Radiolarians and Tethyan Radiolarites from Primary Production to their Paleogeography

Paleogeography is established using mainly plate kinematics and unfolding mountain belts, but basinal paleodepths are defined using specific facies, among which radiolarites can provide key information. The common equation radiolarites = deep oceanic basin is obviously too simple to be correct; and to infer from the geological message (e.g., radiolarites), the original, environmental, biological signal requires a good knowledge of the successive filters that have changed it and the originators of these signals (e.g., the radiolarians).