The Qreiya section (Upper Egypt) contains a well-preserved record of the first radiation of the fasciculiths, an evolutionary event that affected the coccolithophores of the Order Discoasterales during the late Danian. At Qreiya it unfolds across the so-called Neo-Duwi Event. We describe the morphostructural changes that affected coccoliths and document a trend towards increased surface area of the coccoliths of the Order Discoasterales. Our isotopic data do not support earlier interpretation(s) that the Neo-Duwi Event may correspond to a Paleocene hyperthermal. We interpret the first radiation of the fasciculiths as an adaptive response to increased oceanic oligotrophy through the appearance of coccoliths adapted to food collection in nutrient-poor oceanic waters. (Less)