner of the Florida State University Nannofossil Laboratory provided much help and assistance with computer software and hardware. This research used samples and/or data provided by the Ocean Drilling Program (ODP). ODP is sponsored by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and participating countries under management of Joint Oceanographic Institutions (JOI), Inc. Funding for this research was provided by a JOI-USSAC grant.