Hole 1206A was drilled in a water depth of 1544 m using a rotary core bit. The only nannofossil-bearing sediment obtained above basement from this hole was Sample 197-1206A-1W-CC. We recorded the abundance and distribution of nannofossils in this sample in the paleontology (PAL) database. Nannofossil preservation is poor to moderate. Sample 197-1206A-1W-CC is in nannofossil Zones NP14 (early to middle Eocene) or NP15 (middle Eocene). Nannofossils present are Blackites creber, Blackites gladius s.l., Braarudosphaera bigelowii, Campylosphaera dela, Chiasmolithus grandis, Chiasmolithus cf. Chiasmolithus solitus, Coccolithus pelagicus, Coronocyclus nitescens, Discoaster barbadiensis, Micrantholithus entaster, Micrantholithus flos, Rhabdosphaera pinguis, Sphenolithus moriformis, Sphenolithus spiniger, Toweius gammation, and Zygrhablithus bijugatus. B. gladius s.s. has been reported only from Zone NP15. Transitional forms (B. gladius s.l.) with slightly less stem swelling have been found in Zone NP14 (Siesser, 1983), associated with B. creber, the probable ancestor of B. gladius. The specimens in Sample 197-1206A-1W-CC resemble B. gladius more than B. creber, and we assign them to B. gladius s.l.
The Braarudosphaeracea present in this sample suggest a nearshore environment, as described previously for Hole 1205A.
A number of volcaniclastic sandstone and other volcaniclastic sediment layers were cored in this hole. Most of the volcaniclastic beds are barren of nannofossils. Samples 197-1206A-27R-1, 99-100 cm; 27R-1, 107-108 cm; 27R-1, 113-114 cm; and 28R-2, 33-34 cm, contain trace amounts of very poorly preserved nannofossils. Campylosphaera cf. Campylosphaera dela, Chiasmolithus sp., Coccolithus pelagicus, Sphenolithus spp., and Toweius spp. are present. The age is indeterminate.
Hole 308 was drilled on Koko Seamount during DSDP Leg 32. Quaternary nannofossils were found in the upper half of Core 1 in Hole 308, overlying sediment assigned to the early Eocene Discoaster lodoensis Zone (Shipboard Scientific Party, 1975). Basement was not reached. The D. lodoensis zonal assignment was based on the presence of D. lodoensis and Lophodolithus nascens in the absence of Tribrachiatus orthostylus and Discoaster sublodoensis (Shipboard Scientific Party, 1975; Bukry, 1975). L. nascens is now known to range from Zone NP9 to lower Zone NP15 and D. lodoensis from Zone NP12 to the middle of Zone NP14 (Perch-Nielsen, 1985). These two species thus do not restrict assignment to the D. lodoensis Zone (= NP13). The presence of B. gladius s.l. in Hole 1206A indicates assignment to Zones NP14 or NP15. The estimated age range of the NP14-NP15 zonal interval is 43.5-49.7 Ma.
Braarudosphaera and Micrantholithus were also found in Hole 308, as they were in Hole 1206A. Based on these taxa and other fossils, the DSDP Leg 32 Shipboard Scientific Party (1975) inferred shallow-water deposition for the sediment.