Issawi et al. (1999) distinguished detailed seven facies that characterized the upper Cretaceous-Paleogene sedimentary rocks of Egypt, from north to south: Sinai Facies (SF), Ataqa Facies (AF), North Western Desert Facies (NWDF), Southern Galala Facies (SGF), Farafra Bahariya Facies (FBF), Nile Valley Facies (NVF), Nuba Abu Ballas Facies (NABF), which suggest gradual paleogeographical changes from transitional open marine environmental facies in the northern Egypt to shallow shelf setting in the south due to paleorelief (highs and lows of the Syrian Arc System, Laramid Orogeny) in the upper Cretaceous. Each type facies has certain formations, which differ from the adjacent one, though some formations may cross the boundaries between two contiguous facies. According to these authors the contact between the deep (in the north) and shallow marine facies (in the south) nearly coincides around Lat. 28º N (but about Lat. 27º N of Anan, 1987). The studied Duwi section, Red Sea coast of Egypt, represents the Nile Valley Facies. The Tethyan aspect, Midway-Type Fauna (MTF) of middle-outer neritic environment (100-200 m) is interpreted for the Esna Shale of this section. This study deals with the paleontology and stratigraphy of sixty nine diagnostic benthic foraminiferal species were recorded from the upper Paleocene-early Eocene transition of the study section, and thirty seven species of them are illustrated. Its paleobiogeography distribution in different localities in the Northern and Southern Tethys is detected.
Keywords: Duwi section, Egypt, Esna Shale, Paleogene, Tethys., foraminifera
