Many specimens belonging to the benthic foraminiferal families Bolivinidae, Buliminellidae, Gavelinellidae, Siphogenerinoididae and Turrilinidae are commonly recovered from Upper Cretaceous (Coniacian–Maastrichtian) rocks deposited in shelf and upper bathyal settings of low-latitude Atlantic regions. Biogeographic distribution patterns indicate the existence of a ‘central North Atlantic-western Tethyan Realm’, with two distinct provinces: (a) a ‘Brazilian-Caribbean-Gulf Coast Province’ (Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, the Caribbean, Mexico, Texas and southern California), and (b) a ‘Guinean Province’ (Cameroon, Congo, Gabon, Ivory Coast and Morocco). The Brazilian-Caribbean-Gulf Coast Province shares about 23% of species with the Transitional/Austral Realm, and 34% with the Boreal/NE Tethyan Realm. The Guinean Province is marked by about 50% endemism, chiefly represented by species of Gabonita, and shares about 12% of species with the Boreal/NE Tethyan Realm. These provinces probably developed in response to different palaeoceanographic conditions and trophic regimes at the same latitude on both sides of the northern South Atlantic. Revised systematics are presented for species that have been commonly recorded in northeastern Brazil.