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NewsletterSummer 2004No. 65

Image: Reduviasporonites chalastus(Foster) Elsik 1999 from SaudiArabia. The scale bar represents 5microns.

Commission Internationale de Microflore du Paléozoïque

President: Florentin ParisPast President: Bernard OwensSecretary General & Newsletter Editor: Mike StephensonTreasurer: Phillipe SteemansWebmaster: Duncan McLeanI.F.P.S. representatives: Thomas Servais, Ken Higgs

CIMP homepage:http://www.shef.ac.uk/~cidmdp/index.html

ContentsEditorial.............................................................................................................................. 2Forthcoming conferences ................................................................................................. 2Spores and Pollen Subcommission Chairman................................................................ 4Prague CIMP meeting ....................................................................................................... 4IPC 2004 ............................................................................................................................. 6IPC 2004 Abstracts, Part 1 ............................................................................................... 7CIMP General Meeting at Granada 2004..................................................................... 27Brachiopod Sr dates to calibrate Permian palynology biozones in Arabia ............... 28Request for Samples........................................................................................................ 29Leslie Rowsell Moore (1912-2003): A footnote ............................................................. 30PhytoPal............................................................................................................................ 31PhD theses ........................................................................................................................ 32New books ........................................................................................................................ 35More contributions .......................................................................................................... 37Accounts presented at IPC 2004 .................................................................................... 38

CIMP Newsletter Summer 2004

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Editorial

Most of this issue of the Newsletter istaken up with some of the abstracts ofCIMP contributions to the IPC 2004 inGranada. Those of you who attendedIPC 2004 will have been heartened bythe sheer volume and quality of workbeing done in palynology today,whether it be in pollen and sporemorphology, entomopalynology,melissopalynology, forensicpalynology, aerobiology and allergy.Perhaps things in palynology are notthat bad!

As usual if you have views on thetopics covered in this newsletter,perhaps in violent disagreement, or in aspirit of practical advice, please sendthem to me ([email protected]). Let’sget a discussion going….

Forthcoming conferences

32ND SESSION OF THEINTERNATIONAL GEOLOGICALCONGRESS. AUGUST 20-28, 2004

‘From the Mediterranean Area Towarda Global Geological Renaissance’Geology, Natural Hazards and CulturalHeritage, in Florence, Italy. Seehttp://www.32igc.org or contact ChiaraManetti, Dipartimento di Scienze dellaTerra, Via La Pira, 4 - 50121 Firenze -ITALY, Phone/Fax: +39-055-2382146, E-mail:[email protected]

Avalonia – Moesia Symposium

Ghent, 9th October 2004

Avalonia – Moesia Workshop

Ronse, 10-11th October 2004

This is the second and finalannouncement of a one daysymposium and a two day workshopon the Early Palaeozoic orogens of theTrans-European Suture Zone (TESZ),organised three years after theEUROPROBE project and the PACEnetwork project. The workshop will befollowed by a fieldtrip in the BrabantMassif and Condroz Inlier. At thesymposium, key-note addresses areinvited from the U.K. and Romania.We also welcome talks and postersshowing the recent progress inresearch, concentrating on theextremities of the TESZ:

? the Anglo-Brabant DeformationZone and the history of Avalonia

? the Romanian Dobrogea belt, theMoesian Platform, the Palaeozoicin the southern Carpathians andtheir history

The preliminary list of speakersincludes, amongst others, C. Corteel,T. Debacker, S. Dewaele, M. Oczlon,T. Pharaoh, K. Piessens, T. Servais, M.Sintubin, P. Steemans, M.Vanguestaine, S. Veliciu, J. Verniers,P. Williamson, J. Winchester and S.Yanev, giving talks spread over fourthematic sessions, concentrating ondifferent topics such as structuralgeology, applied palaeontology,


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terrane evolution, palaeogeography,basin evolution, metallogenesis,palaeomagnetic data, etc... A postersession will be organised during thesymposium and a selection ofpresented talks or posters will bepublished in a special volume ofGeologica Belgica.

During the workshop all persons activein Early Palaeozoic research areinvited to participate in the debate. Thefirst day, we will concentrate ondifferent aspects of the Palaeozoichistory of the Anglo-BrabantDeformation Zone and NW Europe;the second day the Moesian Platformand Dobrogea region in Romania willbe addressed. Posters can be shownagain and authors of recent studies(e.g. PhD’s) and/or authors whopresented their results at thesymposium will have ample time toelaborate in detail on their results,followed by discussion.

We warmly invite all interestedgeoscientists to participate in thismeeting!

Under the auspices of GeologicaBelgica and with the support ofMinisterie van de VlaamseGemeenschap (Bilateralewetenschappelijke en technologischesamenwerking Vlaanderen-Roemenië)and Fonds Voor WetenschappelijkOnderzoek - Vlaanderen.

Ordovician Palaeogeography andPalaeoclimate

September 2004, official openingmeeting at Erlangen, Germany: oceanand climate modelling, and thedevelopment of stable C- and O-isotopes; field meeting S-Sweden(Fågelsång, Öland, Gotland); second(final) circular available fromhttp://www.pal.uni-erlangen.de/IGCP503/

AASP 38th Annual Meeting, St LouisSeptember 18-21, 2005.

For details see

http://campus.umr.edu/dce/conferences/aasp.htm

and

http://www.palynology.org/meetings.html

XI Reunião de Paleobotânicos ePalinólogos, Rio Grande do Sul State,Brazil, November 7-10, 2004

The "XI Reunião de Paleobotânicos ePalinólogos" (XI Meeting ofPaleobotanics and Palynologists) is tobe held in Gramado, Rio Grande doSul State, Brazil, from November 7-10,2004, hosted by the Universidade doVale do Rio dos Sinos (UNISINOS, byTânia Lindner Dutra) and theUniversidade Federal do Rio Grande


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do Sul (UFRGS, by Roberto Iannuzziand Paulo Alves de Souza).

More information:

http://www.exatec.unisinos.br/_rpp2004/english

The scientific program:

1. Gondwana alive

2. Hots spots and Biodiversity

3. Palynology and Palynofacies

4. Quaternary floras and climates

5. Mesozoic and Tertiary floras andpaleoclimates

6. Extinctions

7. Organic Geochemistry

8. Remote Sensing and LandscapeEcology

9. Phytogeography

10. Molecular studies and taxonomy

11. Ethnobotany and human history

12. Reproductive biology, conservationprocedures and reforestation

13. Taphonomy and Paleoecology

14. Biostratrigraphy

15. Southern Hemisphere modernbiomes

XI Russian Palynological Conference

The XI Russian palynologicalconference will be held on September,2005 at the Paleontological Institute ofthe Russian Academy of Sciences(Moscow) by the RussianPalynological Commission.Presentations on all branches ofmodern palynology are welcome.

The working language is Russian, butEnglish presentations are acceptable.

The preliminary scientific programincludes the following topics:

History of palynology

Pollen and spore morphology andultrastructure

Palynology and ecology

Pre-Paleozoic and Lower Paleozoicpalynology

Devonian and Carboniferouspalynology

Permian and Triassic palynology

Jurassic and Cretaceous palynology

Neogene and Pleistocene palynology

Holocene and modern sediments

Microalgoflora and dinocystsbiostratigraphy

Diatoms

Palynological databases

Paleophytogeography

Contact address: [email protected], phone (7095)3396022, fax (7095) 3391266.

More information will be available atwww.paleo.ru at the end of this year.

Spores and Pollen SubcommissionChairman

Following Ken Higgs accession to thepost of IFPS councillor, we now need anew Chairman for the Spores andPollen Subcommission. If you areinterested please contact Ken([email protected]) or Mike Stephenson([email protected]).

Prague CIMP meeting

CIMP GENERAL MEETING

SEPTEMBER 4-6, 2006

Prague, Czech Republic

Institute of Geology, Academy ofSciences of the Czech Republic,Prague & Charles University Prague,Institute of Geology and Palaeontology


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ORGANIZING COMMITTEE

Jirí Bek, Oldrich Fatka, Jirina Daskováand Rainer Brocke

GENERAL INFORMATION

The CIMP General Meeting willconvene in Prague, the capital ofCzech Republic, from 4-6 September2006.

Czech palynology has a long researchtradition of Palaeozoic palynomorphs,including acritarchs, spores and pollen.The meeting is open to allpalynologists interested in any aspectsof Palaeozoic palynology. Thescientific program will includesymposia, contributed talks, posters,poster sessions, and meetings ofworking groups, associated withworkshops.

Pre-conference and post-conferencefield trips are planned to theBarrandian Early Palaeozoic.

Prague, the capital of Czech Republic,is one of the most beautifuf cities inEurope with attractive sites ofmedieval architecture. The landscapeand art have created a manifoldcollection of monuments from thetenth Century – starting withRomanesque churches up to modernbuildings – making thus a uniqueopen-air gallery on a relatively smallarea lying on Ordovician to Devonianrocks.

LANGUAGE

The official language of the meeting isEnglish

Further information abouth costs,accommodation, field trips etc., will beavailable during the early spring 2005(2nd Circular).

The deadline to respond to the pre-registration for the meeting isDecember 31, 2004

SCIENTIFIC PROGRAMME:

The scientific program will consists ofinvited papers, contributed talks andpapers and poster sessions. Eachparticipant is invited to present resultsof original research or reviews ofparticular subjects.

CONFERENCE FIELDTRIPS

September 3. – pre-conference trip:Proterozoic to Ordovician of theBarrandian area

September 6. – post-conference trip:Silurian and Devonian GSSPs of theBarrandian area

CONTACT ADDRESSES:

Jiri BEK

Institute of Geology

Academy of Sciences of the CzechRepublic

Rozvojová 135

165 00 Prague 6

Czech Republic

E-mail: [email protected]

Jirina DASKOVÁ

Institute of Geology

Academy of Sciences of the CzechRepublic

Rozvojová 135

165 00 Prague 6

Czech Republic


Oldrich FATKA

Charles University Prague

Institute of Geology and Palaeontology

128 43 Prague 2

Czech Republic



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Information will be available on

http://www.gli.cas.cz

and

http://www.natur.cuni.cz

and be accessible via the CIMP webpage during August 2004.

IPC 2004

Mike Stephenson

The IPC 2004, XI INTERNATIONALPALYNOLOGICAL CONGRESStook place in Granada, Spain at thesuperb Granada Conference andExhibition Centre, between 4th and the9th July2004.

Delegates at IPC 2004

There were several themes: PollenBiology, Pollen and SporeMorphology, Entomopalynology andMelissopalynology, ForensicPalynology, Aerobiology, Pollen andAllergy, Palaeopalynology andEvolution, Quaternary Palynology andWorld Pollen Databases. As well a

number of plenary lectures includingProfessor Eugenio Domínguez(University of Córdoba, Spain) whospoke on ‘The use of aerial platformsin aerobiological studies’ andProfessor Henry Hooghiemstra(University of Amsterdam,Netherlands) who spoke on ‘Ice-agesin the tropics: new records andimproved understanding of longColombian pollen records’.

Granada Conference and Exhibition Centre

Poster presentations

I would like to thank, on behalf ofCIMP, the institutions that supportedthe conference: The SpanishPalynological Association (APLE),The International Federation ofPalynological Societies (IFPS), TheUniversity of Granada and The ZaidínExperimental Research Station (CSIC),Granada. Of course the organisingcommittee should not go withoutmention:

Ana Teresa Romero (Chairwoman)Francisca Alba, Juan de Dios Alché,Consuelo Díaz de la Guardia, María


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Carmen Fernández, Adela Olmedilla,María Isabel Rodríguez-García, MariaJacoba Salinas and Jose Luis Ubera.

Excellent presentation facilities

This year CIMP was extremely wellrepresented at the IPC 2004 and tomark this great contribution, thisNewsletter will cover some of theabstracts submitted within the CIMPsessions to the conference. The restwill follow in the CIMP Winter 2004Newsletter. I would like to thankThomas Servais, Charles Wellman andBernard Owens for coordinating,organising and chairing the CIMPsessions with great efficiency, andrepresenting CIMP so well.

Discussions over posters

The beautiful Alhambra

Beautiful Granada

IPC 2004 Abstracts, Part 1

The majority of abstracts from the g4Upper Palaeozoic Palynology/CIMPSymposium will be presented in thisissue of the Newsletter. The rest of theg4 abstracts and abstracts from the g3Lower Palaeozoic Palynology/CIMPSymposium, as well as those from theg5 CIMP/Saudi Aramco Symposiumwill be presented in the Winter 2004Newsletter.


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TAXONOMY ONLINE’: INTERNETPALYNOLOGICAL DATABASE THAT ISLINKED TO CURATED SPECIMENS

Stephenson, M. H.*, & Owens B. **.

*British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham,NG12 5GG, UK. Email: [email protected],** Palynology Research Facility, Department ofAnimal & Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield,Sheffield S10 2TN, United Kingdom([email protected]).

In an article in Nature last year (v. 417, p. 17-19),H. Charles Godfray of Britain’s NERC Centre forPopulation Biology, noted how descriptivebiological taxonomy suffers from a lack of prestigeand resources when compared with the newerdisciplines of genome databasing and phylogenetictaxonomy. He described the problematic legacy of200 years of traditional biological systematics,whereby modern taxonomists attempt to interpretthe work of their nineteenth century counterparts bytrying to understand inadequate (by today’sstandards) published descriptions, or looking forpoorly curated or even lost type material. Godfrayproposed a web-based unitary ‘taxonomic process’,rather like a bulletin board, to make taxonomy moreproductive, efficient and worthy of funding.

Palaeozoic palynological taxonomy faces similarproblems, particularly over the condition andcuratorial status of topotype and holotypespecimens. In order to remedy these, the BritishGeological Survey (BGS) is funding the ‘TaxonomyOnline’ Project, which will use the internet as aforum to illustrate and describe specimens curatedin its collections. The initial report andpalynological database, which will represent thefirst 68 taxa of the ‘Bernard Owens Single MountPalynology Collection’, will shortly be publishedand released on the web. This single grain mountcollection is one of the most importantpalynological collections in the world with over 145taxa represented by up to 25 specimens per taxon,showing a wide range of preservation states andnatural variation. Many of the specimens areholotypes or topotypes, while other determinationshave been validated by leading taxonomists. Thetaxa are most closely associated with Britain andNW Europe and are integral to the palynozonationof the Carboniferous of NW Europe published byClayton et al. (1977), and to earlier regionalpalynozonations (e.g. Owens et al. 1977, Neves etal. (1972).

The main value of the new database is the linkbetween description/illustration and specimen. Eachspecimen (contained within a unique single grainmount slide) has a unique BGS collections number,and may be borrowed for examination andphotography. We anticipate that the database willgrow organically with contributions by workers inthe field; but all added taxa will be represented byspecimens housed in single grain mounts. In thisway the collection will embody the online database,and will become an invaluable resource for futurestudents and researchers.

CLAYTON, G., COQUEL, R., DOUBINGER, J., GUEINN,K. J., LOBOZIAK, S., OWENS, B., and STREEL, M.1977. Carboniferous miospores of Western Europe:illustration and zonation. Mededilingen RijksGeologische Dienst, Vol. 29, 1-71.

NEVES, R., GUEINN, K. J., CLAYTON, G., IOANNIDES,N. and NEVILLE, R. S. W. 1972. A scheme ofmiospore zones for the British Dinantian. 7thCongrès International de Stratigraphie et deGéologie du Carbonifére, Krefeld, 1979,. CompteRendu, Vol. 1, 347-353.

OWENS, B., NEVES, R., GUEINN, K. J., M ISHELL, D.R. F., SABRY , H. S. M. Z., and WILLIAMS, J. E.1977. Palynological division of the Namurian ofnorthern England and Scotland. Proceeding of theYorkshire Geological Society, Vol. 41, 381-398.

EARLY DEVONIAN PALYNOFLORAS OFTHE ADAVALE BASIN, QUEENSLAND,AUSTRALIA

Hashemi, H.* & Playford, G.**

*Department of Geology, Science Faculty,University of Teacher Training, 15614 Tehran(Iran). **Department of Earth Sciences, TheUniversity of Queensland, Brisbane 4072(Australia).

Diverse, moderately well preserved, and miospore-dominated palynofloras have been obtained frommarginal marine to continental Devonian strata ofthe subsurface Adavale Basin, south-centralQueensland. The miospores are mainlyradiosymmetrical and trilete; monolete and hilateforms are infrequent. Acritarchs, prasinophytephycomata, and scolecodonts occur in minorproportions. Based on the vertical distribution ofcertain miospore species and on the introduction ofparticular spore-morphological traits, threesuccessive spore floras, informally termed“assemblages”, are identified within the Adavalesuccession lying between essentially non-palyniferous, continental volcanic and redbed units(Gumbardo Formation, below; and BuckabieFormation, above).

Assemblage I, the oldest recorded from the AdavaleBasin, occurs exclusively in the EastwoodFormation and is characterized particularly bytricrassate miospores, together with apiculate andcingulate forms. The lower stratigraphic limit of thisassemblage is unknown, as it occurs at the deepestborehole-depths sampled. Assemblage I isdistinguished from the two succeeding assemblagesby the complete absence of ancyrate forms, viz.,species of Ancyrospora and Hystricosporites . In apositive sense, this assemblage can be recognizedby the consistent co-occurrence of certain species ofBrochotriletes, Retusotriletes , Rotaspora, andVerrucosisporites , and by some distinctive newtaxa. Most of these forms are restricted toAssemblage I, but several species persist into thesucceeding Assemblage II and a few intoAssemblage III.


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Of the three Adavale spore assemblages, II and IIIcan confidently be correlated with the devonicus-naumovae and optivus-triangulatus AssemblageZones, respectively, of the northern hemisphere.Assemblage I, however, appears to be the leastaffiliable with the Euramerican spore assemblages.Despite sharing a few key elements or form featureswith some of the Euramerican Lower and MiddleDevonian assemblage zones, the Eastwood suite issignificantly different in specific composition.Moreover, some “morphological events” appear tobe diachronous, evidently occurring earlier in thenorthern hemisphere and are thus eitherinappropriate or equivocal for long-distancecorrelation; e.g., introduction of monoletemiospores and bizonate forms. A particularlydistinctive feature of Assemblage I is the abundanceof tricrassate/apiculate miospores (i.e., Rotaspora,Tricidarisporites).

The presence of Verrucosisporites polygonalis,Brochotriletes foveolatus (cf.), and a bizonate form(Breconisporites sp. A), all known fromEuramerican rocks as old as the Early Devonian,could indicate an extension of the EastwoodFormation’s Assemblage I into the late EarlyDevonian. In the northern hemisphere, V.polygonalis and B. foveolatus appear initially in theSiegenian-?earliest Emsian polygonalis-emsiensisAssemblage Zone; bizonate miospores with distalannulate thickening (i.e., Breconisporitesbreconensis) were introduced in the late Gedinnian,extending into the Siegenian or early Emsian.Further supporting evidence as to the age ofAssemblage I comes from the introduction ofmonolete miospores in the Eastwood Formation; inthe northern hemisphere, this was an Emsian event.Possible attribution of the Eastwood Formation tothe early Eifelian velata-langii Assemblage Zone,based on the presence of V. dubia, appearsunjustified as that species is known to be relativelylong ranging (annulatus-sextantii through lemurata-magnificus Assemblage Zones). Thus, on presentevidence, the age of Assemblage I could possibly beEmsian; somewhat older than previous estimates.Accordingly, Assemblage I appears to represent theoldest known Australian Devonian sporeassemblage.

Detailed comparison of Assemblage I with“palynological unit 1”, previously reported from theEastwood Formation, is possible only in generalterms, i.e., absence of ancyrate forms, abundance ofretusoid taxa, and rarity of cavate forms. In fact, noancyrate form has been recorded from samples ofthe Eastwood Formation. The presence ofCalamospora atava and abundance ofRetusotriletes, particularly in Assemblages I and II,could imply miospore contributions fromPhaeophyta, Rhyniopsida, Zosterophyllopsida,Barinophytopsida, and/or Lycopsida(Drepanophycales) during late Early-MiddleDevonian sedimentation in the Adavale Basin.

PALYNOLOGY AND BIOSTRATIGRAPHYOF THE LOWER-UPPER EMSIANBOUNDARY (LOWER DEVONIAN) IN THE

RHEINISCHES SCHIEFERGEBIRGE(GERMANY) AND IN THE BARRANDIANAREA (CZECH REPUBLIC)

Brocke, R.*; Fatka, O.**; Jansen, U.*; Schindler, E.*

& Weddige, K.*

* Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg,Senckenberganlage 25, D-60325 Frankfurt/M.,Germany. ** Karlova Univerzita, Prírodovedeckáfakulta, Ústav geologie a paleontologie, Albertov 6,CZ-14321 Praha 2, Czech Republic.

Emsian – the third stage of the Devonianencompasses about 15 Ma representing one of thelongest stages in the Palaeozoic. Therefore, theEmsian has been subdivided into lower and upperparts. An interfacial correlation of the Lower/UpperEmsian boundary interval is under discussion. Forthis purpose different groups of macroscopic andmicroscopic fossils from Lower Devonian sectionsin the Rheinisches Schiefergebirge (Germany) andsimilar sections in the Barrandian area (CzechRepublic) are studied in detail.

Rheinisches Schiefergebirge.

The characteristic development of the Emsian in itstype area (Rheinisches Schiefergebirge, Germany)refers to sequences generally deposited in neriticfacies (= Rhenish Facies type) where benthic fauna,namely brachiopods are well represented. But otherstratigraphically important fossil groups (e.g.,conodonts, dacryoconarid tentaculites, trilobites,goniatites) are rare or even absent. Traditionally, thebase of the Upper Emsian corresponds to the base ofthe Ems-Quartzite. Recently, spores have beendetermined at the type locality of the Ems-Quartzitein the vicinity of Koblenz, Mosel Syncline (localityFriedrichssegen). However, in several other sectionscovering the critical interval in the RheinischesSchiefergebirge (localities in the Eifel-Kalkmulden),spores are associated with sporadic acritarchs andchitinozoans.

Barrandian.

In the Barrandian, another classical area for theLower Devonian, sequences are deposited in openmarine facies (= Bohemian Facies type) wherepelagic fossils are more abundant (e.g.dacryoconarids, goniatites, conodonts, trilobites)and benthic fossils (mainly brachiopods) may bealso present.

In this area the Emsian is subdivided into theZlíchovian and Dalejan regional stages. The base ofthe shaley Daleje Formation reflects the onset of thetransgressive Daleje Event. Its basal part is may beco-eval to the Ems Quartztite in the Germansections. Diversified and well preserved OWM(acritarchs, prasinophytes, chitinozoans,scolecodonts and spores) have been discovered inthe critical interval in a continuous section at theCísarská rokle locality near Srbsko.

The comparison of OWM in the two facial types,representing shallow and deeper waterenvironments, enables to understand changes indiversity and bioproductivity, and provides a newtool for interregional biostratigraphical correlation.


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EARLY DEVONIAN (LOCHKOVIAN)CHITINOZOANS FROM THE MOESIANTERRANE, SE ROMANIA

Vaida M.¹ & Verniers J.²

¹ - Geological Institute of Romania, 1 CaransebesSt., Bucharest 32, 78 344 Romania.

² - Research Unit Palaeontology, Department ofGeology and Pedology, Ghent University,Krijgslaan 281/S8, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium

The SE part of Romania is mostly occupied byMoesian Terrane. In this area the Palaeozoicsediments cover the Precambrian-Early Cambrianbasement. Since the sedimentary deposits do notoutcrop, many boreholes were drilled over theirentire subsurface in order to study them. They haveyielded palynomorphs (acritarchs, chitinozoans,spores and pollen) as well as macrofaunal data.Based on them it was possible to establish abiostratigraphy of these sediments.

The main goal of this study is a systematic revisionof the palynological data, necessary to refine thePalaeozoic biostratigraphy of Moesian Terrane. Thenecessity of revision derives at least from tworeasons: a large amount of existing data isunpublished over the last 17 years and thepalynomorphs were determined according to thesystematics available at or before that time.

The new study in the argillitic formation of theCalarasi 2881 borehole, located close to theRomanian - Bulgarian border, is based on SEMphotography, and shows a rich assemblage ofchitinozoans, most of them in a correct state ofpreservation. It documents a Lochkovian age forthe sediments.

Two standard Devonian biozones defined by Pariset. al, (2000) were identified in the borehole: theEisenackitina bohemica and the Urochitina simplexbiozones. The chitinozoan assemblage also containsthe accompanying species Cingulochitina ervensis ,Cingulochitina plusquelleci as well as otherchitinozoans with biostratigraphical value.

Paris, F., Winchester-Seeto, T., Boumendjel, K., &Grahn, Y., 2000. Toward a global biozonation ofDevonian chitinozoans. Cour. Forschungsinst.Senckenberg., 220, 39-55.

DEVONIAN MIOSPORE MAINDEVELOPMENT RANGES AND STAGES INTHE RUSSIAN PLATFORM

Mantsourovà, V. N.

LUKOIL-VolgogradNIPImorneft Institute,Volgograd, Russia. E-mail: [email protected]

The following investigations have been performedto determine Devonian plants’ development rangesand stages: analysis of regional succession of typicaland representative miospore taxons’ associationsand their quantitative interrelations; determineranges of their occurrence and change due tomicrofossils’ main morphological propertieschange; determine a succession of biostratigraphicsubdivisions characterized by microfossils’ ofdefinite structure and dimensions. Comparison ofsuch biostratigraphic subdivisions withcorresponding stratigraphic units determined bymicrofossils in sections of the near-by territoriesallows for correlation of sediments in remoteregions. Associations are characterizing series,stages and more rare substages; zones are usuallycharacterizing substages and horizons; subzones areusually characterizing horizons. Five main ranges ofmiospore associations change have been determinedby spore occurrence in the Devonian: early in theLate Emsian-Eifelian age; early in the Givetian age;early in the Frasnian age, early in the Late Frasnianage and early in the Famennian age, that iscorresponding to considerable changes in thestructure of the Devonian flora complex (Yurina,1985).

The first range in the Devonian flora development isseen early in the Late Emsian. The initial stage ofLate Emsian-Eifelian stage is corresponding to theRetusotriletes clandestinus zone basement.R.clandestinus zone is occurring locally infragmentery sediments of the Ryazhsky horizonlower part corresponding to Takatinian andVyazovian horizons on the Uniefied StratigraphicScale. Late Emsian-Eifelian age is characterized bymass development of pore with vivid àråà ofRetusotriletes, Apiculiretusispora, Dibolisporites .Wide development of plants producing largeamounts of spores with various and complexperispore is characteristic of this stage(Diaphanospora inassueta, Periplecotriletes tortus,Rhabdosporites langii zones). Great variety of LateEmsian-Eifelian miospores is probably explained bythe development of main groups of Devoniansurface plants at that time. Zones succession in theRussian platform has been determined and traced(Avkhimovich et al., 1993) but in some cases theircorrespondence to regional stratons requires furtherinvestigation.

The second range lies on the borderline between theEifelian and Givetian stages. The Givetian stage ischaracterized by the association of Geminosporaextensa zone with a wide variety of Geminosporaappearing on the background of more ancient"surviving" species of the previous stage. The lowerborderline of the G.extensa zone is seen vividlyeven in case of an incomplete spore complex. Atthis range spores with vividly determined àðåà arechanging by Geminospora that are mainlycharacterized by spiny-tubercular exine structure:G.decora, G.vulgata, G.meonacantha,G.micromanifesta, G.rugosa, G.tuberculata;representatives of Cymbosporites are alsocharacteristic of this zone. Species G. extensa,Archaeozonotriletes timanicus, etc. are seen in lessquantities.


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The third range coincides with the time of theFrasnian stage Pashiian sediments’ formation. Theupper borderline of G.extensa zone is less distinctthan the lower one. Change of spore complexdominants at this range is mainly taking places atthe species’ level with many species characteristicof the Frasnian stage appearing in the upper part ofthe Givetian stage. The Early-Middle Frasnian stageis characterized by mass development ofGeminospora and Archaeozonotriletes with smalltubercular, shagreen and large net-like sculpture.The beginning of the stage is corresponding to thefoundation of Ñontagisporites optivus-Spelaeotriletes krestovnikovii zone.

The forth range is corresponding to the beginning ofthe Late Frasnian stage concerning the developmentof palynoflora that is characterized with theabundance of Archaeoperisaccus (50-80 %) inA.ovalis-V.grumosus zone as well as spores withfilmy perispore: Ñristatisporites deliquescens,Auroraspora speciosa, Spelaeotriletes hopericus,Membrabaculisporis radiatus, Grandispora subsuta(Ñ.deliquescens-V.evlanensis zone) that are almostdisappearing in the Frasnian-Famennian stages. TheLate Frasnian stage in Devonian palynofloradevelopment is vividly traced in the central regionsof the Russian platform (Rodionova et al., 1995).The abundance of Archaeoperisaccus is fixed inFrasnian of Canada (McGregor, 1964, 1969;Owens, 1971, etc.).

The fifth range in Devonian palynofloradevelopment is seen at the beginning of Famennianage with the appearance of new taxon types. TheFamennian stage is characterized by considerablerenovation of complex structure connected with theappearance of new genus Ñyrtospora andCornispora, so new species Corbulispora vimineaand Geminospora vasjamica. On the whole, sporetypes and quantities are decreasing during theFamennian. To conclude with we may say that mainranges in the development of spores are coincidingwith borderlines of stages and horizons on theUniefied Stratigraphic Scale of the Devonian in theRussian platform.

This work was supported by the Russian Foundationfor the Basic Research.

THE LEVELS IN THE EVOLUTION OF THESPORODERM OF HETEROSPORIC PLANTSFROM THE UPPER DEVONIAN ANDLOWER CARBONIFEROUS DEPOSITS OFCENTRAL RUSSIA

Jurina A.L.; Orlova O.A.; Meyer-Melikyan N.R.

Department of Paleontology, Geological Faculty,Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory,Moscow, Russia, 119992

The features of spore and pollen wall structure arewidely used in paleobotany, in taxonomic andphylogenic studies. Recently, palinomorphology hasobtained a wide range of opportunities for the study

of the inner structure of the fossil and recent sporeand pollen walls, as well for the research of theorganization of the sporoderm in its evolution. Anextensive usage of the scanning and transmissionelectron microscopes allowed to find the newimportant signs of the ultrasculpture andultrastructure of spores and pollen. The first level inthe evolution of the sporoderm of the plants isdistinguishthed at the beginning of the LateDevonian. It allows to outline the origin of theancestrors of gymnosperms. The new fossil plantLudovatia mirabilis Jurina et S. Snigerevsky, gen. etsp. nov. (in msc.) was established from the UpperFrasnian deposits of the northern part of CentralRussia (Northern Timan). The stems of this planthad the sporangia in the upper part, where mega-and microspores developed. The microsporesoccupied the central part, whereas the megasporeswere located on each side. The megaspores hadspherical or tetrahedral form. There was atetradmark, combined with the chink ofgermination, on the proximal side. The exineconsisted of the alveolate ectexine and lamellateendexine. The ectexine was ornamented by thecoarse, blunt-conical and declinate spines on theoutside. The top of the spines is homogeneous,electron-dense, but the middle part is formed by thecoarse alveoli, which are longitudinally elongatedalong the spines. These alveoli had tather thicksepta, composed from sporopollenin. A lower partof the spines consists of the fine, spherical andpolyhedral alveoli, which are often unclosed. Theintegument tectum is absent. The alveoli are largeoutside, varying in form and size. Most of thealveoli are unclosed, so that they can be connectedwith each other. The pores gradually decrease insize toward the center. Their spaces become ratherfine and sparse. Near the endexine, the ectexine isalmost homogeneous. Lamellae are seldom visiblein the endexine. In general, endexine looks like acompact homogeneous structure. Sharing the similartype of the organization the microspore wall is 2times thinner that those of the macrospores. It isalso provided with numerous, fine spines. They are6-7 times lower than that of the microspores (3times lower than that of the megaspores). Unlike themacrospores, the microspores have rather thincompact cover with rare perforations. The spines arehomogeneous in the upper part and bear alveoli atthe base. The alveoli have a polyhedral shape. Theectexine is looser in the places without the spines ascompared to the areas with the spines. The alveoliare open-ended and elongate in different directions.They differ in shape and size. The separate sparsgranules are present between the alveoli. The alveolibecome smaller toward the center of the spore. Theyare stretched along the surface of the spore.Endexine is lamellate, but in contrast to themacrospores, the separate lamellae are easilydistinguishable. So in spite of the fact that mega-and microsporangia of the Ludovatia still have beenabsent, and the spores are formed within a singlesporangium, they are clearly differentiated not onlyin size, but also in numerous morphologicalfeatures. Probably, the spores of the Archaeopteris(division Archaeopteridophyta) were the next stagein this line of evolution. These spores had the


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differentiation on microsporangia andmegasporangia, and formed the equatorialprotosaccus disposed around the spores. The sporesof Archaeopteris fimbriata Nath. are particularlyclose to those of Ludovatia. More advanced sporesof the genus Telangiopsis (divisionLyginopteridophyta) from the Upper Viseandeposits of Central Russia are similar to the sporesof Archaeopteris. The similarity is presented both inthe outer morphology (circular or triangular-circularoutlines of the spores; fissura dehiscentis) and in theinner structure of the exine as well (circular-alveolate ectexine, lamellate endexine).Specialization of the spores of Telangiopsis isprominent in the considerable thinning of the layerof the ectexine down to a single row of the alveoliand in the presence of the large air cavities withinthe alveoli. In addition the most of the alveoli areconfluent, they increase air cavities and createsupplemented possibility of stretching of theectexine. The endexine consists of few lamellae,which are untied between each other, and can easilyslide in respect to each other. So, the entire exinewas capable to stretch easily, permitting thecontents of the spore to change its capacity withouta disruption of the sporoderm. This is the secondprerequisite (after the heterospory) for germinationof the male gametophyte within a microspore wallwithout its disruption, in other words, forappearance of the pollen. Each transitional form ofthe evolution from the microspores to the actualpollen greatly differs in the morphological structureand physiology and represents the prepollen grains,typical for the pteridosperms. Obviously, that someof them are still the spores, while others are rathersimilar to pollen. Judging from the outermorphology and ultrastructure of the exine, thepollen of the most groups of gymnospermous plantscan originate from the spores ofArchaeopteridophyta and Lyginopteridophyta. Theresearch was supported by InterdisciplinaryScientific Project of Lomonosov Moscow StateUniversity ? 28; Russian Foundation for BasicResearches ? 03-04-49351

MIDDLE DEVONIAN PALYNOMORPHSFROM JUNGGAR, NORTH XINJIANG,CHINA AND THEIR BIOSTRATIPRAPHICAND PALAEOGEOGRAPHICIMPLICATIONS

Zhu, Huaicheng *& Wicander, Reed **

*Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology,Chinese Academy of Sciences, 39 East BeijingRoad, Nanjing 210008, China,[email protected]; **Department of Geology,Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant,Michigan, 48859, U.S.A., email:[email protected]

Abundant palynomorphs, including 53 spore speciesassigned to 26 genera, 20 acritarch species assignedto 19 genera and scolecodonts are reported from theMiddle Devonian Ulusubasite Formation of eastJunggar Basin, North Xinjiang, China. The

biostratigraphic ranges of the miospores andacritarchs indicates a Middle Devonian, with thespore assemblage considered comparable with thedevonian-naumovae spore zone of the Old RedSandstone continent. The close similarity of thepresent assemblage to Euromerican miosporeassemblages other than those of South China andGondwana supports the paleogeographicreconstructions which indicate that the easternJunggar was part of the Kazakhstania plate duringMiddle Devonian and thus situated closer to theEuramerica landmass than to South China andGondwana.

At least 20 miospore species from the CanadianMiddle Devonian also occur in the UlusubasiteFormation, indicating a Middle Devonian age forthe Ulusubasite Formation miospore assemblage.Faunal evidence from the Ulusubasite Formationalso corroborates a Middle Devonian ageassignment. In particular, corals and brachiopodsrecovered mainly from the lower and middle partsof the formation indicate an Eifelian age. Becausethe palynologic assemblage comes from theuppermost part of the Ulusubasite Formation and isroughly equivalent to the mid-Eifelian-earlyGivetian devonicus-naumovae spore zone ofEuramerica, we consider the upper part of theUlusubasite Formation to be Late Eifelian in age.

It is clear from the paleogeographic reconstructionsthat during the Middle Devonian the Kazakhstanplate was close to the Old Red Sandstone continent(Euramerica), thus helping to explain the manysimilarities between the miospore assemblages fromthe Junggar terrane and the Old Red Sandstonecontinent. In addition, the South China plate duringthe Middle Devonian was much closer to theGondwanan landmass and separated from theJunggar terrane by the Prototethys ocean.

RICHARDSON, J.B. and MCGREGOR, D.C.,1986. Silurian and Devonian spore zones of the OldRed Sandstone continent and adjacent regions.Geological Survey of Canada, Bulletin, 364: 1-79

RIEGEL, W., 1973. Sporenformen aus denHeisdorf-, Lauch- und Nohn-Schichten (Emsiumund Eifelium) der Eifel, Rheinland.Palaeontographica. Abteilung B, 142: 78-104.

WICANDER, R. & PLAYFORD, G., 1985.Acritarchs and spores from the Upper DevonianLime Creek Formation, Iowa, U.S.A.Micropaleontology, 31(2): 97-138.

Zhu, H., 2000. Upper Devonian spores from theTarim Basin, NW China. Acta PalaeontologicaSinica, 39(2): 159-176.#

THE TAGHANIC EVENT: A LATE MIDDEVONIAN ARIDITY CRISIS

Marshall, J E.A.*, Brown, J. F.** & Astin, T. R.***

*School of Ocean and Earth Science, University ofSouthampton, Southampton Oceanography Centre,European Way, Southampton, SO14 3ZH, U.K.,[email protected]. **The Park, Hillside Road,


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Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3AH, Scotland.***School of Human and Environmental Sciences,University of Reading, Whiteknights, PO Box 227,Reading, RG6 6AB, U.K.

The latest Givetian (late Mid Devonian) TaghanicEvent is the first of a series of extinctions eventsthat characterize the Late Devonian to EarlyCarboniferous interval. The marine Taghanic Eventin Scotland has its expression as a limestone foundin a few offshore oil exploration wells andrepresents an extreme sea-level highstand. Interrestrial sections the equivalent level is the EdayMarl Formation that is well known from Orkney.Spore assemblages show that the base of the EdayMarl can be attributed to the Ex3 zone and its top tothe OK spore zone. The very significant reduction inspore diversity encountered at the base of the OKzone was the result of an extinction event within theland plants echoing that found in the marineinvertebrates. The terrestrial flora becamedominated by archaeopteridalean progymnosperms,hence the ubiquitous occurrence of Contagisporitesoptivus. Offshore the Eday Marl is found in manywells drilled north of the Highland Boundary Fault.These have generally been mis-identified as aPermian siltstone. Marine palynmorphs fromonshore sections show that subtle marinetransgressions occur at the top and base of the EdayMarl. The Eday Marl was formed within a sandysabkha environment with the sediments showing aclear internal climatic cyclicity indicating a durationof perhaps some 400 ky. The Eday Marl representsan aridity episode within a long sequence of fluvialsandstone. The association of low latitude aridityand high sea levels is in the case of the Taghanicbelieved to result largely from thermal expansion ofsea water. The aridity driven reduction in theterrestrial hydrological cycle and linked changes inthe shelf sea circulation and water temperature

LATE DEVONIAN PHYTOPLANKTONICASSOCIATIONS AND ORGANIC RICHSEDIMENTS FROM THE AMAZON ANDPARNAIBA BASINS, BRAZIL

LE HERISSE A., MELO J. H. G.** &RODRIGUEZ, R.**

*UMR 6538 “ Domaines océaniques ” CNRS,Université de Bretagne Occidentale, 6 Avenue LeGorgeu, 29285. BREST Cedex, [email protected]

** Petrobras, CENPES, Divex, Sebipe, Cid. Univ.,I. Fundao, 21949-900 Rio de Janeiro, R.J., Brazil

The global distribution, diversity patterns,composition and bio-horizons of late Devonianphytoplanktonic associations were analyzed basedon fine sampling subsurface material from the SouthAmerican Amazon and Parnaiba Basins in northernBrazil. The biostratigraphy of acritarch andassociated microalgae in the Upper Ererê Formationand Curua Group (Barreirinha and Lower CuririFormations) of the Amazon Basin, is calibrated withthe miospore and chitinozoan successions from

similar samples, also correlated with other westernGondwana and Euramerican-defined zonalschemes. Marine phytoplankton (acritarchs andother microalgae) are well represented , with morethan 200 species recorded in the continuous coredborehole of Caima PH2 (375 core samples studiedin 137m . The characteristics of these associationsare important regarding the phytoplanktondevelopment during the late Paleozoic and itsevolution later.

The assemblages of acritarchs and associatedmicroalgae are compared to the assemblagesdescribed in other basins, such as the Parana Basinin Brazil, the Devonian Bolivian succession andfrom various areas of North Africa. In the Amazonbasin a subdivision in nine successive biozones isproposed, for an interval comprising possibly theentire Frasnian and much of the Famennian. Thematerial from the Parnaiba basin, from thesuccessive Pimenteira and Cabeças Formations ismainly used to compare the palynological andgeochemical characterization of the organic-richsediment of the Frasnian anoxic event, in a basinless subsident than the Amazon Basin.

UPPER FAMENNIAN PALYNOMORPHS OFTHE IBERIAN PYRITE BELT, SW SPAIN

Felipe González*, Geoffrey Playford** and CarmenMoreno*

* Departamento de Geología, Facultad de CienciasExperimentales, Universidad de Huelva, Campus de“El Carmen”, Huelva, Spain 21071** Department of Earth Sciences, The University ofQueensland, Brisbane, Australia 4072

Diverse and moderately well preserved UpperDevonian (upper Famennian) miospores andorganic-walled microphytoplankton have beenrecovered from 42 surface samples of the Phyllite-Quartzite Group (PQ) of the Iberian Pyrite Belt(IPB), southwest Spain. This region is characterizedby “giant” and “supergiant” sulphide ores as well-known, for instance as the Riotinto, Tharsis,Aznalcóllar, Neves-Corvo, and Aljustrel deposits.The PQ represents the oldest stratigraphic unit ofthe IPB. It comprises a monotonous Middle toUpper Devonian succession of shales andsandstones that grades rapidly at the top into anintricate sequence of sandstones, conglomerates,and carbonate lenses. The overlying Volcano-Sedimentary Complex (VSC), which hosts thesulphide deposits, consists of a heterogeneity ofUpper Devonian-Lower Carboniferous volcanic,sedimentary, and volcaniclastic rocks, displayingrapid lateral and vertical facies changes andthickness variations. The uppermost unit, the CulmGroup, is a Lower Carboniferous turbiditicsuccession of shales, litharenites, and rareconglomerates.

The study area is located south of the Riotinto Mine,where the old Riotinto mining railway crosses(perpendicular to the tectonic structures) the largestPQ outcrop in the region. The 30 sampling stations


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are distributed along the 22 km-long PQ exposure,and an average of six samples were collected fromeach station. Shales from the middle and upper partsof the sequence, excluding those from the PQ-VSCcontact, have proven productive palynologically andhave accordingly been analyzed in detail.

The palynoflora is relatively uniform in all thesamples analyzed. The terrestrial (miospore)component is characterized by such species asRetusotriletes rotundus, Aneurospora greggsii,Auroraspora macra, Diducites mucronatus, D.poljessicus, D. versabilis , Grandispora cornuta, G.echinata, and Rugospora flexuosa; this miosporeassociation clearly establishes correlation with theupper Famennian flexuosa-cornuta miosporeBiozone. The marine palynoflora is generally lessdiverse and is represented by long-ranging taxa,such as the prasinophyte phycomata Maranhitesmosesii, M. brasiliensis , Tasmanites spp., andLeoisphaeridia spp. together with the acritarchsVeryhachium trispinosum and Micrhystridiumstellatum, among others. These palynological datasupport the shallow marine platform environmentinferred from sedimentological analyses.

This study has been financed by the PBE2003-04780 project.

PETROLEUM SYSTEMS, PALAEOCLIMATEAND SEA LEVEL CHANGE IN THEDEVONIAN OF BOLIVIA.

Troth, I.

School of Ocean and Earth Science, SouthamptonOceanography Centre, Southampton. SO14 3ZH(UK).

The Devonian System of Bolivia is important forhydrocarbon exploration because the major gasreservoir (Huamampampa Formation) and sourcerock (Los Monos Formation) in the region are foundwithin it. Recently, intensive hydrocarbonexploration has been undertaken in the central andsouthern areas of the country with theHuamampampa Formation the main subsurfacetarget. The main Devonian outcrop is in the Sub-Andean trend, an active thrust belt, where thrustingand folding over the last 10Ma have complicated thesubsurface stratigraphy. Seismic surveying hasbeen unsuccessful in resolving subsurfacearchitecture and the application a standardlithostratigraphic division of the Devonian to thesubsurface has produced ambiguous results.Success has been achieved using biostratigraphy,particularly microfossils, since in the BolivianDevonian there is a succession of distinctive marinemicrophytoplankton ‘events’. These are short-livedmonospecific pulses of certain acritarchs and greenalgae. Four such events are recognised in Boliviainvolving the acritarchs Evittia sommeri, Bimergabensonii, Crucidia camirense and the algaPetrovina connata. The aim of this study is toundertake a high resolution palynological study of

surface Devonian exposures and characterise themicrophytoplankton events in terms of precisestratigraphic position, stratigraphic extent,geochemistry and global context. Initially work hasconcentrated on the E.sommeri event, associatedwith a major marine transgression thought to be theEifelian ‘Chotec’ Event.

LATEST DEVONIAN AND EARLIESTCARBONIFEROUS MICROFLORA,BRACHIOPODS AND CONODONTS OF THESAIMBEYLI (ADANA) REGION, EASTERNTAURIDES, TURKEY

Kayseri M. S.*; Nalcioglu G.**& Akgün F.*

* Department of the Geology, Engineer Faculty,University of Dokuz Eylül, 35100 Bornova- Izmir,Turkey

** Department of the Geology, University of Mersin,Mersin, Turkey

In the Eastern Taurides a thich pile of sedimantaryrocks ranging in age from the Cambrian to Tertiaryis widely exposed. This autochtonous successionwhich is called Geyikdagi Unit is composed ofplatform carbonatates intercalated with siliciclastics.The Ziyarettepe formation placed in thisautochtonous unit consists of shallow-water, marinesequence mainly an alternation of sandy-clayeylimestone, marls and shale. It conformably overliesthe Upper Devonian Gümüsali formation and isunconformably overlain by the Upper PermianYigilitepe Formation. This formation is very richmacrofossils such as brachiopods, corals, trilobitsand in microfossils such as miospores andconodonts. The latest Famennian brachiopodassemblage comprises mainly Prospira struniana,Prospira lapparenti, Centrorhynchus turanica,Megalopterorhynchus chanackiensis , Cleiothyridinacoloradensis, Aulacella interlineata, Whidbornellapauli, Dichospirifer anatolicus while the Tournasianassemblage includes Marginatia burligtonensis,Rhipidomella michelini, Unispirifer tornacensis,Antinoconchus lamellosus. Conodont assemblagecomprising Bispathodus jugosus, Bispathodusultimus, Bispathodus spinulicostatus, Polygnathuspurus subplanus, Polygnathus radina, Siphonodellaquadruplicata, Siphonodella cooperi indicates latestDevonian and earliest Carboniferous age. Onedistinct miospore assemblage is characterizedVerrucosisporites nutidus, Convulatispora mellita,Dictyotriletes spp. and Punctatisporites spp. It isdateable on palynological grounds as latestDevonian (latest Famennian) and earliestCarboniferous (earliest Tournasian). Conodont andbrachiopod data from the same subsurface sectioncorroborate the miospore age determination as wellas the positioning of the Devonian-Carboniferousboundary.


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PALYNOSTRATIGRAPHYOF THE TOCA DAMOURA VOLCANO-SEDIMENTARYCOMPLEX, BEJA MASSIF, OSSA MORENAZONE, PORTUGAL

Zélia Pereira1, Vítor Oliveira2 & José TomásOliveira3

1. Instituto Geológico e Mineiro, Rua da Amieira,4465 S. Mamede Infesta, Portugal([email protected]).

2. Instituto Geológico e Mineiro, Rua Frei AmadorArrais, 7800 Beja, Portugal.

3. Instituto Geológico e Mineiro, Estrada Portela,Zambujal, 2720 Alfragide,Portugal([email protected]).

The Beja Massif, located at the southwestern borderof the Portuguese part of the Ossa Morena Zone(OMZ) is a large chalc-alcaline suite composed ofbasic to felsic intrusions and a main volcano-sedimentary complex, the Toca da Moura Complex(TMC). The age of this suite is still poorlyconstrained being currently assumed that it rangesfrom the Tournaisian to late Bashkirian. As a wholethis plutono-volcanic chalc-alkaline suite has beeninterpreted as corresponding to volcanic arc(s)associated to a north dipping subduction zonesituated at the southwestern edge of the OssaMorena Zone (Munhá et al, 1986; Santos et al.,1987; Santos et al., 1990)

The TMC, exposed in scattered outcrops in thenorth-western part of the Beja Massif, comprisesbasalts, andesites, riolites and reworked tuffs, withmetric thick intercalations of shales. A recentpalynological research in shales of several sectionsof this complex provided new palynostratigraphicdata.

The Corte Pereiro section exposed in a quarry 5 kmsNE of Santa Susana, provided spores assigned to thelower part of the Raistrickia nigra Biozone of lateVisean age and reworked lower and middlePaleozoic acritarchs (Pereira & Oliveira, 2003).Further south, the “Cai Água” section situated at thenorth margin of the “Pêgo do Altar” dam, yieldedspore assemblages assigned to the Schopfitesclaviger Biozone of late Tournaisian age, as wellreworked lower and middle Paleozoic acritarchs.Two well-exposed sections in the “Ribeira dosMarmelos” stream, west of “Vila Nova da Baronia”,yielded well preserved spores assigned to theLycospora pusilla Biozone of early Visean age andagain some reworked acritarchs.

This research indicates that the age of the TMCranges from the late Tournaisian to the late Visean.

It should be noted that, about 20 kms north of SantaSusana shales of the Cabrela Volcano-SedimentaryComplex provided spores whose age ranges fromthe Schopfites claviger Biozone of the lateTournaisian to the Lycospora pusilla, Knoxisporitesstephanephorus and Raistrickia nigra Biozone ofVisean age. The TMC and the Cabrela Complexappear so to be coeval.

The constant presence reworked early and midPalaeozoic palynomorphs indicates uplift anderosion of crustal blocks of the Ossa Morena Zoneduring the volcanic activity, but the source area isstill a matter of conjecture.

MUNHÁ, J.M. OLIVEIRA, J.T. RIBEIRO, A.OLIVEIRA, V. QUESADA, C. & KERRICH, R.1986. Beja –Acebuches Ophiolite: Characterizationand geodynamic significance. Maleo, Abst.2, 13:31.

PEREIRA, Z. & OLIVEIRA, J. T. 2003.Palinomorfos do Viseano do Complexo Vulcânicoda Toca da Moura, Zona de Ossa Morena. Ciênciasda Terra (UNL), Lisboa, nº esp. 5:120-121.

SANTOS, J.F. MATA, J. GONÇALVES, F. &MUNHÁ, J.M .1987. Contribuição para oconhecimento geológico-petrológico da região deSanta Susana: o complexo vulcano-sedimentar daToca da Moura. Comm. Serv. geol. Portugal,Lisboa, 73,1/2:29-48.

SANTOS, J.F. ANDRADE, A.S. & MUNHÁ,J.M.1990. Magmatismo Orogénico Varisco nolimite meridional da Zona de Ossa Morena. Comm.Serv. geol. Portugal, Lisboa, 76:91-124.

PALYNOFLORISTIC CHANGES USED TORECONSTRUCT PALAEOECOLOGICALCONDITIONS OF THE MAIN GROUPS OFMEGAFLORAS ALONG THE MALIMÁNFORMATION (LOWER CARBONIFEROUS)AT THE CORTADERAS CREEK, SAN JUANPROVINCE, ARGENTINA

Cecilia Rodríguez Amenábar* & Mercedes diPasquo*

* National Research Council of Argentina(CONICET) & Department of Geology, Universityof Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria, Pabellón II,(1428) Buenos Aires, Argentina([email protected]; [email protected])

Malimán Formation outcrops at the northwestern ofthe Precordillera in San Juan province, around 30° Sand 69° W, Argentina. This unit belongs to the RíoBlanco Basin, which is characterized by UpperPaleozoic rocks with glacially-influencedcontinental, transitional and marine deposits.Erosional unconformities separate the MalimánFormation (probably Viséan) from the underlyingChigua Formation (Middle Devonian) and theoverlying Cortaderas Formation (late LowerCarboniferous) (RODRÍGUEZ AMENÁBAR et al.,2003). The present contribution focuses on theanalysis of the palynofloristic changes obtainedfrom 10 samples of this unit collected at Cortaderascreek. Additionally, previous paleontological andsedimentological data were considered. This unit,with a thickness of 1300 m, is made up of shalesand fine-grained sandstones intercalated withsubordinated thick conglomerates that are referredto fluvial, deltaic and coastal plainpalaeoenvironments; minor marine mudstonesmainly with brachiopods are registered in the lowersection. Quantitative variations of each


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palynological association allow recognizingdifferent habitats for the major palaeobotanic groupsof taxa (considered at generic level), such aslycopsids, sphenopsids, ferns and pteridosperms,which are developed around depocenters containingmostly transported microspores. Three groups ofassemblages are identified: one recovered fromshales where lycopsids and ferns spores show quitesimilar percentages (type I); a second group alsoobtained from shales is characterized by thedominance of herbaceous lycopsids spores (45%-60%) such as Cristatisporites and Densosporites(type II), and a third one yielded by a very fine-grained sandstone level, is a monospecificassemblage dominated almost exclusively by onlyone species of fern spore (56% ofAnapiculatisporites hystricosus; type III).Sphenopsids (Calamospora) and pteridosperms(Cyclogranisporites) spores are rare (less than2.5%). A significant percentage of incertae sedisspores have been registered, too (5-17%). All thelevels yielded reworked material comprising Siluro-Devonian taxa ranging between 12% and 55%.Type I assemblages are representative for a widerange of wetter lowland as well as dryer moreupland environments (wetlands and small lakes andrelated better drained areas on the alluvial plain). Incontrast, type II assemblages represent localvegetation of swamps and ponds while the type IIIlevel could have preserved a quite in situ deposit ofthe dryer floodplain under an abiotic stress. Thealmost complete absence of the sphenopsids both inthe micro- and the megaflora along the outcroppoints out to unfavorable conditions for itsdevelopment or perhaps to a taphonomic bias, sincethis flora is characteristic of the margins of riverswhere relative high energy conditions added to longtransport, could have prevented its preservation.Plant fossil remains include herbaceous lycopsidsand small pteridosperms and other plants withuncertain taxonomic position (CARRIZO, 1998).Differences in composition between macro- andpalynofloras reflect a subrepresentation ofpteridosperms of the local flora in the microflorasdue to its miospores are typically trilete sporessimilar to other fern spores while the megascopicferns remains are not registered even though theyare apparently overrepresented in the microfloristicassociations. The presence of reworked Silurian andDevonian palynomorphs into Carboniferous strata isconsistent with a mountain range uplifted occurredduring the Late Devonian orogenic movements(Chanic phase). Therefore, during the EarlyCarboniferous, this region placed at a highpalaeolatitud of around 60º S, would have had atemperate-cool and humid paleoclimate. Therelative wetness would have been maintained atleast more or less stable along the MalimánFormation.

CARRIZO, H. 1998. Estudio de floraseocarboníferas de Argentina y su comparación conlas de otras regiones relacionadas. Ph.D. Thesis,Fac. Cs. Nat., Universidad Nacional de Salta,Argentina. Pp. 304.

RODRÍGUEZ AMENÁBAR, C., DI PASQUO, M.M., CARRIZO, H. 2003. El límite Devónico-

Carbonífero en la Quebrada Cortaderas, provinciade San Juan, Argentina. 12º Simp. Arg. Paleobot. yPalinol. (Buenos Aires), Resúmenes: 36-37.

LOWER CARBONIFEROUSPALYNOSTRATIGRAPHY OF NE-GERMANY (RÜGEN) – A REVISION

Jäger, H.

Geologisch-Paläontologisches Institut, UniversitätHeidelberg, Im Neueheimer Feld 234, 69120Heidelberg (Germany)

Only few palynostratigraphic investigations havebeen completed in the Lower Carboniferous ofGermany. The most data are available from thecarbonate shelf sequences in NE-Germany,especially Rügen. The first study by BURMANN

(1975) was based on samples from one boreholeleading to a spore zonal scheme for the Tournaisianof Rügen. It is closely linked to the scheme from thePripjat Depression (Russia) with spore zonesdefined by a combination of first occurence andfrequency of key species. Therefore detailedcorrelation with schemes from W-Europe and E-Europe (Poland) are difficult.

A second study was done by CARSON & CLAYTON

(1997) based on two other boreholes from RügenIsland. The Lower Carboniferous strata were studiedcompletely, but because of a hiatus at the bottomand on the top of both sections the published sporezonal scheme ranges from the middle Tournaisian toUpper Visean. It showed, that spore assemblagesfrom Rügen are good to compare to those from W-Europe. Nevertheless differences are seen in theuppermost Tournaisian and in the Upper Viseanleading to different spore zones for these intervals.

Palynological investigations of all boreholes fromRügen Island bearing Lower Carboniferous stratadone by the author during the last few years, led to arevision of the spore zonal schemes mentionedabove. There is no complete section throughout theLower Carboniferous in any borehole. But bycombination of boreholes a continuous section canbe put together, reaching from Mid-Tournaisian BP-Zone to Upper Visean VF-Zone. Spore assemblagesshowing a mix of in-situ and redeposited older taxaare very common in Visean strata, which aredominated in most sections by redepositedsediments. Redeposition seems to effect both, sporeassemblage diversity and preservation (JÄGER inpress).

Beside partially poor preservation sporeassemblages from Rügen are less diverse than thosefrom the British Isles, especially from the Mid-Visean TS/TC-Zone onwards. Clearly triangulartaxa like Tripartites , Triquitrites, Waltzispora,Ahrensisporites etc. - common and stratigraphicalimportant in Upper Visean assemblages from W-Europe - are rare and partially absent in Rügen.Also middle Visean key species like Knoxisporitesstephanophorus, K. triradiatus and Schulzosporacampyloptera can be quite rare or - in case ofPerotriletes tesselatus - mostly absent. Furthermore,


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the first appearences and stratigraphical ranges ofsome Visean taxa such as Densosporites andLeiotriletes tumidus differ between these regions.Similarities are observed also between sporeassemblages from Rügen and Poland, e.g. rareappearence of Lycospora pusilla in the Lower toMiddle Visean and the presence of Tripartitesincisotrilobus in the Lower Visean of both regions.

Despite the differences described above the sporeassemblages from Rügen are even more comparableto those from W-Europe as shown by CARSON &CLAYTON (1997). The differences in the zonalschemes can not be confirmed by the presentinvestigations. The upper Tournaisian MC-Zone(CARSON & CLAYTON 1997) can be identified inone more borehole from Rügen only. Therefore it isnot useful even for local correlations. Also upperVisean palynostratigraphy shows no majordifferences between Rügen and the British Isles.Mid-Visean spore assemblages from Rügen arefollowed by assemblages typical for the NM-Zonein Western Europe. The diverging VP-Zoneintroduced by CARSON & CLAYTON (1997) for theupper Visean from Rügen is produced by a hiatus inthe studied borehole. In this section the NM-Zone ismissing. So the Mid-Visean TC-Zone is overlain bystrata from the Upper Visean VF-Zone, creating anunusual ‘first appearence‘ of NM and VF keyspecies at the same level. Based on the datapresented here the standard spore zonal scheme forthe Lower Carboniferous of W-Europe is adaptedfor NE-Germany too. To avoid problems caused byrare and sometimes absent key species, additionalkey species are proposed for the biostratigraphicaldefinition of Visean spore zones of NE-Germany.

BURMANN, G. (1975): Sporen aus dem Tournai vonRügen. - Z. geol. Wiss., 3: 875-905, Berlin.

CARSON, B. & CLAYTON, G. (1997): The Dinantian(Lower Carboniferous) palynostratigraphy ofRügen,Northern

Germany. - Proc. XIII Int. Congr. Carb. Perm., 1:219-227, Warschau.

JÄGER, H. (in press): Facies dependence of sporeassemblages and new data on sedimentary influenceof spore taphonomy. - Review of Palaeobotany andPalynology, Amsterdam.

MID–CARBONIFEROUS BOUNDARY INTHE ANGARALAND (MINUSA BASIN) BAYPALYNOLOGICAL DATA

Nina B. Donova

Federal State Unitare Geological Enterprise(FSUGE) «Krasnoyarskgeolsyomka», 3 Berezinast., Krasnoyarsk, 660020, Russia. E-mail:[email protected]

The Carboniferous of Angarida differs by twopeculiarities. First is the type of structure sections.There is special type of «basin» enviroments, wherecoal-accumulation origined not in the sea coastal,but in «basin» alluvial-delta plains. It is the second

peculiarity of the especially Angara type flora ofthe temperate climate.

These peculiarities are the reasons of essentialdifficultes in the correlation of the continentaldeposits with Euramerian stratotypes , whichinclude marine orther groups of fauna. The mostcomplete section of the continental CarboniferousAngarida is represented by Sayno-Altai foldedregion, where the stratotypical sequences of Angara(Tunguska) paleofloristic area are defined. Theseare Kuznetsk stratotype and its analogues of Minusabasin (South Minusa intermountain sag). Here, inSouth Minusa intermountain sag, at present the bestinvestigated by different groups of organic remainsis the Isykh bank exposure, which is continueusfrom Devonian to Upper Permian. The LowerCarboniferous part is characterized by lepidophyteflora, but its Upper Carboniferous part with transitbeds is characterized not only by terrestrial flora andfreshwater fauna remains, by the wey palynomorfs.In the Middle-Upper Carboniferous partpalynological zones are established correlating withcomplexes of leaf flora and abiotic occurrences.

The most ancient lower part of Carboniferoussection is represented by Tournaisian-Lower Viseandeposits volcano-sediment genesis and terrigenouscarbonaceous sediments. The formation ischaracterized by: 1) aridic climate; 2) ash compositdominating over terrigenous; 3) absence of alluvialfacies; 4) dominating lepidophyte flora; 5) absenceof gymnosperm pollen. Flora and spores in thecomplexes of Lower Carboniferous part correspondswith flora and spores of Euramerian paleofloristicarea. Since the Upper Visean (Baynovskaya,Podsinskaya suites) in the Lower Carboniferoussection has the characteristics of transitionformations: 1) domination of terrigenous composit;2) texturas of dynamic enviroment (it is evidence ofprecipitations rise); 3) endemism appearing in thefloras; 4) lepidophyte spores are still dominating inthe palynological complexes; 5) it occurs the firstapperance of gymnosperm pollen, ancientmorphological aspect Florinites grandis . The upperbeds of Lower Carboniferous part, conditionallycorrelating with Serpukhov stage(Solyonoozerskaya suite of the South Minusa sag),demonstrate clear characteristics of coal-bearingformation, for example alluvial and coal-bearingfacies. There are lepidophyte flora in coast-marinesettings (in Kuznetsk basin); palynologicalcomplexes are represented by pteridosperm spores,by archaic pollen of ancient gymnosperm Florinites,partially by lepidophyte spores. The MiddleCarboniferous (Sarskaya suite of Bashkirian stage)is characterizing by abrupt humidisation of climate,bareness of taxonomy composite, abrupt reductionof macroremains and lepidophyte spores, in thepalynological complexes it occurs the firstappearance of Cordaitina pollen. The coal-bearing,quantity and variety of Cordaitina pollen increaseup to the sequence.

The palynological complex is established in theunique geological exposure of the South Minusasag. It is a palynological complex of theSolyonoozerskaya suite, which lower boundary can


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be suggested as the Mid-Carboniferous boundary.The lithological and taxonomy composite renovateshere. It corresponds a boundary of remarkablereconstruction in the floras of the CarboniferousAngarida, boundary of Pennsylvanian andMississippian of America, of Dinantia and Silesia ofWest Europe.

PALAEOENVIRONMENTAL EVOLUTIONOF THE ITARARÉ SUBGROUP ATITAPORANGA (UPPER CARBONIFEROUS,PARANÁ BASIN), SÃO PAULO STATE,BRAZIL, BASED ON PALEONTOLOGIC ANDPALYNOFACIES DATA

Souza, P. A. *; Di Pasquo, M. ** & Azcuy, C. L. **

* Departamento de Paleontologia e Estratigrafia,Instituto de Geociências, Universidade Federal doRio Grande do Sul. Av. Bento Gonçalves, 9500,CEP 91.540-000, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil([email protected]).

** Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicasy Técnicas y Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultadde Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento deCiencias Geológicas, Pabellón 2, CiudadUniversitaria, 1428 Buenos Aires, Argentina([email protected], [email protected]).

New palynological data are presented from theItararé Subgroup, which is related to thePermocarboniferous Gondwana glacial event in theBrazilian Paraná Basin and includes marine andcontinental strata. This study is based on four fertilecore levels from the IG-01 borehole at Itaporanga,São Paulo State, northeastern basin. The sectionanalysed corresponds to the middle-upper part of theItararé Subgroup and revealed rich palynologicalassemblages. Thirty species of spores, seventeenmonosaccate pollen grains (one species striate), sixbisaccate pollen grains (two species striated), onepraecolpate pollen grain species and other, colpatewere identified from a total of fifty-eight miosporespecies. Paleophytoplankton species like Deusilitestenuistriatus Gutiérrez, Césari and Archangelsky,Botryococcus braunii Kützing and Brazilea scissa(Balme and Hennelly) Foster have also beenrecognised. Seven species of spores and one ofpollen grain are recorded for the first time in theBrazilian Paraná Basin: Retusotriletes anfractusMenéndez and Azcuy, Cyclogranisporites firmusJones and Truswell, Apiculatasporitesparviapiculatus Azcuy, Dibolisporites disfaciesJones and Truswell, Convolutispora muriornataMenéndez, Cristatisporites stellatus (Azcuy)Gutiérrez and Limarino, Kraeuselisporitesvolkheimerii Azcuy and Circumplicatipollis plicatusOttone and Azcuy. Taxonomic results, including anew species of spore and a new genus combinationwere presented by Di Pasquo et al. (2003a; 2003b).

Taking into account previous paleontologicalinformation from this well related to marinebivalves and brachiopods, palynologicalcomposition, botanical affinities, palynofaciescharacters, and lithology, an evolution of the

palaeoenvironment / paleoclimatic conditions ofdepocentre is proposed. A first stage reflectingestuarine conditions is registered at the 76 m level.A second one linked with restricted coastal lagoonand dry-wet temperate seasonally climate features,corresponds to the 54 m level. The last episodeinterpreted as a low energy and normal salinity shelfsetting is recognized at the 37 m and 36,5 m levels.Therefore, a relative sea-level rise upward the uppersection of the Itararé Subgroup is recognised. Thistransgressive event may correlate with the retreat ofglaciers during an interglacial period.

Marine invertebrates comprise species distributedfrom the Late Carboniferous to the Early Permian inBrazil and correlated Gondwana basins, preventingtheir use in correlation and as biostratigraphicalmarkers. Besides, they have been found in lowdiversity. The palynological assemblages areattributed to the Late Carboniferous Crucisaccitesmonoletus Interval Zone (Souza, 2000; Souza &Marques-Toigo, 2001), in which spores andmonosaccate pollen grains are dominant.

di Pasquo, M.; Azcuy, C.L. & Souza, P.A. 2003a.Palinología del Carbonífero Superior del SubgrupoItararé en Itaporanga, Cuenca Paraná, Estado de SãoPaulo, Brasil. Parte 1: sistemática de esporas ypaleofitoplancton. Ameghiniana, 40(3): 277-296.

Di Pasquo, M.; Azcuy, C.L. & Souza, P.A. 2003b.Palinología del Carbonífero Superior del SubgrupoItararé en Itaporanga, Cuenca Paraná, Estado de SãoPaulo, Brasil. Parte 2: sistemática de pólen ysignificado paleoambiental y estratigráfico.Ameghiniana, 40(3): 296-313.

Souza, P.A. 2000. Palinobioestratigrafia doSubgrupo Itararé, Carbonífero/Permiano, naporção nordeste da Bacia do Paraná (SP/PRBrasil). PhD.Thesis, Universidade de São Paulo,Instituto de Geociências, 199p.

Souza, P.A. & Marques-Toigo, M. 2001. ZonaVittatina: marco palinobioestratigráfico doPermiano Inferior da Bacia do Paraná. Ciência-Técnica-Petróleo, Seção Exploração de Petróleo, 20:153-159.

UPPER CARBONIFEROUSPALYNOMORPHS FROM THE EASTERNMARGIN OF THE PARANA BASIN,SOUTHERN BRAZIL

R. Dino*, J.R. Canuto**, L. Antonioli***, C.Moreno****, F. González****

* Petrobrás/Cenpes and Universidade do Estado doRio de Janeiro (UERJ), Cidade Universitária,Quadra 7, Ilha do Fundão, 21949-900, Rio deJaneiro-RJ, Brazil. Email:[email protected]

** Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Instituto deGeociências, Butantã, 05508-900 São Paulo Brazil.Email: [email protected]*** Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro(UERJ), Facultade de Geologia/DEPA, Maracanâ,


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20559-013 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Email:[email protected]**** Departamento de Geología, Facultad deCiencias Experimentales, Universidad de Huelva,Campus de “El Carmen”, 21071 Huelva, Spain.Email: [email protected].

The aim of the present investigation is to provideupdated palynological information on poorly knownUpper Carboniferous and Lower Permian outcropsalong the eastern border of the Paraná Basin(northern Santa Catarina and southern Paraná States,southern Brazil), and to improve understanding ofthe local biostratigraphy and paleoecology.

Nineteen outcrop samples representative of theMafra Formation (Itararé Subgroup) have beeninvestigated palynologically. This formationcomprises a thick succession of clastic, continentaland marine sediments deposited under glacial andpost-glacial conditions. Lithologies includesandstones, diamictites, siltstones, mudstones,shales, and conglomerates.

In generalized terms, the palynoflora consistspredominantly of pteridophytic trilete spores and aconsiderable range of gymnospermous pollen grains(monosaccates principally; also bisaccates includinga relatively small complement of taeniate forms).Based on the presence of certain species known tohave variously restricted vertical ranges in SouthAmerican upper Palaeozoic strata, the Mafraassemblage is considered Late Carboniferous (lateWestphalian) in age.

Sedimentological and palynological evidenceindicates a predominantly continental depositionalenvironment together with a weak marine influencetestified by the presence of scarce acritarchs(Deusilites tenuistriatus).

PALYNOLOGICAL CORRELATION OF THEPERMIAN GHARIF TO LOWER KHUFFFORMATIONS IN OMAN, AND EXTENSIONOF SURFACE SEDIMENTOLOGICAL-PALYNOLOGICAL MODELS OFRESERVOIR HETEROGENEITY INTOSUBSURFACE RESERVOIRS

Stephenson, M. H. *, Mohiuddin, U. ** & Penney,R. A. **

* British Geological Survey, Keyworth,Nottingham, NG12 5GG, UK. * PetroleumDevelopment Oman, PO Box 81, Muscat 113,Sultanate of Oman.

The Gharif Formation of Oman includes importantoil and gas reservoirs which contain over 2800million barrels oil equivalent or approximately 15%of the country’s ultimate expected recoverablehydrocarbon reserves. However, the non-marinefacies of much of the continental Gharif Formationis complex with great lateral and verticalheterogeneity and consequent difficulties inunderstanding hydrocarbon fluid flow and yieldwithin its reservoirs. Correlation within the Gharifand the overlying Khuff formations has also been a

challenge; large parts are barren of fossils withpalyniferous intervals usually stratigraphically andgeographically isolated.

The recent development of an integrated Permianpalynozonation for Saudi Arabia and Oman(Stephenson et al. 2003) has permitted accuratecorrelation of sequences throughout most of theLower Permian. However, parts of the MiddlePermian, particularly the Middle and Upper Gharifmembers and the Gharif - Khuff transition, couldhitherto only be correlated rather imprecisely. Thisis because the standard biozones relating to that partof the sequence (OSPZ4, 5 and 6) are rather broad,and their bases not formally defined.

Recent intensive work on several cores from theBarik Field in central Oman has allowed theerection of a standard palynological section for thehydrocarbon reservoirs of the Middle and UpperGharif members and lower Khuff Formation. Thisenables high-resolution correlation to the surfaceHuqf Outcrop area, 100 km to the east, in whichthese reservoir rocks outcrop; and may allowsubdivisions of the OSPZ regional biozonationscheme of Stephenson et al. (2003).

A valuable consequence of the close correlationbetween surface and subsurface in this interval isthat sedimentological-palynological models ofreservoir heterogeneity developed in the HuqfOutcrop area can be extended into the subsurface oilbearing strata. For example Unit B of the UpperGharif member, defined at the surface by Bureau deRecherches Géologiques et Minières (BRGM), isinterpreted as a floodplain complex of point barsands and clay plugs probably formed in oxbowsand crevasse splays. Although the sands are goodreservoirs, the clays are baffles to hydrocarbon fluidflow, and strongly affect yield and flow directions.Very detailed surface palynological work has shownthat the plugs are distinguished by theirautochthonous algal spore content. This may be dueto local water chemistry variation betweenfloodplain waterbodies. These autochthonous algal‘fingerprints’ will enable thin mudstone bodies to bedistinguished in field scale subsurface boreholestudies. Mudstone units in adjacent boreholes withradically different autochthonous algal ‘fingerprints’are not likely to be laterally continuous baffles tofluid flow, while those at similar levels with similaralgal ‘fingerprints’ are more likely to be laterallycontinuous field wide barriers.

STEPHENSON, M.H., P.L. OSTERLOFF & J.FILATOFF 2003. Palynological biozonation of thePermian of Oman and Saudi Arabia: progress andchallenges. GeoArabia, v. 8, p. 467-496.

THE SPORES OF UPPER DEVONIANPLANTS AND THE DISPERSED SPOREMORPHONES

Raskatova M.G.

Department of Geology, Science Faculty, Universityof Voronezh, 394006 Voronezh, Russia.


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This investigation is based on the studying of in situmega- and microspores extracted from Tanaitisfurcihasta Krassilov, Rask.et Istch. Sporangiumwhich is intermediate between theprogymnospermous order of Aneurophytales andArchaeopteridales, spores from dispersed sporangiaof the Late Devonian pteridophytes with anemphasis on their variation and dispersal miosporespicked out during bulk maceration of the rockmatrix around Tanaitis from the Lower Frasniandeposits (Lower Upper Devonian) of Pavlovsk inthe upper reaches of the Don River (Russia).

In modern palynology, classification of dispersedsporomorphs is based on the formal system ofNaumova (1953), as well as on the congregationalsystem of Potonie and Kremp (1954; Potonie, 1956,1958). Both these systems deal with single organparataxa unrelated to whole plant taxa (eutaxa).However, classification of dispersed sporomorphstakes into account the variability in similarmorphotypes in the eutaxa, as well as preservationand morphological variation in each sample. By thiscriteria parataxa are made comparable withrespective eutaxa. However, only in situ records ofspores, classified as parataxa, give evidence of theirtaxonomic affinities in the system of eutaxa.

The importance of this and similar studies of in situspores cannot be over-emphasized.

This paper describes the wide variety of sporespresent in numerous sporangia of Tamaitis and insitu spores from dispersed sporangia of the LateDevonian pteridophytes with an emphasis on theirvariation. The spores are easily identifiable indispersed spore assemblages because of theirdistinctive sculpture. Dispersed spores, manyidentical to those found in situ, were investigatedfrom Lower Frasnian strata and are considered tobelong to one morphospecies. Within this specieswe describe several informal variants referred tonumbered types and subtypes. This sequence ofassemblages of types we regard as a single speciesmorphon. A morphon has been defined as a groupof palynological united by continuous variation ofmorphological characteristics. As from taxa andtaxonomic levels are subjective, we are extendingthe morphon concept to include groups of informalunits at any taxonomic level that are interconnectedby continuous variation. Within the morphon ofTanaitis spores, and spores inferred to belong to thisplant genus, the morphographic ranges andproportions of types vary through geological time.At a particular geological horizon, the pattern oftypes and subtypes constitutes a palynodeme, whichmay be unique in its range of variation.

The morphographic variation is mainly between thespores of different sporangia of Tanaitis anddispersed sporangia. Spores from an individualsporangium commonly belong to a single type.

In situ spores show a number of basic features incommon, but the variation is considerable andaffects all three sculptural areas: distal, equatorialand curvatural. The central body is visible on somespecimens. The descriptions are based entirely on in

situ spores, but when possible, dispersed sporesfrom the rock matrix are included for comparison.

Tanaitis furcihasta is heterosporous and has yieldedmegaspores similar to the spore speciesContagisporites optivus (Tschibr.) Owens 1971 andmicrospores similar to spore species Geminosporarugosa (Naumova) Obuch., G.micromanifesta(Naumova) Archang.1985.

Geminospora-type microspores were also found inthe dispersed sporangia, containing numerousmicrospores singly and in tetrads. Most ofmegaspores from dispersed sporangia are assignableto the morphological genera Biharisporites.

Such information could, if better understood in anevolutionary context, vastly increase our knowledgeof the evolution, distribution and habitats ofDevonian land floras. Dispersed spore recordsgreatly exceed those of their parent plants, and thekey to this treasure chest of data is the study of insitu spores: studies of the diversity of in situ sporesand how they change in time may give clues toevolutionary pathways of dispersed spores and theirparent plants which neither plants nor spores alonecan give.

CHITINOZOAN RESPONSE TO THEFRASNIAN/FAMENNIAN BIOTIC CRISIS INTHE HOLY CROSS MOUNTAINS (KIELCEREGION), POLAND

Wrona, R.*

*Instytut Paleobiologii, Polska Akademia Nauk, Ul.Twarda 51/55, PL-00-818 Warszawa, Poland. E-mail: [email protected]

Organic-walled microfossils (chitinozoans,tasmanaceans and scolecodonts) were investigatedin the Frasnian/Famennian boundary intervalcomprising rhytmic calcareous-marly sequences atPlucki and Kowala sections located in the Kielceregion of the Holy Cross Mountains (HCM;Malopolska Massif) in southern Poland (Racki et al.2002).

The abundant Chitinozoan occurrence in the basalbed of the Kellwasser interval coincides with ashort-term transgressive pulse in the linguiformisconodont Zone. This very rich abundance of thechitinozoans has been correlated with thefluctuation of the other palynomorphs (Filipiak2002), conodonts (Dzik 2002, Racki et al. 2002),ostracods (Casier et al. 2002; Olempska 2002), andbrachiopods (Balinski 2002) present in the samebeds of investigated sections, as well as withsedimentological and environmental factors. Theupper part of the Frasnian beds in both sections,corresponding to the Upper Kellwasser Crisis leveland correlated with short-term regressive pulse,contains only few chitinozoans (Angochitina,Cingulochitina, Fungochitina and Sphaerochitina),but other palynomorphs, particularly sphericalprasinophycean green algae and scolecodonts arecommon in the same beds.


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Palynological results from HCM sections are similarto those of previous records of the F-F boundarybeds at La Serre, Montagne Noire, Southern France(Paris et al. 1996), but the chitinozoan response tothe Kellwasser bio-event in Poland appears earlierthan in France. The frequency distribution ofchitinozoans recovered from Frasnian/Famenniansediments in the Holy Cross Mountains is discussedwith a particular attention to the consequence of theFrasnian-Famennian extinction events (e.g.,Schindler 1993, McGhee 1996, Walliser 1996).

BALINSKI, A. 2002. Frasnian-Famennianbrachiopod extinction and recovery in southernPoland. Acta Palaeont. Pol. 47: 289-305.

CASIER, J. -G., DEVLEESCHOUWER, X.,LETHIERS, F., PREAT, A. & RACKI, G. 2002.Ostracods and fore-reef sedimentology of theFrasnian-Famennian boundary beds in Kielce (HolyCross Mountains, Poland). Acta Palaeont. Pol. 47:227-246.

DZIK, J. 2002. Emergence and collapse of theFrasnian conodont and ammonoid communities inthe Holy Cross Mountains, Poland.

FILIPIAK, P. 2002. Palynofacies around theFrasnian/Famennian boundary in the Holy CrossMountains, southern Poland. Palaeogeogr.,Palaeoclim., Palaeoecol. 181: 313-324.

M CGHEE, G.R. JR 1996. The Late Devonian massextinction: The Frasnian/Famennian crisis.Columbia University Press, New York, 303p.

OLEMPSKA, E. 2002. The Late Devonian UpperKellwasser Event and entomozoacean ostracods inthe Holy Cross Mountains, Poland. Acta Palaeont.Pol. 47: 247-266.

PARIS, F., GIRARD, C., FEIST, R. &WINCHESTER-SEETO, T. 1996. Chitinozoan bio-event in the Frasnian-Famennian boundary beds atLa Serre (Montagne Noire, Southern France).Palaeogeogr., Palaeoclim., Palaeoecol. 121: 131-145.

RACKI, G., RACKA, M., MATYJA, H. &DEVLEESCHOUWER, X., 2002. theFrasnian/Famennian boundary interval in the SouthPolish-Moravian shelf basins: integrated event-stratigraphical approach. Palaeogeogr., Palaeoclim.,Palaeoecol. 181: 251-297.

SCHINDLER, E. 1993. Event-stratigraphic markerswithin the Kellwasser Crisis near theFrasnian/Famennian boundary (Upper Devonian) inGermany. Palaeogeogr., Palaeoclim., Palaeoecol.104: 115-125.

WALLISER, O.H. 1996. Global events in theDevonian and Carboniferous. In: O.H. WALLISER(ed.). Global Events and Event Stratigraphy in thePhanerozoic. pp. 225-250. Springer, Berlin

DEVONIAN-CARBONIFEROUSACRITARCHS FROM CENTRAL PART OF

BADAJOZ PROVINCE (OSSA-MORENAZONE, SW SPAIN)

Delgado Iglesias, D. & Palacios, T.

Área de Paleontología, Facultad de Ciencias.Universidad de Extremadura. 06071. Badajoz(España).

The palynological content of the Robledillo sectionin the area of Los Santos de Maimona (Ossa-Morena Zone, SW Spain) has been analyzed inorder to obtain new biostratigraphic data. A detailedstratigraphical analysis of this section allows us todifferentiate four lithostratigraphic units in the rankof formations:

Lower detritic unit: The lower part consists ofalternations of fine sandstones, calcareous siltstonesand limestones. The upper part is characterized by ahigher proportion of sandstone levels, the absenceof limestones and, towards the top, the appearanceof pyroclastic levels with abundant plant remains(Lepidodendron and Stigmaria).

Volcanosedimentary unit: This unit consists mainlyof volcanosedimentary material, includingpyroclastic levels, dacitic and andesitic rocks,volcanic breccias, mudstones, sandstones, marls andlimestones. It contains abundant macrofossils,which include colonial corals, brachiopods,gastropods and trilobites.

Carbonate unit: This unit consists of rhythmicalternations of limestones and calcareousmudstones.

Upper detritic unit: This unit consists mainly ofmudstones.

The lower detritic unit shows high diversity andabundance of acritarchs in the lower part, some ofwhich are characteristic of the middle and upperDevonian. The following genera have beenrecognized: Baltisphaeridium, Comasphaeridium,Cymatiosphaera, Duvernaysphaera?, Elektoriskos?,Gorgonisphaeridium, Leiofusa?, Leiosphaeridia,Lophosphaeridium, Micrhystridium,Multiplicisphaeridium, Pterospermella,Solisphaeridium, Stellinium, Unellium?,Veryhachium. Acritarch diversity drops drasticallywith the appearance of first pyroclastic levels.

The upper three units show a continuous acritarchrecord of low species diversity. The recoveredacritarchs species are not age diagnostic, butpreviously reported fossils, including foraminiferansand corals (RODRÍGUEZ et al. 1992), indicate aVisean age for these sediments.

The high acritarch diversity and the presence ofspecies characteristic of the Devonian(Micrhystridium stellatum, Multiplicisphaeridiumramispinosum, Pterospermella capitana,Uncinisphaera lappa, Veryhachium downei,Veryhachium roscidum) in the lower detritic unitcontradict the current stratigraphical anddepositional model, which invokes emergence (ornon-deposition) of the study area during theDevonian (COLMENERO et al., 2002). The newdata presented here indicate that the sediments of


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the lower part of the section were deposited duringthe Devonian, and suggest that the Devonian-Carboniferous boundary in the Ossa-Morena Zonecoincides with the first appearance of volcanoclasticrocks, as previously suggested by VALENZUELAet al. (1990). This data is in accordance with recentpalynological data in the Iberian Pyrite Belt(MORENO et al., 2003).

COLMENERO, J.R.; FERNÁNDEZ, L.P.;MORENO, C.; BAHAMONDE, J.R.; BARBA, P.;HEREDIA, N. & GONZÁLEZ, F. 2002.Carboniferous. In. GIBBONS, W. & MORENO, T.(Eds.): The Geology of Spain, pp. 93-116.Geological Society, London

MORENO, C.; GONZÁLEZ, F.; SÁEZ, R. &SIERRA, S. 2003. Inicio del Vulcanismo en elsector de Calañas (Faja Pirítica Ibérica).Caracterización y Datación. Geogaceta, 33, pp. 59-62.

RODRÍGUEZ, S.; ARRIBAS, M.E.; COMAS-RENGIFO, M.J.; DE LA PEÑA, J.A.; FALCES, S.;GEGÚNDEZ, P.; KULLMAN, J.; LEGRAND-BLAIN, M.; MARTÍNEZ-CHACÓN, M.L.;MORENO-EIRIS, E.; PEREJON, A.; SÁNCHEZ,J.L.; SÁNCHEZ-CHICO, F. & SARMIENTO, G.1992. Análisis Paleontológico y Sedimentológico dela cuenca carbonífera de Los Santos de Maimona(Badajoz). Coloquios de Paleontología, 44, pp. 1-232.

VALENZUELA, J.M.; PALACIOS, T. &PALACIOS-GONZÁLEZ, M.J. 1990. Aspectospaleoecológicos de la cuenca de Los Santos deMaimona: acritarcos y esporas. Geogaceta, 8, pp.118-121.

PALYNOSTRATIGRAPHY OF THEPHYLLITE-QUARTZITE GROUP IN THEEASTERNMOST SECTOR OF THE IBERIANPYRITE BELT, SW SPAIN.

C. Moreno*, F. González*, M.J. López*, R. Dino**and L. Antonioli*** Departamento de Geología, Facultad de CienciasExperimentales, Universidad de Huelva, Campus de“El Carmen”, 21071 Huelva, Spain** Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro(UERJ), Faculdade de Geologia/DEPA, Maracanã,20559-013 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

This work summarises the palynological analysiscarried out in the lower part of the Phyllite-Quartzite Group of the Iberian Pyrite Belt (IPB).The IPB, located in the south-western corner of theIberian Peninsula, represents one of the world’smajor metallogenetic provinces, including sulphidedeposits as well-known as Riotinto, Tharsis,Aljustrel or Neves-Corvo. Its stratigraphic sequenceis constituted by both volcanic and sedimentaryrocks of Devonian and Carboniferous age, whichtraditionally have been subdivided into three mainstratigraphical units: the Devonian pre-volcanicsedimentary rocks (PQ Group); a complex sequenceof volcanic, sedimentary and volcanoclastic rocks,

where the ore bodies cited above are emplaced(Volcano-Sedimentary Complex); and the post-volcanic upper Visean to Westphalian Culm faciesdeposits (Culm Group).

The paleontological record of the IPB is poor. Mostof the age data are provided by goniatites, generallyassociated with diagenetic concretions included intoshaly levels, and by the sparse amount of conodontsincluded into the equally sparse carbonate lensesscattered throughout the region. During the lasttime, Palynology has turned into one of the mostefficient biostratigraphic tool in the region.

The studied unit, PQ Group, represents the base ofthe outcropping series of the IPB. Most ofstratigraphical record of the PQ is constituted by amonotonous detrital sequence of shales withquartzites and quartzwackes as subordinatedlitologies. At the top, this unit contains a complexmixture of conglomerates, sandstones, carbonatelenses and shale levels.

Samples were taken from the easternmost area ofthe IPB, where the oldest rocks of the PQ Groupoutcrop due to the combined effect of 1) Variscantectonic, 2) post-Terciary Iberian Plateau tilt and, 3)erosive processes –denudation-. Twenty three shalysamples were collected, of which 11 yielded wellpreserved to moderately well preservedpalynomorphs. Most of the samples contain mainlytrilete miospores and, in a second order, organic-walled microphytoplancton (both acritarchs andprasinophyte phycomata). The miospore assemblagecontains taxa representative of the Middle to UpperDevonian. The species biostratigraphically mostrelevant are Chelinospora concinna, Cristatisporitestriangulatus, Geminospora lemurata, Retusotriletesrugulatus, Aneurospora greggsii andVerrucosisporites scurrus. These taxa define astratigraphical range comprising the Biozonesoptivus-triangulatus and ovalis-bulliferus, whichimplies an upper Givetian-lower Famennian age, theoldest age established in the IPB.

Concerning the marine microflora, the mostnoticeable feature is the record of different taxa ofprasinophyte phycomata assignable to the genusMaranhites such M. mosesii, M. brasiliensis and M.britoii, indicatives of a higher vertical stratigraphicrange comprising Middle and Upper Devonian age.The acritarch content includes sparse specimens ofGorgonisphaeridium spp. erratically recorded.

Evidence from the palynological assemblagesuggests a shallow marine environment close tomainland consistent with the interpretation providedby previous sedimentological studies.

This study has been financed jointly by thePBE2003-04780 and the UHU2003-006 projects

NEW DATA ON THEPALYNOSTRATIGRAPHY OF THECARBONIFEROUS SUCCESSION OFVARISCAN EXTERNIDES (SW POLAND)

Anna Górecka-Nowak


23

University of Wroclaw, Institute of GeologicalSciences (Poland)

The monotonous Carboniferous turbidite successionof Varicsan externides, occurring under theForesudetic Monocline, was studiedpalynologically. These studies provided new andinteresting palynostratigraphical data. Miosporeswere obtained from rock samples from 10boreholes. Majoryty of the studied rocks haven’thad a palaeontological documentation until now.Thermal maturity of the organic matter was variousand represented all stages - from mature tometamorphosed. The precision of the stratigraphicalconclusions was limited by the general poorpreservation of miospores.

Results of the palynostratigraphical studies indicatethat two rock successions of different age occur inthe studied profiles. The older one is of Viséan?and/or Early Namurian age and was recorded in allof the boreholes. Age of the rock samples with poorpreserved miospore assamblages was interpreted asViséan-Namurian. Rich and well preservedmiospore associations with Kraeuselisporitesornatus, K. echinatus, Crassispora kosankei, C.maculosa, Rotaspora spp., Savitrisporites nux,Grandispora spinosa, Schulzospora spp.,Secarisporites remotus, Spinozonotriletes uncatusand Bellispores nitidus from three boreholesallowed to limit their age to Namurian A. In profilesSiciny IG 1 and Marcinki IG 1 the younger rocksuccession was recorded. Presence of taxaTorispora secutis, Microreticulatisporites nobilis,Triqutrites sculptilis, Vestispora laevigata and V.costata indicate on its Westphalian C age. In thelatter rocks reworked miospores of Viséan-Namurian age were recorded. The duplication ofstratigraphic intervals in these two profiles and noevidence of the Upper Namurian and LowerWestphalian rocks in the studied boreholes indicatesan important role of thrust tectonics in that area.

LATE CARBONIFEROUSPALYNOSTRATIGRAPHY OF THEBRAZILIAN PARANÁ BASIN

Souza, P. A. *

* Departamento de Paleontologia e Estratigrafia,Instituto de Geociências, Universidade Federal doRio Grande do Sul. Av. Bento Gonçalves, 9500,CEP 91.540-000, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil([email protected]).

The Paraná Basin comprises a thick, widespreadsedimentary-magmatic sequence, located in central-eastern South America, covering about 1,700,000km2 in area in Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina andParaguay and reaching thicknesses of ca. 5,000 m,including Ordovician to Cretaceous deposits. Thebiostratigraphy of its Upper Palaeozoic strata hasbeen studied by several authors, who proposeddifferent zonations based on plants, invertebratesand palynomorphs. However, palynology seems tobe the most efficient tool in providingbiostratigraphic data for the Paraná Basin, because

of the abundance, diversity and widespreaddistribution of spore-pollen assemblages.

Four interval zones characterize the palynologicalsuccession of the Upper Paleozoic strata of theParaná Basin: Ahrensisporites cristatus,Crucisaccites monoletus, Vittatina costabilis andLueckieporites virkkiae Interval Zones, in ascendingstratigraphical order (Souza & Marques-Toigo,2001; 2003). These take into account spore-pollendistribution and horizons of appearance anddisappearance of selected species. This contributiondeals exclusively with the Late Carboniferous zonesrecovered from the northeastern Brazilian ParanáBasin (Ahrensisporites cristatus and Crucisaccitesmonoletus Interval Zones), which remainunpublished (Souza, 2000).

The Ahrensisporites cristatus Interval Zone ischaracterized by eleven stratigraphically restrictedspores species: Anapiculatisporites argentinensisAzcuy, Raistrickia pinguis Playford, Foveosporiteshortonensis (Playford) Azcuy, Granulatisporitesvarigranifer Menéndez and Azcuy, Ahrensisporitescristatus Playford and Powis, Cristatisporitesmenendezii (Menéndez and Azcuy) Playford emend.Césari, Cristatisporites inordinatus (Menéndez &Azcuy) Playford, Cristatisporites spinosus(Menéndez and Azcuy) Playford emend. Césari,Cristatisporites indignabundus (Potonié & Kremp)Staplin and Jansonius, Cirratriradites veeversiiPlayford, and Psomospora detecta Playford andHelby. It has been recognised in the lowermostItararé Subgroup, from the northeastern portion ofthe basin (São Paulo and Paraná States).

The Crucisaccites monoletus Interval Zone ischaracterized by the disappearance of restrictedspecies of the former unit and by the appearance ofScheuringipollenites maximus (Hart) Tiwari andCrucisaccites monoletus Maithy. The latter speciesis stratigraphically restricted to this unit. The upperlimit of the palynozone is marked by disappearanceof several species of spores and pollen grains, suchas Cyclogranisporites firmus Jones and Truswell,Dibolisporites disfacies Jones and Truswell andPotonieisporites triangulatus Tiwari, and by theappearance of characteristic species of thesubsequent unit. This interval zone occurs in thenortheastern portion of the basin and has beenrecognized from the lower to middle portion of theItararé Subgroup.

In these two palynozones, smooth and cingulizonatespores as well as monosaccate pollen grains aredominant, disaccate and monosaccate/disaccatetaeniate pollen grains are rare. Within the ParanáBasin, correlation can be established with theinformal G, H1 and H2 intervals of Daemon andQuadros (1970). Out of the basin, best correlationsare indicated with Argentinean palynozones, i.e.Ancistrospora and Potonieisporites Palynozones, orRaistrickia densa-Convolutispora muriornataAssemblage Biozone. Similarities are also evidentwith material from Tarija Basin belonging to theKraeuselisporites volkheimerii-Circumplicatipollisplicatus Superzone.


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DAEMON, R.F. & QUADROS, L.P. 1970.Bioestratigrafia do Neopaleozóico da Bacia doParaná. 24o. Congresso Brasileiro de Geologia,Brasília, Anais: 359-412.

Souza, P.A. 2000. Palinobioestratigrafia doSubgrupo Itararé, Carbonífero/Permiano, naporção nordeste da Bacia do Paraná (SP/PRBrasil). PhD.Thesis, Universidade de São Paulo,Instituto de Geociências, 199p.

Souza, P.A. & Marques-Toigo, M. 2001. ZonaVittatina: marco palinobioestratigráfico doPermiano Inferior da Bacia do Paraná. Ciência-Técnica-Petróleo, Seção Exploração de Petróleo, 20:153-159.

SOUZA, P.A. & MARQUES-TOIGO, M. 2003. Anoverview on the palynostratigraphy of the UpperPaleozoic strata of the Brazilian Paraná Basin. Rev.del Mus. Argent. de Ci. Nat., 5(2): in press.

ON THE FINE MORPHOLOGY OFPLICATIPOLLENITES MALABARENSIS(POTONIÉ & SAH) FOSTER 1975

Zavialova, N. E.* & Stephenson, M. H.**

*Palynological Laboratory, Institute for Geologyand Development of Fossil Fuels, Vavilova ul. 25,b. 1, 117312, Moscow, Russia [email protected]. **British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham,NG12 5GG, UK.

The trilete monosaccate pollen taxon,Plicatipollenites malabarensis is characterized byradial symmetry, a prominent trilete mark and acontinuous endexinal fold encircling the pollencorpus. Pollen grains of the taxon from the EarlyPermian of the Arabian Peninsula were studiedusing light microscopy (LM, Fig. 1), scanningelectron microscopy (SEM), and transmissionelectron microscopy (TEM). A “crochet-like”sculpture is visible on the both sides of the corpus inSEM (Fig. 2, 3). On TEM ultramicrographs thissculpture is distinguishable as a thin undulatedectexinal layer. The dark area around the proximaltrilete mark (LM) is caused by a slight thickening ofthe endexine in that area, though the ectexine doesnot change in thickness or morphology in thisregion. The reticulate ornament of the saccus, asshown in LM, is formed by superficial folds visiblewith SEM (Fig. 2) and inner ectexinal partitions(TEM).

TEM demonstrates that the saccus is hollow withectexinal partitions, many of which are radiallyoriented. This taxon was previously described asprotosaccate (Foster, 1979); although most of thesepartitions reach the underlying layer, theprotosaccate appearance might be due tocompression. The endexine is prominent andhomogeneous; at the region of the fold (where thereis less compression) several lamellas are visible.

Of great interest is comparison between thismaterial and the ultrastructure of monosaccatepollen grains of Cordaitina Samoilovich from thePermian of Angaraland (Zavialova et al., 2002).

Both taxa show a very similar sculpture of thecorpus surface. They are also similar in the thick,apparently homogeneous but ontogeneticallylamellate endexine, and in the thickening of theendexine which is present around the proximaltrilete mark. This similarity is important since thegenera Plicatipollenites Lele 1964 (andCannanoropollis Potonié & Sah 1960) are generallyused by taxonomists in the Gondwanapalaeophytogeographic province, while inAngaraland and the Euramerican provinceCordaitina is used. Attempts have been made tocompare the ultrastructure of Cordaitina and taxasuch as Plicatipollenites and Cannanoropollis usingSEM, TEM and LM (e.g. Powis 1979) but weconsider that these comparisons were inconclusive.This preliminary report, which is part of a largerproject, will attempt a more detailed comparison.

1 2 3

FOSTER, C.B. 1979. Permian plant microfossils ofthe Blair Athol Coal measures, Baralaba CoalMeasures, and Basal Rewan Formation ofQueensland. Geol. Surv. Queensl. Publ. 372,Palaeontol., 45:1-244.

POWIS, G. D. 1979. Palynology of the LatePalaeozoic glacial sequence, Canning Basin,Western Australia. Unpub. Ph.D. thesis, Univ.Western Australia.

ZAVIALOVA N.E., GOMANKOV A.V. &YAROSHENKO, O.P. 2002. Did cordaites exist inthe Triassic? 6th European Paleobotany-PalynologyConference, Athens, Greece, p. 191-192.

The study is supported by the Russian Foundationfor Basic Research, no. 03-04-49611.

PALYNOSTRATIGRAPHY OF GIVETIANDEPOSITS IN THE VOLGOGRADPOVOLZHYE REGION, RUSSIA

Mantsourovà, V. N.

LUKOIL-VolgogradNIPImorneft Institute,Volgograd, Russia. E-mail: [email protected]

The Givetian stage is characterized by persistentlithology, fauna and miospore complexes. It ismainly composed of terrigenous deposits and isdismembered to form three horizons: Vorobievian,Ardatovian and Moullinian. Geminospora extensazone in the Russian platform corresponds to theGivetian stage. Three subzones corresponding tothese horizons are allocated within zoneGeminospora extensa. The lower zone boundary isone of the most precise in the total of the Devoniansection.

The lower subzone Cymbosporites magnificus-Hymenozonotriletes tichonovitschi corresponds tothe Vorobievian horizon. The lower boundary of


25

Vorobievian horizon is determined by the change ofChernoyarian horizon argillites with sandstones andaleurolites containing Vorobievian complex ofmiospores, brachyopods and ostracods. Sporecomplex of this subzone is represented by thefollowing species: Cymbosporites magnificus,Hymenozonotriletes tichonovitschi, Geminosporamicromanifesta, G.extensa, G.tuberculata,Archaeozonotriletes timanicus, A.gravis ,Lanatisporites bislimbatus, Camarozonotriletesminutus, etc. H tichonovitschi species-index isvanishing in this zone. Except for species listedbefore, there are traced spores passing from theEifelian deposits: Rhabdosporites langii,Grandispora velata, Densosporites devonicus,Cirratriradites monogrammos, and also forms ofwider vertical expansion: Stenozonotriletesformosus, Lophozonotriletes scurrus, L.grandis , etc.The spore complex of this subzone is almost similarto spore complexes from Vorobievian deposits ofthe central and east regions in Russian platform(Raskatova, 1969; Tchibrikova, 1977;Arkhangelskaya, 1985; Avkhimovich et al., 1993;Rodionova et al., 1995).

The middle subzone Vallatisporites celeber-Grandispora violabila corresponds to theArdatovian horizon. Species passing from theunderlying subzone are mainly distributed in thissubzone with Vallatisporites celeber,Cirratriradites monogrammos,C.punctomonogrammos vanishing here. Thequantity and the variety of Geminospora genus arestill increasing. Prevailing are: Geminosporavulgata, G.tuberculata, G.decora, G.micromanifesta, Chelinospora concinna. Constantlyare present Geminospora extensa, Lophozonotriletesscurrus, L. grandis . V.celeber-G.violabila sporecomplex is almost similar to palynocomplexesdetermined in the Ardatovian horizon of Russianplatform (Raskatova, 1969; Tchibrikova, 1977;Arkhangelskaya, 1985; M.Raskatova, 1990;Avkhimovich et all, 1993; Rodionova et al., 1995).Besides, two lower subzones of the Givetian stagemay be compared to Geminospora lemurata -Cymbosporites magnificus zone in the WesternEurope (Richardson and McGregor, 1986).

The upper subzone Cristatisporites triangulatus-Corystisporites serratus corresponds to theMoullinian horizon. The typical spore complex ofthis subzone consists of Cristatisporitestriangulatus, Perotrilites spinosus, Corystisporitesserratus, Geminospora vulgata, G.micromanifesta,G.rugosa., Cymbosporites magnificus,Densosporites cassiformis, D.cassiformis var.clarus. Two last species are actually absent in theunderlying Ardatovian deposits.Archaeozonotriletes variabilis , Azonomonoletescostatus, Cristatisporites inusitatus, etc. are muchless in their number. The upper subzone part is alsocharacterized by the presence of Ancyrospora incisaand A.fidus. Besides, small transition spores ofAcanthotriletes, Diatomozonotriletes, Retusotriletesspecies are also met here. This spore complex iscompared with palynocomplex of the Moullinianhorizon in the Volga-Urals region and the Russianplatform (Tchibrikova, 1962, 1977; Raskatova,

1969; Arkhangelskaya, 1974; Avkhimovich et al.,1993; Rodionova et al., 1995; etc.) as well as in thelower part of zones Contagisporites optivus-Cristatisporites triangulatus in the Western Europe(Richardson and McGregor, 1986).

Judging by lithology, the Givetian stage upperboundary is determined by the change of theMoullian argillites with sandstones of thePashiyaian horizon (Ancyrospora incisa-Geminospora micromanifesta subzone). Judging bypalynological data, G. extensa zone upper boundaryis less distinct than the lower one. The change ofdominants in the spore complexes is mainly seenhere at the species level. In the upper part of theMoullian horizon, alongside with the Givetianforms, there are seen species that are widelydistributed in the overlying Pashiyian horizon of theFrasnian stage. They are mainly represented byGeminospora micromanifesta, G.rugosa,Spelaeotriletes krestovnikovii, Ancyrospora incisa,A. fidus., Perotrilites spinosus, Reticulatisporitesretiformis, etc. On the whole, Geminospora extensazone in the Volgograd Povolzhye is to a definitedegree similar to the upper part of the triangulatus-ancyrea (TA) zone and the lower part of atriangulatus-concinna (TC0) zone in the WesternEurope (Loboziak, Streel, 1981; Loboziak, 1983;Streel et al., 1987).

This work was supported by the Russian Foundationfor the Basic Research.

OCCURRENCE OF PALYNOFOSSILS INTHE LOWER GONDWANA SEDIMENTSEXPOSED IN AND AROUND SINGRIMARI,WEST GARO HILL DISTRICT,MEGHALAYA AND DHUBRI DISTRICT,ASSAM, INDIA

Baruah, H.*; Das, P. K.** & Ahmed, M.**

* Department of Geology, Arya VidyapeethCollege, Guwahati-781016, Assam, India.

** Department of Geological Sciences, GauhatiUniversity, Guwahati-781014, Assam, India.

The occurrence of Lower Gondwana Palynofossilsassemblage has been recorded from the sediments ofSingrimari area of Meghalaya and Dhubri district ofAssam. The recorded palyno assemblage includesgenera like verticipollenites, gnetaceaepollenites,dentatispora, alisporites, divarisaccus, parasaccitesclyclogranisporites, etc. The Palynofossilsassemblage shows similarity with the palynologicalassemblages of Lower Gondwana Formations ofother parts of India. This assemblage mostlyrepresents the Karharbari and Barakar Formationsof Upper Carboniferous to Lower Permian age. Thepalynofacies is found to be humic and terrestrialunder braided nature of environmental set-up.

DEVONIAN IN SITU SPORES:MORPHOLOGY, EVOLUTION ANDSTRATIGRAPHY.


26

Telnova O.P.

Institute of Geology, Komi Scientific Centre,Russian Academy of Sciences, Pervomayskaya st,54, Syktyvkar, Russia

The finds of Devonian spores in situ are very rarebut they give the very essential information for earlyhistory plants reconstruction. Spores of EarlyDevonian plants are studied most well. They areknown at small number in Middle and LateDevonian deposits. Of about 200 Devonian plantshave a descriptions of the spores from sporangianow.

The analysis spores in situ has allowed to single outtheir basic morphological types corresponding tovarious phylogenetic lines of plants (Telnova,Meyer-Melikyan, 2002). At allocation of these typesof spores both morphological features of asporoderm surface and its ultra thin structure insection were used.

The spores from sporangia of most typical andimportante species of Devonian plants from Timanare studied. The representatives of ferns andprogymnospermes dominate in Late Devonian flora.The presence of endemic forms gives significantoriginality to Late Devonian phytocomplexes ofNorthern Timan. There is licopsids plantKossoviella timanica Petrosjan among them. As aresult of detailed studies of its spores it isestablished that ultra structural peculiarities ofmegaspores sporoderm of dyed and modern plantsis in general similar.

Their sporoderm can consist of one or severallayers, more often they have spongy ectexine andlamellar endexine and the degree of condensation oflayers is various.

The microspores ultra structure is original indifferent phylogenetic lines of plants.

The most simple in the structure is homogeneousexine found out both at Devonian and at modernplants. The widely spread type of exine is thecellular structure, which, apparently, represents aninitial type of ectexine. The internal sporodermstructure of each specie differs by a smaller rank ofultra structural attributes (density and sizes of cellsetc.).

The study of a sporoderm internal structure ofdispersed spores, most important for the purposes ofstratigraphy, has allowed to establish theirsystematic connections and to make the conductionbiostratigraphic partition of Upper Devoniandeposits in the Timan-Pechora province moreground.

The analytical comparison of spores in situ speaksabout that some species of spores can be indicatorsfor concrete groups of Devonian plants. It allows (inview of given study ultra thin structure ofsporoderm) to correlate dispersed spores with theirproducers. The new methodological approach in thedecision stratigraphic questions was used insubstantiation of phitostratigraphic boundaries inDevonian (appropriate to the border of middle and

top departments of Devonian in the Timan-Pechoraprovince).

FormationMiospore zones

Ust

'Y

areg

a

Cristatisporites deliquescens

Lat

eD

evon

ian

Ear

lyF

rasn

ian

III Spelaeotriletes domanicus

II Archaeoperisaccus verrucosus

Tim

an

I Spelaeotriletes bellus

Acanthotriletes bucerus

Ancyrospora incisa -Spelaeotriletes krestovnikovii

Mid

dle

Dev

onia

n

Giv

etia

n

Tch

ib'y

u

PALYNOLOGY OF THESILURIAN/DEVONIAN BOUNDARYINTERVAL AT THE NORTHERN MARGINOF THE ARABIAN PLATE (HAZRO AREA,SE TURKEY)

Brocke, R.*, Bozdogan, N.**, Mann, U.***, Wilde,V*

* Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg,Senckenberganlage 25, Paläobotanik, D-60325Frankfurt/M., [email protected] **

Turkish Petroleum Company, Research Centre(TPAO), M. Kemal Mah. 2. Cad. No:86, TR 06520Ankara, Turkey. *** Forschungszentrum Jülich,ICG-V: Sedimentäre Systeme, D-52425 Jülich

During the Silurian to Lower Devonian, SE Turkeywas part of the Gondwana continent located at thenorthern margin of the Arabian Plate. In general,sediments of that time in SE Anatolia are mostlycovered by younger rocks, but in the Hazro anticlineparts of the Upper Silurian Dadas Formation(presumably including the lowermost Devonian)and the Lower Devonian Hazro Formation areexposed. The Dadas Formation is mainly composedof fine grained siliciclastic and minor calcareousmarine sediments, whereas the Hazro Formationconsists of coarser siliciclastics with sandstones andfew siltstones of predominantly terrestrial origin.Recently, Upper Silurian to Lower Devonianoutcrop and core sections from Fetlika (SE Turkey)have been studied palynologically in detail.Investigations of both, surface and subsurfacematerial provided organic matter of low maturity (>0,8 % vitrinite reflection) with exceptionally well


27

preserved acritarchs, prasinophytes, chitinozoans,scolecodonts, spores, and cryptospores. A fewlayers are enriched in cuticles and tissue fragmentswhich are clearly derived from landplants. Theongoing studies are concentrated on core materialfrom the Middle and Upper Dadas Formation andthe lower Hazro Formation. Parts of the DadasFormation yield highly diverse assemblages ofacritarchs and chitinozoans which are used forpalynofacies and biostratigraphy. Due to the lack ofother stratigraphical index fossils like graptolites orconodonts, acritarchs and chitinozoans may serve todefine the Silurian/Devonian boundary in this area.However, diagnostic chitinozoans which occur atthe GSSP (e.g., Urnochitina urna, Linochitinaklonkensis , Angochitina chlupaci, Eisenackitinabohemica) have not yet been found and theacritarchs still need to be studied in more detail.Additional information is expected from spores andcryptospores, especially for higher parts of theDadas Fm. and the overlying Hazro Fm. Sporemorphotypes resemble species of e.g.Ambititisporites and cf. Archaeozonotriletes butindex taxa for the Lower Devonian like Streelisporanewportensis or Emphanisporites and Retusotriletesare missing so far. Cryptospores are mainlyrepresented by Dyadispora, Tetraletes and cf.Cymbosporites . In general, the Dadas assemblagesare very rich in prasinophytes like Dictyotidium,Cymatiosphaera and cf. Pterosphaeridia(Orygmapsis sensu Colbath 1987). Some horizonspredominatly consist of huge prasinophyceanphycomata (> 200 µm) which are assigned toTasmanitaceae (e.g., Tasmanites). They can easilybe detected by magnification glasses on beddingplanes. Such mass occurrences („blooms“) couldreflect specific facies conditions (e.g. low salinity)in a shallow water environment, probably controlledby sea level fluctuations. Usually, prasinophytes areconsidered to be of restricted stratigraphical value,but detailed taxonomical and systematical studies oftheir representatives in the Fetlika material mayprovide supplementary data at least for the regionalS/D boundary correlation. Interestingly, massoccurrences of specific prasinophytes from theUpper Silurian-Lower Devonian interval have alsobeen described from other places, e.g. in NorthAmerica and Europe (Colbath, 1987). Spores andcryptospores are present throughout the sequence,but more frequent at the base of the core (lowerMiddle Dadas Fm.). The same is particularly truefor the uppermost Dadas Fm. to lower Hazro Fmwhere marine elements are restriced to specificacritarchs and prasinophytes. Chitinozoans andscolecodonts are rare or absent where spores andcryptospores are common. In each of these twointervals cuticles/tissues of landplants and sporesare accumulated in a specific layer which isotherwise characterised by a lack of any marinepalynomorphs. These layers may be interpreted asrepresenting short-term terrestrially derived pulsesin a generally coastal/near shore environment. Thisis supported by specific biomarkers of supposedlandplant origin.

CIMP General Meeting at Granada2004

Time: 7/7/2004, 1930-2100

Mike Stephenson

Around 40 CIMP members attendedthis CIMP General Meeting held in aroom kindly provided by the organisersof the IPC 2004. No formal notes weretaken of the meeting (my omission),however the following were discussed.Forthcoming CIMP meeting Prague, 2006

Jirí Bek and Oldrich Fatka gave a short presentationon the meeting (see also this Newsletter). Jirí andOldrich discussed ways in which money from themeeting might be used to help CIMP members withlimited funds to attend.

Postage costs and email/web delivery of newsletters

Mike Stephenson referred to the costs of hardcopypostal distribution to a small number of memberswho do not receive email copies of the newsletters.This is often greater than a member’s annualmembership fee. Rather than continue to supplynewsletters in this way, it was decided to switchentirely to email and web delivery, except in specialcircumstances.

Treasurer

Jacques Verniers, outgoing CIMP Treasurer gave ashort presentation of the provisional (at 3 July 2004)Accounts for 2003 and 2004; see back page of thisNewsletter.

Phillipe Steemans has agreed, with immediateeffect, to take over the job of CIMP Treasurer fromJacques Verniers.

Use of CIMP funds

Arising from the previous item, a discussion on howCIMP funds might be used ensued. CIMP outgoingsare very small, amounting mainly to IFPSmembership fees and bank charges. If costs ofNewsletter hardcopy postage are kept minimal,some funds could be made available to students orother researchers in the form of grants or prizes.Commercial sponsorship might also be sought tosupport grants or prizes.

IFPS representative

Charles Wellman has taken up the job of IFPSPalynos Newsletter Editor, hence Ken Higgs hasagreed to take up his place as our second CIMPIFPS representative.

Publications from the IPC 2004

Thomas Servais indicated that discussions wereunderway with Elsevier over publications from theCIMP sessions of IPC 2004.

Subcommission reports


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Brief reports were given by the subcommissionrepresentatives. For details contact, Ken Higgs(Spores and Pollen Subcommission), Gary Mullins(Chitinozoan Subcommission) and Reed Wicander(Acritarch Subcommission).

50 years of CIMP

The President, Florentin Paris, mentioned thatCIMP will be 50 years old in 2008. He asked forsuggestions as to how this anniversary might becelebrated.

New directions

The President, Florentin Paris, congratulated CIMPmembers present on their strong representation atthe IPC 2004, but continued to repeat his messageof previous meetings…that CIMP will only surviveif members continue to collaborate and discuss withscientists outside palynology, in the fields ofpalaeobiology, geology, organic geochemistry andradioisotopes.

Brachiopod Sr dates to calibratePermian palynology biozones inArabiaLucia Angiolini ([email protected]) andMike Stephenson ([email protected])

The palynological succession in thesiliciclastic sequence of the Permian ofOman and Saudi Arabia has beenrefined and integrated by Stephensonet al. (2003) and subdivided into sixpalynological biozones. The ages ofsome of the biozones are poorlyconstrained either because they lackage diagnostic taxa, or are defined bytaxa that are as yet undescribed andhence cannot be related to internationalstratigraphical standards. Dating of thebiozones has been considerably helpedby new macrofaunal information fromcarbonate units in the Early andMiddle Permian of Oman (Angiolini etal. 2003a,b; 2004), but this is unlikelyto allow precise dating of theintervening palynological biozones.Nor can absolute radioisotopic dates beapplied, through lack of dateable tuffsor other volcanic rocks. Theseproblems have meant that a number ofperennial questions relating to thestratigraphy of the Arabian Permianstill resist solution. One such questionconcerns the age of the base of the Mid

Permian Khuff Formation in Oman andSaudi Arabia, and the degree ofdiachroneity of the Khufftransgression; another is over the ageof the Early Permian HaushiLimestone in Oman which has beendated by brachiopods and other faunaas Sakmarian and by palynology asArtinskian.

Sr isotope ratios in the shells of brachiopodsstudied by a team from the University ofMilan, the British Geological Survey and theNERC Isotope Geoscience Laboratory

To solve some of these problems andto obtain independent ages for theHaushi Limestone and the KhuffFormation, Strontium (Sr) isotoperatios in the shells of brachiopods arebeing studied by a team from theUniversity of Milan, the BritishGeological Survey and the NERCIsotope Geoscience Laboratory, UK.The technique measures the ratio ofone isotope of Sr to another in theoriginally preserved secondary layer ofthe brachiopod shell. Ratios are thencompared to a standard curve of ratiosfor Permian seawater establishedthrough previous work on sequenceselsewhere. This allows determinationof the age of the brachiopod and thesediment than encloses it. A recentpilot study of five brachiopods fromthe surface Saiwan Formation in Oman(substantially equivalent to thesubsurface Haushi Limestone) hasproduced some extremely promisingresults. However the team intends toextend the technique to younger Khuff


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brachiopods and have obtained limitedsponsorship from an oil company andservice company operating in theMiddle Eastern area to finance a largerstudy.

Angiolini, L., Balini, M., Garzanti, E.,Nicora, A., Tintori, A., Crasquin, S. &Muttoni, G. 2003a. Permian climaticand paleogeographic changes inNorthern Gondwana: the KhuffFormation of interior Oman.Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology,Palaeoecology, 191, 269-300.

Angiolini, L., Balini, M., Garzanti, E.,Nicora, A., & Tintori, A. 2003b.Gondwanan Glaciation and opening ofNeotethys: the Al Khlata and Saiwanformations of Interior Oman.Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology,Palaeoecology, 196, 99-123.

Angiolini, L. Crasquin-Soleau, S.,Platel, J-P., Roger, J., Vachard, D.,Vaslet, D. & Al-Husseini, M. 2004.Saiwan, Gharif and Khuff formations,Haushi-Huqf Uplift, Oman. In Al-Husseini, M (ed.) Carboniferous,Permian and Early Trissic Arabianstratigraphy, GeoArabia SpecialPublication 3, Gulf PetroLink,Manama, Bahrain, 149-183.

Stephenson, M.H., P.L. Osterloff & J.Filatoff 2003. Palynologicalbiozonation of the Permian of Omanand Saudi Arabia: progress andchallenges. GeoArabia, v. 8, p. 467-496.

Request for SamplesCatherine Duggan, Department of Geology,Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland,[email protected]

Acritarch Colour and ThermalMaturity – Request for Samples toassist a PhD project

Measurement of changes in thereflectivity of vitrinite, fossil woodymaterial, in incident light is the

standard technique for assessing theorganic maturity of sedimentary rocks.However, plants producing substantialwoody tissues did not evolve untilDevonian times so thermal histories ofolder rock successions cannot beinvestigated by this method. Also,marine hydrocarbon source rocks ofDevonian and younger age oftencontain little or no vitrinite. The aimof this project is to develop aninexpensive alternative method for theassessment of organic maturity ofvitrinite-deficient marine hydrocarbonsource rocks, based on colour changein acritarchs.

Acritarchs are abundant in marinerocks of the late Precambrian toDevonian age, rare in theCarboniferous and Permian, but arethen common throughout the Mesozoicand early Tertiary. Like spores andconodonts, they gradually changecolour with increasing temperature,from yellow, through to amber andbrown, and eventually to black.Acritarchs, specifically Veryhachiumand ‘Tasmanites’, are being studied inthis project because of their frequentoccurrence in vitrinite deficient sourcerocks, and their long fossil record.Acritarchs are more suitable forquantitative colour determination thandinoflagellate cysts, since theygenerally have a simpler wall structure.

This project involves correlating thecolour changes undergone byacritarchs with the standard vitrinitereflectance maturity scale. Visualestimation of palynomorph colour hasbeen used to assess maturity but in thisstudy, quantative RGB (Red, Green,Blue) colour analysis is used toprovide a more precise and objectivemethod of characterising colour. Thisscale describes colour in terms of threevariables, Red, Green and Blue andassigns an intensity value between 0and 255 for each channel. RGB


30

intensities are relatively simple tomeasure using equipment readilyavailable in most laboratories.Vitrinite reflectance is reported as apercentage and is measured usingstandard techniques. A schematic ofthe relationship being described isshown below.

The success of this project depends onthe number of samples available to bemeasured. So far, pale low ranksamples have been studied from UpperDevonian sections in North America.In terms of vitrinite reflectance, thesesamples range from Rr 0.8 – 1.3%. Afurther set of samples, collected withthe help of Thomas Servais from anUpper Devonian section in Belgiumhave provided a higher rank set ofsample, with reflectance valuesbetween 2.0 – 2.2% Rr.

Samples are needed that containvitrinite, fossil woody material, as wellas Veryhachium and/or ‘Tasmanites’. Unoxidised samples containing amajority of pale yellow to dark orangeVeryhachium or mid brown to blackVeryhachium are a priority to collect.However, samples within the rangealready measured would still be usefulfor purposes of comparison.

Rock samples or unoxidised residueswould be suitable. Contributions ofsamples would be acknowledged inany further publication of this projectand would be gratefully received bythe author. Suggestions for possible

areas that could be sampled are alsowelcome.

Leslie Rowsell Moore (1912-2003): AfootnoteDuncan McLean, [email protected]

In the previous CIMP NewsletterSpinner et al. (2003) described thecontribution made to Palaeozoicpalynology by the late Professor L.R.Moore. Although they described theimportance of his role in thedevelopment of C.I.M.P, theyoverlooked a particularly importantfact of which Commission membersmay like to be reminded.

Prof. Moore was present at both of theinaugural meetings of the C.I.M.P.held during the 4th Congress onCarboniferous Geology andStratigraphy in Heerlen in 1958. At thetime the instigation of the C.I.M.P. wasin response to the growth in the studyof Carboniferous spores and pollen,particularly from coal seams. In theminutes of the first of these meetings,Alpern (1960) records a debateconcerning the naming of the neworganisation. Robert Potonié (whobecame the president of the C.I.M.P. atits first meeting in Paris in 1959)proposed to name it the CommissionInternationale de Sporologie duPaléozoïque. Moore maintained thatthis would limit its scope in apotentially unfavourable way. He knewthe value of the work of his researchstudent Charles Downie (also presentat the first meeting) and consideredthat, as future work on the algae andfungal spores may yet prove useful instratigraphy, the Commission shouldhave a wider remit and be named theCommission Internationale deMicroflore du Paléozoïque, and so itbecame known. This proved to be apivotal decision in the history of theC.I.M.P. Without the argument of


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Leslie Moore we would have aCommission devoted solely to thestudy of spores and pollen (though notonly in coals). There would be nosubcommissions on acritarchs norchitinozoans and the C.I.M.P. wouldbe much the weaker for it.

We should remember Leslie Moore notonly as a founder member of theC.I.M.P., but also as the person who, atthe outset, defined its scope andallowed it to develop into anorganisation devoted to Palaeozoicpalynology in its widest sense. This isthe C.I.M.P. that we have today.

ALPERN, B., 1960. Proces verbal desréunions de fondation de lacommission internationale demicroflore du Paléozoïque. Compterendu 4ème Congrès Internationale deStratigraphie et de Géologie duCarbonifère, Heerlen, 1958, 1, xxvi-xxvii.

SPINNER, T., OWENS, B. & LUNN,P. 2003. Obituray: Leslie RowsellMoore. CIMP Newsletter, 64, 17-19.

PhytoPalGary Mullins Mullins, [email protected]

PhytoPal is a three year project, fundedby an award from the LeverhulmeTrust to Dick Aldridge (University ofLeicester), that aims to document thestratigraphical and palaeogeographicaldistribution of phytoplankton from thelate Precambrian to the Permo-Triassic. The principal scientific aim ofthe project is to construct a Sepkoski-type curve of phytoplankton diversityand to compare this with patterns ofradiation and extinction in other microand macrofossil groups and withchanges in global climate.

Cymbosphaeridium bikidium, LowerBringewood Formation, Ludlow Series,Silurian from Downton Gorge, near Ludlow,UK

To achieve this goal an internationalgroup of phytoplankton workers hasbeen gathered (Ken Dorning, Alain LeHérissé, Malgorzata Moczydlowska-Vidal, Gary Mullins, StewartMolyneux, Thomas Servais, and ReedWicander). These researchers will beable to provide the most up to date dataand knowledge in their respective areasof expertise. Collaboration will takeplace via exchange visits and regularworkshops. The first workshop washeld at the University of Leicester inDecember 2003 and a further meetingto discuss the progress of the projectwas held at the IPC meeting inGranada (July 2004). The nextworkshop will take place inconjunction with the PalaeontologicalAssociation meeting at the Universityof Lille, France, on December 15th-16th, 2004, and a further meeting withthe ASAP in St. Louis 2005 has beenconfirmed. The free exchange of ideasand knowledge lies at the heart ofphytoPal and we welcome theparticipation in these workshops ofpeople not directly involved in theproject. Currently, a taxonomicdatabase of phytoplankton is beingconstructed and this database will form


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the backbone of the phytoPal projecton to which all the necessaryoccurrence data can be added. Wehope to make this taxonomic databaseavailable to all via the WWW shortly.In addition, an email discussion groupfor the project has been initiated andthis is open to all interested people.Further information on the project anddetails of how to subscribe to thediscussion group can be found atwww.le.ac.uk/geology/glm2/phytopal.html.

Screen shot of the genus database as currentlyis....for Ammonidium.

The phytoPal Group will be holding aworkshop at the University of Lille15th-16th December 2004, which willcoincide with the 48th Annual Meetingof the Palaeontological Association(17th-20th December 2004). Contactinfo...Gary Mullins.

PhD theses

Lower Palaeozoic acritarchs asproxies for the reconstruction ofpalaeoenvironments

L. Stricanne, Institut für Geowissenschaften,Sigwartstrasse 10, D - 72076 Tübingen(Germany), Tel: 49 (0)7071 / 29-74339,Email: [email protected]

Thesis supervised by Dr T. Servais (Villeneuved’Ascq, France), Pr Dr A. Freiwald (Erlangen,Germany) and Dr J. Pross (Tübingen,Germany). Presented on June 28th 2004.

Abstract

The Lower Palaeozoic is characterisedby a major phytoplanktondiversification. Organic-walledorganisms (acritarchs) played anessential role in primary production.This group is very useful forbiostratigraphy, but has also a highpotential for palaeobiogeographicaland palaeoecological reconstructions.

Late Cambrian, Ordovician and LateSilurian material was studied in orderto analyse taxonomy, to reviewpublished data and to reconstructpalaeoenvironmental conditions andpalaeoclimate. This research led to thepublications of six articles attached tothe present thesis.

Multivariate statistics on Cambro-Ordovician galeate acritarchs from theAlgerian Sahara allow an alternativeclassification. The revision of thegenus Nellia from the same successionis based on the combination oftraditional taxonomy and statisticalapproach to demonstrate the highintraspecific variation.

For the evaluation of Ordovicianacritarch biodiversity, a completereview of the literature has beencarried out. The results reflect moreregional trends and do not displayglobal diversity patterns.

The relation between the morphologyof the Cambro-Ordovician galeateacritarchs and environmentalparameters (such as salinity) isanalysed in comparison with moderndinoflagellate cysts. The acritarchdistribution across certain faciesboundaries has been investigated on aLate Silurian carbonate platform(Gotland, Sweden). Some acritarchtaxa characterise specificpalaeoenvironments. The detailedrecord of climatic changes in the LateSilurian is reflected by changes in thecomposition of acritarch assemblagesfrom the Gotland succession. The


33

sensitivity of acritarchs toenvironmental changes may representan important tool for the reconstructionof the Lower Palaeozoic climate.

Upper Ordovician chitinozoanbiostratigraphy andpalaeobiogeography on the Avaloniaand Laurentia palaeocontinentsT. Vandenbroucke, Research UnitPalaeontology, Ghent University, Belgium.Research Assistant of the Fund for ScientificResearch – [email protected]

The following gives a small overviewof my PhD project, which should reachcompletion sometime next year. Theproject focuses on the OrdovicianSystem, as it is at present subject tomajor stratigraphical revisions. Themain objective was (and still is) thestudy of the chitinozoan assemblagesof the newly proposed, or alreadyratified Global Stratotype Sections andPoints (GSSPs) for the different stagesof the Upper Ordovician Series.Secondly, I aim to correlate these newGSSPs with the historical type areas ofthe British Caradoc and Ashgill Seriesand their subdivisions in the U.K., andto establish concomitantly an UpperOrdovician chitinozoan biozonation forBritish Avalonia. The latter might thenbe used to work towards an UpperOrdovician chitinozoan biozonation forthe entire Avalonia palaeocontinent,which does not yet exist, but is wellestablished on all other bigpalaeocontinents for that period intime. As a third objective, Avalonianfaunas will be compared with Balticand Gondwana assemblages and thewhy, when and how of the differencesfound will be scrutinised.

As decided at the ninth ISOS meetingin Argentina (2003), the UpperOrdovician Series will consist of threestages. The new GSSP for the base ofthe Upper Ordovician, or the base of

the at present unnamed “fifth stage”,has been ratified by the ICS/IUGS; it islocalized along Sularp Brook, nearbyFågelsång in Southern Sweden. Thesection yielded a quite well preservedchitinozoan assemblage with a typicalBaltoscandic signature. Thisassemblage has been fully studied andwas published last month(Vandenbroucke, 2004). A GSSP forthe base of the middle stage (“stagesix”) has not yet been proposed, butawaiting formal proposals, the HartfellScore Section (near Moffat, SouthernUplands, Scotland) has been examined.Results were rather poor, but theyielding samples are situated near thediscussed boundary, allowingcorrelation with middle Caradocsections on both Baltica and NorthernGondwana. The Chinese Wangjiawansection is the GSSP candidate for thebase of the Upper stage of the UpperOrdovician Series, which has beennamed Hirnantian at the alreadymentioned ISOS meeting. A batch ofsamples from the Wangjiawan sectionunfortunately yielded fewchitinozoans, and allows onlycorrelation of the pre-Hirnantian bedswith comparable Laurentian sections(Vandenbroucke, Chen & Verniers,submitted). These first findings do notexclude further studies and moreaccurate biostratigraphical results.

As for the British part of the study,several classical key sections in Britishstratigraphy, as well as a few fairlynew ones have been investigatedduring the last three years. Amongstthese the Shelve Inlier sections (goodcorrelation with Baltica and NorthGondwana using chitinozoans) and theOnny Valley section (revision ofprevious chitinozoan studies withspectacularly good material from thetype Caradoc area is in progress) arestratigraphically the lowest. Some ofthe most important sections are foundwithin the type Ashgill area in the


34

Cautley district, Northern England.These sections yield diverseassemblages of chitinozoans from atleast seven chitinozoan biozones citedfrom bottom to top, and containingBaltoscandic, endemic Avalonian aswell as Gondwanan faunas: the F.fungiformis, T. ?bergstroemi, C.rugata, S. fossensis, B. umbilicata sp.n., A. merga and B. postrobustabiozones (Vandenbroucke et al. 2003).In addition to these data, the typePusgillian section (Cross Fell Inlier,Northern England) yielded importantadditional information, among othersconfirming the presence of the F.fungiformis zone and allowingcorrelation with the Welsh Borderlandsections (Vandenbroucke, Rickards &Verniers, in prep.).

A recently remapped Caradocsuccession between Fishgard andCardigan, southwest Wales, haspotential to correlate well with some ofthe above sections, on the basis ofchitinozoans tentatively assigned to theC. reticulifera subzone, F. fungiformisand T. ?bergstroemi zones. The samecorrelation potential with the typeAshgill area exists for the Greenscoesection in the Lake District (NorthernEngland).

All biozones are well correlated withthe existing biozonal schemes based onother fossil groups present. Whenpossible, samples, taken from recentgraptolite collections (Bettley et al.,2000; Rickards, 2002; Williams et al.,2003) have been used, in order toobtain a perfect calibration betweenboth groups.

Future work (in 2005) will focusmainly on refining thebiostratigraphical frame and thesystematic comparison of problematicspecimens with existing collections.The study of additional sections suchas the Whitland road cutting, Meidrimvillage section and Rhayadar area, will

probably allow to fill gaps in thebiozonation.

As more data become available fromthe Caradoc and Ashgill sections, theestablishment of a biozonation withchitinozoans for the British part ofAvalonia becomes feasible; it willcontribute to the final UpperOrdovician chitinozoan biozonation ofAvalonia.

References

Bettley, R.M., Fortey, R.A. andSiveter, D. J. 2001. High resolutioncorrelation of Anglo-Welsh Middle toUpper Ordovician sequences and itsrelevance to internationalchronostratigraphy. Journal of theGeological Society, London 158: 937-952.

Rickards, R. B. 2002. The graptoliticage of the type Ashgill Series(Ordovician) Cumbria. Proceedings ofthe Yorkshire Geological Society 54: 1-16.

Vandenbroucke, T. 2004. Chitinozoanbiostratigraphy of the UpperOrdovician Fågelsång section, Scania,southern Sweden. Review ofPalaeobotany and Palynology 130:217-238.

Vandenbroucke, T., Chen Xu &Verniers, J. In prep. Short note on thepreliminary chitinozoan results fromthe Wangjiawan section, Yichang,China. Acta Palaeontologica Sinica.

Vandenbroucke, T., Fortey, R. A.,Siveter, D. J. & Rickards, R. B. 2003.Chitinozoans from key sections in theUpper Ordovician Series: new GSSP’sand classical British sections. In:Albanesi, G. L., Beresi M. S. &Peralta. S. H. (eds.). Proceedings of the9th ISOS, 18-21 august 2003,Argentina. INSUGEO, SerieCorrelación Geologica, Tucuman 17:151.


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Williams M., Davies J. R., Waters R.A., Rushton A. W. A. & Wilby P. R.2003. Stratigraphical andpalaeoecological importance ofCaradoc (Upper Ordovician)graptolites from the Cardigan area,southwest Wales. GeologicalMagazine 140: 549-571.

Palynology of the Devonian andCarboniferous rocks of Uspallata-Iglesia and Paganzo basins,northwestern Argentina

Cecilia Rodríguez Amenábar, Buenos Aires,Argentina. [email protected]

The main objectives are theestablishment of biostratigraphic unitsfor the Devonian and EarlyCarboniferous and, based on newfossiliferous localities, to continue theanalysis and improvement of thebiostratigraphic schemes previouslyproposed for the Carboniferous ofArgentina. The detailed study of thesemicrofloras bearing spores andmicroplankton of the EarlyCarboniferous will allow correlationswith other contemporaneousmicrofloras of South America andother regions in Gondwana (likeAustralia).

One of the first topics was the study ofthe Devonian/Carboniferous boundaryto characterize the magnitude of thehiatus based on the analysis of thereworked palynomorphs from theSilurian and Devonian deposits into theCarboniferous sections. This issuecontributes to the knowledge of thediastrophic and palaeoclimatic eventsthat originated unconformities in thewest of Gondwana.

This study also includespalaeoenvironmental aspects,considering among other data,palynofacies analysis for this purpose.

New books

New Directions in PalaeozoicPalynology

Special Issue in the Journal Review ofPalaeobotany and Palynology, servingas proceedings volume for the LilleCIMP Meeting (2002) is nowpublished.

Volume 130, Issues 1-4, Pages 1-299(July 2004)

Edited by T. Servais, C. Wellman.Contact T. Servais([email protected])

Contents list

New directions in Palaeozoic palynology

Pages 1-15

Thomas Servais and Charles Wellman

2.

Biostratigraphy, biodiversity andpalaeoenvironments of the chitinozoans andassociated palynomorphs from the UpperOrdovician of the Central Anti-Atlas, Morocco

Pages 17-40

A. Bourahrouh, F. Paris and Z. Elaouad-Debbaj

3.

The latest Tremadocian messaoudensis-trifidum acritarch assemblage from the upperpart of the Lierneux Member (Salm Group,Stavelot Inlier, Belgium)

Pages 41-58

Pierre Breuer and Michel Vanguestaine

4.

The first compression fossils of Spencerites(Scott) emend., and its isospores, from theBolsovian (Pennsylvanian) of the Kladno-Rakovník and Radnice basins, Czech Republic

Pages 59-88

Jana Drábkova, Jií Bek and Stanislav Oplutil

5.

Microplankton changes through the earlySilurian Ireviken extinction event on Gotland,Sweden

Pages 89-103

D. N. Gelsthorpe


36

6.

Soft and sticky development: some underlyingreasons for microarchitectural patternconvergence

Pages 105-119

Alan R. Hemsley, Jane Lewis and Peter C.Griffiths

7.

Facies dependence of spore assemblages andnew data on sedimentary influence on sporetaphonomy

Pages 121-140

Hartmut Jäger

8.

A nearshore–offshore trend in acritarchdistribution from the Early–Middle Ordovicianof the Yangtze Platform, South China

Pages 141-161

Jun Li, Thomas Servais, Kui Yan andHuaicheng Zhu

9.

Microplankton associations, biofacies andpalaeoenvironment of the type lower LudlowSeries, Silurian

Pages 163-194

Gary L. Mullins, Richard J. Aldridge andDavid J. Siveter

10.

Acritarch distribution along an inshore–offshore transect in the Gorstian (lowerLudlow) of Gotland, Sweden

Pages 195-216

Ludovic Stricanne, Axel Munnecke, Jörg Prossand Thomas Servais

11.

Chitinozoan biostratigraphy of the UpperOrdovician Fågelsång GSSP, Scania, southernSweden

Pages 217-239

Thijs Vandenbroucke

12.

Chitinozoan bio- and lithostratigraphical studyof the Ashgill Fosses and Génicot Formations(Condroz Inlier, Belgium)

Pages 241-267

J. Vanmeirhaeghe and J. Verniers

13.

Morphology and wall ultrastructure of thespores of the Lower Devonian plant Oocampsacatheta Andrews et al., 1975

Pages 269-295

Charles H. Wellman and Patricia G. Gensel

Morphology, classification anddescription of form-genera of LatePaleozoic miospores

Oshurkova M.V.

SPb.: VSEGEI Press, 2003. 377 p.ISBN 5-93761-051-2

Illustration from Oshurkova (2003)

The morphology of fossilized sporesand pollen grains is discussed, notionsand terms used in miospore descriptionby means of light microscope are alsospecified, and a glossary is given.Rules of creating morphologicalmiospore classification are discussed.It is suggested that morphologicalclassification of dispersed miosporesof R. Potonie and G. Kremp should beused with more precise definitions inaccordance with strict rules ofclassification construction –distinguishing taxa of one hie rarchicallevel using one morphological feature.Morphological features necessary andsufficient for distinguishing all taxa ofthe supergeneric level should bementioned in their characterization.Unified descriptions of diagnoses ofDevonian, Carboniferous, and Permianmiospore form-genera are published.Basic species composition of a genus


37

is given with works containing firstdescription of the species as well asinformation on geographical andstratigraphic position and dimensionsof miospores described in this work.As a result of the revision of speciesdescriptions published earlier, many ofthem have been newly grouped intoform-genera in accord with the currentunderstanding of morphologicalfeatures. Lists of basionym species arecompiled with corresponding speciesin modern nomenclature. Lists ofspecies most frequently used in themodern nomenclature are given. Indexof genera-synonyms is compiled withthe indication of a corresponding genuswhere to they are assigned.

Descriptions of 11 new taxa ofsupergeneric level are resulted, as wellof 345 form-genera of miospores ofDevonian, Carboniferous and Permian;17 form-genera are emended and 12are new. Information on 2364 speciesis given and for 628 the newcombinations are given.

The book can be used by palynologistsand geologists in biostratigraphicstudies of Late Paleozoic deposits, andas a textbook.

Atlas of the miospores fromdiamondiferous deposits of UpperPeleozoic of Western Yakutian

M.V. Oshurkova, T.A. Chernaya.

SPb.: “World rose” Press, 2003. 224p. ISBN 5-85574-136-x

The work includes descriptions ofdispersed miospores fromdiamondiferous deposits of the UpperPalaeozoic of Western Yakutian. Itcontains a section auditing thenomenclature of Carboniferous andPermian miospores of Angaraland. Thedescriptions of three new form-generaand 24 new species are given. Thedescriptions of 171 other species, arealso given.

The book is intended for geologistsand palynologists who studyCarboniferous and Permian deposits.

To order the books, or for furtherinformation contact M.V. Oshurkova:[email protected]

More contributionsMike Stephenson

Please contribute articles to theNewsletter. Items on new techniques,research, book reviews and ideas areall welcome.

.


38

Accounts presented at IPC 2004

2003 AND 2004PROVISIONAL (3 JULY 2004)

Previous accounts CIMP newsletter Winter 2002

Accounts closed 13 Dec 2002 Euros……………………..+1676.07

Expenses

15/1/03 Bank costs…….……9.75

6/3/03 Bank costs…………...1.10

28/6/04 IFPS membership..110.69

TOTAL…………………..121.69

Entries

31/12/02 interest 2002…….24.96

31/12/03 interest 2003…….31.36

5/02/03 to 21/3/03…………46.00

(4 members paying for 6 years)

TOTAL…………………..102.32

Balance

1676.07 – 121.63 + 102.32 = …………….………………………….1656.85

Difference end 2002 – early July 2004…………………………………19.22

PLEASE PAY YOUR MEMBERSHIP FORNEXT YEAR(S) TO THE TREASURER

8 EUROS PER YEAR

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