ABSTRACT: The recently discovered Tilovica breccias in Central Dalmatia are of submarine origin and assigned to a Paleocene age by means of smaller benthic and planktonic foraminifera found either in pelagic interbeds or in the matrix. The breccias define a “trough†produced by Cretaceous tectonics and submerged by the global sea-level rise. This provides a new insight into the evolution of the External Dinarides (Croatia) and suggests a new paleogeographic interpretation of the region.