The foraminifera rank first in importance in the age determination and the correlation of tertiary

strata in the East Indies. The research of the foraminiferal faunae in this area developed
somewhat later than the fundamental researches by Martin of the molluscan faunae, therefore,
they are treated here in the second place.

The study of the larger foraminifera came first, followed by the great development of our
knowledge of the smaller foraminifera, which are of special importance for the correlation of
strata in the oil fields (Van Der Vlerk, 1932).

Larger foraminifera. The great connoisseur of the larger foraminifera has been Douville while
specially for the Indopacific area fundamental researches were made by (in alphabetical
succession)

Due to the autochthonous development of the Indopacific faunal province, LEUPOLD,

UMBGROVE,and VAN DER VLERK proposed a subdivision of the Tertiary by means of a
letter-classification, which as principally based on the larger Foraminifera (VAN DER VLERK
& UMBGROVE, 1927)

In the beginning these authors purposely avoided the correlation with the classical Europian
epochs and ages. However, in the course of time and for practical reasons a preliminary
correlation came into use.

Prof. Dr M. G. Rutten, University of Amsterdam, contributed the following synopsis on the

letter-classification of the tertiary in the East Indian Archipelago, based on larger Foraminifera.
In this review use has been made of the Geology Survey Report by Dr W. Mohler.

The letter classification. Two features character the widely used letter classification of the East
Indian Tertiary. The divisions are indicated by letters, ranging from Tertiary a for the oldest to
Tertiary for the youngest division. Secondly, these divisions are determined by the occurrence
of certain larger Foraminifera.

The letter classification was proposed by VAN DER VLERK & UMBGROVE in 1972, and
became immediately very popular. The authors took over the ideas of Martin as to separate
evolution of the Malaysian marine fauna during the Tertiary. As no sufficient correlation was
possible between the Malayan Archipelago and Europe, they held that the normal divisions of
Eocene, Oligocene, etc. could not yet be applied. A correlation with the different zonal
subdivisions was of course entirely unwarranted. Their aim was to devise a method to correlate
tertiary formations within the East Indies independently of the European division. For that
reason the nomenclatura aperta of the Letter classification was proposed.

Foraminifera research was at that time almost exclusively limited to the larger Foraminifera.
These were found, however, in large quantities in many formations, and the study of these
larger Foraminifera yielded excellent results. It seemed probable, that a division of the East
Indian Tertiary was possible by means of combinations of genera of larger Foraminifera,
without the need of specific determinations. This made this method extremely simple, as
compared with the study of the Mollusca. The different genera of the larger Foraminifera could
be easily recognized, either directly in the field, or by the use of thin sections. Every field
geologist could learn to recognize the few genera concerned and stratigraphical results were
quickly obtained.

A second factor for consideration was, that Foraminifera as a rule are found much more
abundantly than locations with large molluscan faunae.

Table 11 gives the Letter classifications with its relevant genera of larger Foraminifera, as
proposed in 1927.

Tertiary as I characterized by the occurrence of Assilina and Flosculina, together with

Pellatispira, Nummulites, Discocyclina and “Alveolina”.

Tertiary b also contains Pellatispira, Nummulites, Discocyclina and “Alveolina”, but lacks
Assilina and Flosculina. The distinction between Tertiary a and Tertiary bis based on negative
characters only.

Tertiary c still has Nummulites, whilst the other genera characteristic of the older Tertiary have
disappeared.

Tertiary d contains Nummulites together with the first Lepidocyclina and with “Alveolina”.

Tertiary e is characterized by Lepidocyclina, Miogypsina, Trilina howchini, “Alveolina”,

Cycloclypeus, and Spiroclypeus.

Tertiary f is distinguished from Tertiary e by negative characters, as “Alveolina” and

sphiroclypeus are no longer represented, and positively by the occurrence of Flosculinella
bontangensis and Alveolinella.
Between Tertiary f and the Quanternary, a horizon of non- orbitoidal Tertiary is recognized, in
younger publications the zones Tertiary g and Tertiary h will be substituted for this horizon of
non orbitoidal Tertiary.

In this form, the Letter classification was mainly based on the strength of a couple of detailed
stratigraphical sections through the Tertiary of eastern Borneo, made by LEUPOLD.

The extreme simplicity of this scheme appealed to most geologist, and the Letter classification
became almost universally used. However, the authors had pointed out, that more work, both
on the systematic position of genera and species of the larger Foraminifera, and on more and
more geological sections, would probably yield the means of a finer division than originally
proposed. This amplification of the Letter classification was given by LEUPOLD & VAN DER
VLERK in 1931. Table 12 gives the new division of the Tertiary, together with the relevant
index fossils, according to these authors. It is clear, that both the division of the Tertiary epoch
into zones, as well as the number of index Foraminifera used, has been greatly augmented.
Several of the original divisions have been split into subdivisions, indicated by numbers. With
regard to the index Foraminifera, the genera and subgenera of the Alveolinellidae and the
Orbitoididae are now used to a greater extent, and also separate species within the genera have
been widely used.

This revised and amplified Letter classification of 1931 has been severely criticisied in several
of the genera and species of Foraminifera used as index fossils have a far wider stratigraphical
range than indicated by LEUPOLD &VAN DER VLERK. As a consequence of this fact,
several of the new sub divisions, and even some of the original divisions, cannot be separated
with the index Foraminifera used up to now. As the Letter classification is still by far the most
important method to divide the East Indian Tertiary, a detailed account of these views will be
given here.

It is held, that Assilina is readily influenced by ffacies conditions. The absence of Assilina may
in consequence not be used for distinguishing Tertiary b from Tertiary a. From SE-Borneo
MOHLER records identical stratigraphical ranges for Assilina and Discocyclina, indicating
that Assilina rangesunto the top of Tertiary b. Moreover the determination of Nummulites
nutalli and Nummulites thalica is erroneous as the fossils concerned belong to the species
Nummulites borneensis and Nummulites taballarensis. Theses forms are not found outside the
Archipelago, and their stratigraphical distribution is uncertain (CAUDRI, 1934). They cannot
be used to distinguish Tertiary a 1 from tertiary a 2 and the distinction between these
subdivision becomes imaginary.