In search of the Upper Pleistocene GSSP: bridging the gap in the correlation of Marine and Continental sedimentary successions

The Upper Pleistocene Subseries/Subepoch is still lacking a formal Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP), the necessary internationally agreed reference point on a stratigraphic section, which defines its lower boundary. Analyses performed by our group seem to indicate that the "Fronte" section (Taranto, Italy) has very high potential to contain such GSSP. We have already achieved a pretty complete stratigraphic framework at the Fronte site where data acquisition have been based on a classical biostratigraphic methodology using a multidisciplinary approach: calcareous nannofossils, planktonic and benthic foraminifera, pollen and dinoflagellate cysts. These data have been then integrated with facies analysis, stable oxygen isotopes and paleomagnetism. We will present these results and the future perspectives of this work aiming to compare our data and set the criteria for extending the correlation between the "Fronte" and other time equivalent marine and continental sections. This will allow to add all the necessary requirements to candidate the section for the Upper Pleistocene GSSP.