Inoceramid bivalves from the Maastrichtian of the Western Fore-Balkan Mts (Bulgaria)

Taxonomic descriptions of newly recorded inoceramid species from the Maastrichtian of the Western Fore-Balkan Mountains (Bulgaria) are presented. The following taxa have been determined: Cataceramus subcircularis (Meek, 1876); Cataceramus palliseri (Douglas, 1942); Cataceramus barabini (Morton, 1834); Cataceramus? glendivensis Walaszczyk, Cobban and Harries, 2001; Cataceramus? cf. bebahoensis (Sornay, 1973); Cataceramus aff. goldfussianus (d’Orbigny, 1847); Trochoceramus tenuiplicatus (Tzankov, 1981); Endocostea typica Whitfield, 1880; Endocostea jolkicevi Walaszczyk, Odin and Dhondt, 2002; Endocostea sp. aff. E. coxi (Reyment, 1955); and “Inoceramus” howletti Walaszczyk, Kennedy and Klinger, 2009. The present record allowed two lower Maastrichtian inoceramid zones, namely the Endocostea typica and Trochoceramus radiosus zones, to be indicated. The material allows for correlation with the Northwestern and Boreal areas of Europe and elsewhere.