Late Triassic radiolarians of the cherty dolostones of Monte Marrone (Molise Basin), Mainarde range, Central Apennines, Italy.

The stratigraphic succession of Mt. Marrone (Central Apennines) is constituted, from bottom to top, by: thin-bedded cherty dolostones; massive and nodular dolostones; partially dolomitized nodular limestones; green, red, black shales and radiolarian cherts, with calcirudites and thin silicified calcarenites. Radiolarian faunas of middle late Carnian to early Norian age have been extracted from the lower portion of the cherty dolostones of the Mt. Marrone succession. The age has been determined on the base of the presence of Capnodoce sp. and Xiphotheca rugosa BRAGIN. This succession represents the oldest part of the exposed deposits of the Molise Basin, which is thus shown to have existed since the Late Triassic at least.