Newsletter Winter 2006 No. 70

Commission Internationale de Microflore du Paléozoïque CIMP homepage: President: John Marshall http://www.cimp.ulg.ac.be Past President: Florentin Paris Secretary General & Newsletter Editor: Mike Stephenson Treasurer: Philippe Steemans Webmaster: Philippe Steemans I.F.P.S. representatives: Thomas Servais, Ken Higgs

Contents Opinion: How do we sell Deep Time? ...... 2 New President’s message ...... 4 Palynos News ...... 4 Meetings and conferences...... 5 CIMP Prague...... 9 CIMP General Meeting minutes...... 58 Election of President of CIMP ...... 59 New subcommission positions in CIMP ...... 59 Next CIMP Conference: Cracow 2010?...... 59 Gallery of Prague photos...... 59 Post CIMP Field trip...... 61 Letter from Jiri Bek...... 62 Enigmatic Givetian palynomorphs...... 64 Taxonomy online ...... 65 PalyWeb ...... 66 New address ...... 67 More contributions ...... 67 Treasurer’s Report CIMP Finances...... 68 Participants at Prague...... 68

CIMP Newsletter Winter 2006

totally unlike that of the Quaternary, Opinion: How do we sell Deep the kind of atmosphere only found in Time? Deep Time. The ice -core record, Mike Stephenson, [email protected] which has enabled reconstruction of atmospheric CO2 at high resolution, The Palaeozoic - the era with which shows that we are, today, at the highest CIMP is primarily concerned - is Deep level of CO2 in the last 420,000 years Time. The phrase Deep Time, meaning and likely higher than any point in the pre-Quaternary time, is turning up a lot last 20,000,000 yrs (IPCC, 2001). CO2 recently. Within the British and is a particularly compelling reason to American geological communities study Deep Time, owing to its questions such as ‘How do we sell relevance to climate change on all Deep Time’ and ‘What is the point of timescales (Crowley and Berner, studying Deep Time?’ are continually 2001). Deep pre-Quaternary time is being asked (e.g. Soreghan et al. 2003, also more than 99% of earth time and Soreghan 2004). I am presently contains most of the big events that involved in organising a symposium at have shaped life and this planet. BGS on the ‘Geological Survey and According to some estimates, rates of Climate Change’, and at least two extinction recorded in the last 50 years delegates have suggested privately to are higher than those at the Permian– me that Deep Time research should not Triassic boundary (PTB). be included because its conclusions are too vague and its data cannot be used easily in climate models because it is too ‘coarse’. They say that Deep Time research cannot contribute to understanding decadal or centennial climate change which is, after all, what governments are mainly interested in. Thus as Palaeozoic palynologists we ought to be ‘selling’ Deep Time, and thinking about the specific benefits that The Monteverde Golden toad was last seen in our period of study (which contains 1989 and is presumed extinct. 33% of toad two major glacial events) and our species are endangered and 120 species have science (which is arguably the only become extinct since the 1980s. For the first palaeontological discipline that can time fungal disease linked to global warming has been suggested as the cause (see Nature provide high enough resolution data in 439, 161-167). the Palaeozoic) can offer. So are we heading for mass extinction It’s true that the Quaternary has told us and is the study of Quaternary climate a lot about the Earth’s climate system. variability enough to understand the Perhaps the most significant and extremes that might be coming? These surprising is that climate can change ideas alone suggest that deep time is quickly, within human lifetimes, and worthy of interest. But deep time study that this record can be preserved at could answer many more questions: high fidelity in ice cores for example. Can ‘tipping points’ of climate change, However, study of the Quaternary e.g. from greenhouse to icehouse, be alone gives a rather myopic view of predicted? How do tectonics influence our climatic past; a view that we must climate in affecting gateways, relief, look beyond, because we are now and the ocean thermohaline entering an atmospheric composition circulation? (see for example Soreghan

2 CIMP Newsletter Winter 2006 et al. 2003). Palaeozoic palynologists other proxies (geochemical, isotopic) have been involved in posing some of in supporting the palynological data these questions and could be and develop a hypothesis of change fundamental in future research, if we which we test most crucially by build on our strengths in corroboration from study of correlated biostratigraphy and sections elsewhere, involving palaeobiogeography and work with biostratigraphy and geochronology. isotope geochemists and Thus palynology is used in the geochronologists. reconstruction of climate change (using its value as a proxy) as well as being important in correlating sections recording change. CIMP palynologists have been involved in this kind of science with particularly strong contributions in the early Palaeozoic, though new palynological work is showing the value of study of the Carboniferous-Permian glacial period in understanding modern glaciation.

Computer climate modellers study Deep time: the horizontal Permian Saiq climate by synthesising and Formation above the Precambrian Fiq Formation, Saiq Plateau, Oman. manipulating key processes then viewing the results, whereas palynologists and stratigraphers view the results then deduce the processes. Thus there is a difference in the approach of climate modelers and the palaeontology/stratigraphy community. This historical disparity between the communities should be bridged because we can learn a lot from each other. However neither geologists nor deep time computer climate modellers can resolve questions on decadal or centennial level climate change but we can see the big events in the earth system and distinguish large and important events from small events. New projects that interest me and which might grow from work presently being done at BGS include the role of phytoplankton in controlling ρCO in Looking down on the Fiq Formation, Saiq 2 Plateau, Oman. Lower Palaeozoic to the right, glacial cycles, and the value of new all capped by Permian Saiq Formation. climate proxies such as geologically preserved lignin when studied in Most geological deep time concert with detailed terrestrial palynological research begins with a palynology. But it’s our responsibility rock section which records as palynologists to ensure that the environmental change. We study its evidence of our science is heard, and palynology, then we assess the value of

3 CIMP Newsletter Winter 2006 that the value of the Palaeozoic in that in Cork, Ireland in 2001. But it has climate study is known. now broadened out to be a joint References meeting with the Acritarch Sub- commission. We have, to my Soreghan, G. S. 2004. Deja-vu all over knowledge, never before had a meeting again: Deep Time (climate) is here to in Portugal. Palaeozoic palynology is a stay. Palaois, 19, February 2004. young subject in Portugal and it has Soreghan, G. S., Parrish, J. T. & helped very significantly to understand Maples, C. G. 2003. Geoclimate: the mineral deposits in southern Spain probing the Earth’s climate record at and Portugal. So it is a great all temporal and spatial scales. opportunity to see what they have Eos,Vol. 84, No. 44, 4 November achieved. The details are elsewhere in 2003. this Newsletter. IPCC, 2001, Climate Change 2001, I have also been giving thought to how The Scientific Basis: Cambridge we can better use CIMP as a way of University Press, Cambridge, 881 p. establishing the future of Palaeozoic palynology. CIMP is quite unusual in Crowley, J.C., and Berner, R.A., 2001, that it has very few assets apart from CO2 and climate changes: Science, v. the membership subscription. 292, p. 870–872. However, it does have a very IPC Beijing 2006 abstracts successful record of promoting meetings, projects and publications. In the last issue of the Newsletter I said This year represents an opportunity. that the main palynological abstracts of Oil prices are high and there is the Internation Palaeontological renewed interest in revisiting some Congress in Beijing 2006 would be established Palaeozoic basins. reproduced. I have obtained permission Employers are recruiting and there is a and am in the process of trying to get shortage of palynologists. I would the text from the IPC 2006 organizers. hope that we can at least get some Sorry about the delay. support for students at conferences. So, if you work for a company then expect New President’s message a letter. I certainly intend to discuss John Marshall, [email protected] these issues with the other CIMP Firstly I’d like to wish you all a Happy officers to agree a strategy. New Year and best wishes for 2007. Being elected President of CIMP for the next 4 years is both an honour and a responsibility. The outgoing President, Florentin Paris, was correct Palynos News to suggest an election because it means that the position becomes a more active role rather than rotating to the PPAALLYYNNOOSS next greyest palynologist. Can we thank everyone who both stood and CIMP members are reminded that participated? It makes our organisation PALYNOS, the newsletter of the stronger. “International Federation of Palynological Societies” (IFPS), is no This year we have another meeting. longer distributed in hard copy. Initially it was going to be a Spore However, all issues of PALYNOS are Sub-commission meeting to follow made available in electronic format on

4 CIMP Newsletter Winter 2006

the IFPS website HEIMHOFER http://geo.arizona.edu/palynology/ifps. [email protected] & Annette E. html. PALYNOS is published GÖTZ [email protected] biannually in June and December. Abstract Deadline 15 January 2007 non-member 400 € Meetings and conferences Conference Web Page http://meetings.copernicus.org/egu200 7/

AASP 40th Annual Meeting, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama. September 8-12, 2007. Organizer: Carlos Jaramillo 14th Symposium, International Work Conference webpage: Group for Palaeoethnobotany http://striweb.si.edu/aasp07 17-23 June 2007 Krakow, Poland: Early Registration Deadline: July 30, Palac Larischa, Bracka 12 2007 Prelim. Registr. deadline Sept. 15th

2006. 95 € Conference Web Page AASP 41st Annual Meeting, Bonn, www.ib-pan.krakow.pl/iwgp/ Germany at the 12th IPC, Aug. 30 -

Sept. 6, 2008

First International Palaeobiogeography Symposium European Geosciences Union General 10-13 July, 2007, Univ. Pierre et Marie Assembly Curie, Paris

15–20 April, 2007, Vienna, Austria Contact Monique Troy "SESSION SSP17: Environmental [email protected] perturbations during the Palaeozoic- Mesozoic interval: Organic geochemical and palynological proxies" Conveners: Ulrich

5 CIMP Newsletter Winter 2006

Abstract Deadline May 10th 2007 April 1, 2007: Deadline for pre- Registration 150 € before 3/31/07, 190 registration and abstract submission € after May 1, 2007: Third Circular available online. Conference Web Page http://sgfr.free.fr/rencontrer/seances/s0 December 31, 2007: Deadline for 7-07paleobiogeo.html manuscript submission to the proceedings volume Proposed sessions: • S1 Carboniferous and Permian Palaeobotany and Microflora • S2 Carboniferous and Permian Macro-and microfossils • S3 Devonian F-F Mass Extinction and Mississippian Recovery • S4 Biotic Turnovers during the mid- Carboniferous boundary and Early 12th International Palynological • S5 Carboniferous and Permian Reef, Congress Biofacies, and Basin Analysis

30 Aug - 6 Sept 2008, Bonn, Germany • S6 Evolutionary Palaeogeography and Palaeoclimatology First Flier • S7 Integrative Stratigraphy and High Resolution Biostratigraphy Contact Thomas Litt t.litt@uni- • S8 Isotopic Geochemistry and bonn.de Geobiology in the Permo- Carboniferous • S9 Gondwana and Peri-Gondwana Faunas, Stratigraphy, and Geology • S10 Bio-Diversity Patterns and Quantitative Analysis of Biotic Databases • S11 Stratotypes, Boundaries, and Global Correlations • S12 End-Permian Biotic Mass Extinction and Early-Triassic Recovery

• S13 Pangea formation and breakup

• S14 Cyclothemic Stratigraphy and XVI ICCP, Nanjing China Sequence Stratigraphy June 21- June 24, 2007 • S15 Carboniferous and Permian Coal, Important dates Petroleum, and Economic February 1, 2007: Second Circular • S16 Computerized Palaeontology available online and distribution

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• S17 Palaeontological Education for 1.4 Global Devonian, Carboniferous the Public. and Permian correlations 2 Cross-boundary groundwater management 3 Coastal dynamics 4 Geopotentials and Resources GeoPomerania 5 Climate Change http://www.geopomerania2007.org/ 6 Environmental Geology Contact: 7 Geoarchaeology [email protected] 8 Geoheritage, geotourism and The Geological Society of Poland and geoparks Deutschen Gesellschaft für Geowissenschaften cordially invites you to visit our annual main meeting in Szczecin at the southern border of the Baltic Sea. At our conference "GeoPomerania 2007 - Geology cross- bordering the Western and Eastern European Platform" we will have Lisbon CIMP Subcommissions meeting presentations on new geological regional highlights as well as top themes referring to our science. A joint meeting of the Spores/Pollen Partners of our geological societies and Acritarch CIMP Subcommissions, meeting will be the universities of organized by INETI-GEOSCIENCES Szczecin, Greifswald and Freiberg as (Portuguese Geological Survey), will well as the regional geological surveys be held in Lisbon, Portugal from 24 to on both sides of the river Odra/Oder. 28th September 2007. The conference Conference language is English. No is opened to all persons interested in simultaneous interpretation will be any aspect of the Palaeozoic provided. palynology. The program will include a scientific meeting consisting of Programme contributed papers, poster sessions, An interesting and comprehensive workshops and courses, followed by a conference program is foreseen that post-conference field trip to Southern offers plenary and parallel sessions, Portugal. poster and industry exhibition, panel Organizing Committee discussions, and social program. Z. Pereira (INETI-GEOSCIENCES, Topics Portuguese Geological Survey) 1 Southern Permian Basin (SPB) / J. Tomas Oliveira (INETI- Central European Basin System GEOSCIENCES, Portuguese (CEBS) Geological Survey) 1.1 Sedimentary Basins P. Fernandes (University of Algarve, 1.2 Regional Geology, Structures and Portugal) hydrocarbon potential N. Vaz (University of Trás-os-Montes 1.3 Regional stratigraphy and Alto Douro, Portugal).

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Scientific Committee there is the possibility to stay in Beja at the end of the meeting and take a train G. Clayton (Trinity College, Dublin) to Faro airport. This excursion will J. Marshall (University of highlight important fossiliferous mid- Southampton) Palaeozoic sections: Z. Pereira (INETI-GEOSCIENCES, Day 1 Portuguese Geological Survey) The Barrancos section. Barrancos P. Steemans (University of Liege) region, Ossa Morena Zone. Roadcuts R. Wicander (Central Michigan in the Barrancos region, near the University) Spanish border, exposes almost continuously Silurian black shales, Registration Lower Devonian shales and flysch. To attend CIMP Lisbon‘07, all This stratigraphic sequence is participants must register via the web. considered as a reference for the Please submit the CIMP Lisbon'07 middle Palaeozoic geology of the Ossa Questionnaire before January 31, Morena Zone in Portugal. 2007 and CIMP Lisbon'07 Departure from Lisbon, visit to the city Registration Form before March 30, centre of Évora (UNESCO world 2007. heritage town) and exploration of the Topics of the Scientific Programme Barrancos section. 1. Palaeozoic marine microplankton Dinner and overnight at Barrancos. Contributions on any aspect of marine Day 2 microplankton, including acritarchs, prasinophycean algae and associated Pyrite Belt, South Portuguese Zone: forms. region between Mina de S. Domingos mine, Pomarão and Mértola. The best 2. Palaeozoic spores and pollen outcrops of the Portuguese Pyrite Belt Contributions on any aspect of spores, stratigraphy are exposed in this region. including cryptospores, microspores, The stratigraphic sequence, from base megaspores and pollen, taxonomy and to top consists on the Phyllite Quartzite biostratigraphy. Group (PQ) of late Devonian age, the 3. Open presentations Volcano-Sedimentary Complex (VSC) of Tournaisian to Late Visean age and Contributions on all aspects of the Mértola Formation (Mt), a flysch Palaeozoic palynology, including non- unit of late Visean age. marine microplankton, kerogen studies, organic palynofacies, organic The Mina de S. Domingos mine was geochemistry, palaeoecology, one of the most important copper palaeoenvironments, palaeogeography, mines in Europe during the world taphonomy, taxonomy and applied wars. It was actively worked from palynostratigraphy. 1858 until the end of 1966, extracting 25 million tons of massive sulphides. We will visit the old mine open pit and Post Meeting Field Trip discuss the palynostratigraphic contributions to the understanding of The post meeting field trip the local stratigraphic sequence. “Palynostratigraphy within the context of the Ossa Morena and Pyrite Belt The Pomarão Anticline section, well geology” will start and end in Lisbon. exposed along the road from Santana For those who want to return via Faro, de Cambas to Pomarão, is a reference

8 CIMP Newsletter Winter 2006 section within the context of the entire CIMP Prague Iberian Pyrite Belt. It shows the With kind permission of the organisers Volcano-Sedimentary Complex (VSC) I here reproduce the full abstracts of and the PQ Group units. the Prague meeting for the benefit of The Azenhas section situated near colleagues that could not attend. Mértola, in the west margin of the Palynological characterization and dating of Guadiana River exposes the Mértola the Upper Ordovician sediment thrust that is age-controlled by spores. (Memouniat Formation), Northwest Sirte Basin, Libya Departure from Barrancos to Mina de 1 2 S. Domingos Mine, crossing the Ossa Abuhmida F. & El Harbi A. Morena-South Portuguese Zone 1 Exploration division – Libyan Petroleoum boundary and the Pulo do Lobo institute, Tripoli, Libya; Anticline. Visit to the abandoned mine [email protected] open pit, the Pomarão anticline and the 2 Exploration division – Libyan Petroleoum Azenhas (Mértola) sections. institute, Tripoli, Libya; [email protected] This study is based on the palynological A touristic tour in Mértola, an investigation of conventional core samples important archaeological centre, will from wells drilled in north west Sirte Basin, be arranged. Libya, penetrating the Memouniat Formation. The organic residues are dominated by diverse Return to Lisbon. For those who want and well preserved marine-palynomorphs with to return via Faro, overnight at Beja. abundant acritarchs, and chitinozoans, but only few miospores (cryptospores) of low diversity were recorded. The palynomorphs obtained provided 32 species of acritarchs belonging to 22 genera; eight species of chitinozoans belonging to seven genera and three species of cryptspores belonging to three genera. Palynological assemblage have been recognized based on microplankton taxa distribution. A number of morphologically distinctive marine taxa were recorded which prove to be stratigraphically useful, such as: 10th International Symposium on the Baltisphaeridium longispinosus delicatum, B. Ordovician System, 3rd International aliquigranulum, Veryhachium irroratum and Symposium on the Silurian System, and Villosacapsula steosapelliula. Comparison of IGCP 503 Annual Meeting this assemblage with those studied by Hill and Molyneux (1988) and Grignani et al. (1991) Nanjing, China indicates that this level of the Memoniat Formation is Ashgillian in age. The relative June 27-30, 2007 abundance and diversity of spores This meeting will be held together with (cryptspores) to acritarchs and chitinozoans have been calculated and plotted. This shows the 10th International Symposium on the palaeoenvironmental deposition of the Late the Ordovician System and the 3rd Ordovician sediments, related to an open International Symposium on the marine shelf environment. Silurian System in Nanjing, China. The meeting will take place from June 27 to June 30, 2007, with pre-, mid- and post-conference field excursions. Palynological and Integrated Geological Study of the Gharif Formation, Hasirah http://www.silurian.cn/ Field, West Central Oman http://www.ordovician.cn/ Al-Baloushi B.

9 CIMP Newsletter Winter 2006

Stratigraphy Petroleum Development Oman, subsurface ‘Haushi Limestone’, Central Oman PO Box 81, Muscat 113, Sultanate of Oman; (preliminary report). BGS Rept. CR/04/200. [email protected] September 2004. The Permian Gharif Formation is at its most Stephenson, M.H., Osterloff, P.L. and Filatoff, basinal in the Rub Al Khali basin in the J., 2003. Palynological biozonation of the Hasirah Field in west central Oman. The Permian of Oman and Saudi Arabia: progress formation comprises an interfingering and challenges. GeoArabia, 8, 467-496. sequence of shallow marine, clastic-carbonate, lagoonal, river, lake and paleosol deposits. The cores in Hasirah yield Sakmarian fusulinids in the Haushi Limestone, algal facies at the base of the Middle Gharif member and unusual Palynostratigraphy of the Al Khlata storm deposits in the Upper Gharif member Formation, Oman; a study of shallow (with macroscopic plant remains) which boreholes from central and south Oman together with ostracod and fish-bearing Al-Barram I. sediments reflect the onset of the Khuff Formation marine transgression. This study Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, attempts to relate palynology and palynofacies University of Sheffield, UK; to these varied sedimentary facies. A locally [email protected] derived palynological sequence can be tied The Al Khlata Formation is the lowest unit of into the regional biostratigraphic scheme of the Haushi Group of interior, subsurface Stephenson et al. (2003) and therefore the Oman. It is a glacigenic non-marine succession Hasirah sequence can be correlated regionally. that was deposited in an intra-cratonic basin It will also be related to subsurface (Angiolini during Carboniferous-Permian time. Extensive et al. 2004) and surface (Angiolini et al. 2003) palynological studies have allowed subdivision macropaleontological studies to allow by PDO into three biozones; from oldest to correlation of Hasirah with surface sequences youngest: (1) PDO biozone 2159 in the Huqf Outcrop area. A total of 29 (Westphalian-Stephanian), AK P9, and samples were analysed from 3 boreholes OSPZ1; (2) PDO biozone 2165 (Stephanian- (Hasirah-1, 10H1 and Hasirah-10H2) located Asselian), AK P5, and OSPZ1-OSPZ2; (3) in west central Oman. The taxonomy and PDO biozone 2141 (Asselian-Sakmarian), AK stratigraphic distribution of over 50 P1, and OSPZ2. The Al Khlata was deposited palynomorph taxa are reported. Two new in the third glaciation in the region. It occurs species are proposed. The palynostratigraphic predominantly in the subsurface and extends data indicates OSPZ3b & OSPZ3c from south of the Oman Mountains to south assemblages in Hasirah-1H1 (Lower Gharif), Oman and possibly beneath the Rub’ Al Khali OSPZ4 assemblages in Hasirah-10H2 (Middle Desert. The Al Khlata Formation outcrops can Gharif) and OSPZ5 assemblages in Hasirah- be found in the Haushi-Huqf area. The 10H1 (Upper Gharif). Correlation with formation is bounded at the top conformably Hilwah-3 and Jufrah-1 (Saudi Arabian by the post-glacial Gharif Formation that boreholes) proved more problematical. overlays the topmost Rahab Member of the Al Thirteen palynofacies types have been Khlata Formation. The Rahab Member, identified based on visual assessment of the however, disappears in the north central part of percentages of major categories (lath shaped Oman, and palynology is the only tool inertinite, equidimensional inertinite, vitrinite, allowing correlation of the beds. The Al Khlata cuticle, amorphous organic matter (AOM) and Formation overlays Precambrian and Lower palynomorphs). During Gharif times, the Carboniferous rocks unconformably. The climate changed from temperate, to arid and thickness of the Al Khlata Formation is then tropical. variable predominantly due to erosion of References: Precambrian salt domes, and ranges from 100m to 800m. Correlating the different Angiolini, L., Balini, M., Garazanti, E., production units of the Al Khlata is Nicora, A. & Tintori, A., 2003. Gondwana problematic, mainly because of the rapid deglaciation and opening of Neotethys: the Al horizontal and vertical changes in lithofacies, Khalata and Saiwan Formations of Interior and can only be done by palynology. The Al Oman. Palaeogeograhy, Palaeclimatology, Khlata lithofacies comprise glacio-lacustrine, Palaeoecology, 196, 99-123. glacio-fluvial, and glacio-deltaic. A recent and Angiolini, L. and Stephenson, M., 2004. ongoing extensive shallow borehole Macropalaeontology and correlation of the palynological study offers the opportunity to relate these lithofacies with palynological

10 CIMP Newsletter Winter 2006 assemblages. In addition, because the samples belonged to the densospore phase in Carboniferous-Permian glaciation was a HK-1-4 profiles than in the lycospore one. complete global warming cycle, this study can Densospores dominated (61 per cent on help in understanding current climate change average) and lycospores make only 9 per cent. and how modern biota will be affected. Surprising is, that miospores of sphenophyllalean, fern and equisetalean origin

make the same percentage (8 per cent on average) comparable with that of densospores. Cordaitalean miospores are not abundant and Palaeoecological changes in four profiles in make only 1 per cent on average from all the Kladno-Rakovník Basin (Bolsovian), spores. Species of Leiotriletes are again the Czech Republic and the concept of most abundant from all miospores of the fern palynological phases origin (2.8 per cent on average) and the second Bek J. most frequent fern genus is Granulatisporites (1.6 per cent on average) again. The Laboratory of Palaeobiology and percentage of other two genera of fern affinity, Palaeoecology, Institute of Geology, Academy i.e. Raistrickia and Triquitrites is again of Science, Rozvojová 269, 165 00 Prague 6, comparable (0.6 resp. 0.8 per cent on average) Czech Republic; [email protected] and low. Very rare are sigillarian miospores of Four profiles (HK-1-4) of the coal seams of the the Crassispora-type (only 0.5 per cent on Upper Radnice Seam, the Radnice Member, average). Significant species Knoxisporites Bolsovian, the Kladno-Rakovník Basin were polygonalis is relatively frequent (2.5 per cent studied palynologically. Samples from the VP- on average), comparable to the percentage of 29 borehole and from the Ovčín Mine from the the most abundant fern miospore genus same stratigraphic level, but from the Radnice Leiotriletes. Strange is, that the average Basin were used for the comparison. number of miospores species and related estimated number of their parent plant species It is possible to recognize two main characters are the same within both phases (sixteen resp. of dispersed spore assemblages in HK-1-4 eleven). profiles, based on the changes in the prevalence of two main spore groups, It is evident, that the L→D change is not the lycospores and densospores. The average same in all profiles, but always more or less percentage of lycospores within all samples of different. A special different type of the L→D the lycospore phase in HK-1-4 profiles is 55 change is recognised in the HK-2 Profile. It per cent, whereas densospores make only 11 seems, that the change did not pass suddenly, per cent on average there. Sphenophyllalean but that there is the transitional-like zone. A miospores are the third in frequence and make few samples close to the L→D boundary, i.e. a 8 per cent on average, that is comparable with few last samples of the lycospore phase are the percentage of miospores of fern origin (7 typified by a special character with decreasing per cent on average). Calamospores produced percentage of sphenophyllalean miospores and by several equisetalean plants make 5 per cent increasing frequency of sigillarian miospore on average and cordaitalean miospores of the genus Crassispora and species of unknown Florinites-type make only 2 per cent and their affinity Knoxisporites polygonalis. It may be parent plant played only a minor role in plant caused by slightly different (drier) conditions, assemblages from the HK-1-4 profiles. Several which are still favourable for high arborescent species of Leiotriletes are the most abundant lycopsids of genera Lepidodendron and/or miospores of the fern origin (3 per cent on Lepidofloyos but already suitable for some average) and the second one is sigillarians and unknown Knoxisporites Granulatisporites. Other two monitored fern polygonalis-producing plant. genera, Raistrickia and Triquitrites make less Also the D→L change is not uniform and than one per cent on average (0.3 per cent differs in each profile. severally). Miospores of sigillarian genus Crassispora are relatively abundant and make The number of miospore species and related 2 per cent on average within all samples of the estimated number of their parent plant species lycospore phases. Important miospore species is surprisingly the same within the lycospore of unknown origin, Knoxisporites polygonalis and densospore phase in HK-1-4 profiles. Also is relatively frequent and make 3.3 per cent on the percentage of sphenophyllalean and fern average. miospores is the same in samples from both phases. Miospore genera Leiotriletes and The ratio of two main spore groups, lycospores Granulatisporites, produced mainly by several and densospores is completely different within fern taxa are more abundant within the

11 CIMP Newsletter Winter 2006 lycospore phase, than in assemblages with these samples are from the same stratigraphical prevalence of densospores. On the other hand, level, i.e. the Upper Radnice Seam. other following fern genera Raistrickia and There are differences in the composition of Triquitrites are more frequent in the spore and pollen assemblages within a one of densospore phase, than in the lycospore one. the main four palynological phases. It may be The percentage of the sigillarian miospore suitable to recognise some additional genus Crassispora and species of unknown palynological sub-phases, because it is evident, affinity Knoxisporites polygonalis is bigger in that not all, e.g. lycospore phases and/or spore assemblages with the dominance of denospore phases are the same. The concept of lycospores than in the densospore phase, what four main palynological phases suggested by may give the evidence, that some sigillarians Smith is not functional in the stratigraphically and unknown Knoxisporites polygonalis- younger coal seams especially those of the producing plant species preferred more wet Stephanian and Autunian age, where usually conditions than sub-arborescent lycopsid genus the smallest monoletes (produced by several Omphalophloios. marattialeans) spores and saccate pollen All comparative samples of the Upper Radnice dominant. Seam from the VP-29 borehole and the Ovčín

Mine in the Radnice Basin yielded more diversed spore assemblages with 30 resp 31 miospore species on average (compared to 16 within HK-1-4 profiles!). Also related Carboniferous and Devonian Polysporia and estimated number of their parent plant species its spores is twice bigger in comparative samples (21 Bek J.1, Dašková J.1, Chitaley S.2 & Drábková resp 23) than in samples from HK-1-4 profiles J.3 (only 11). All comparative samples possess 1 palynological character typical for the Laboratory of Palaeobiology and lycospore phase with prominent prevalence of Palaeoecology, Institute of Geology, Academy lycospores over densospores. Densospores of Science, Rozvojová 269, 165 00 Prague 6, occured only very rarely in the VP-29 borehole Czech Republic; [email protected] (only 1 per cent on average) and are 2 Cleveland Museum of Natural history, completely absent in samples from the the 1Wade Oval Drive Univ. Circle, Cleveland Ovčín Mine. Sphenophyllalean miospores are OH 44106-1767, U.S.A relatively abundant in comparative samples (17 3 resp 18 per cent on average) and also the Czech Geological Survey, Klárov 3, 118 21 frequency of miospores of the fern origin is Prague 1, Czech Republic; [email protected] much higher (20 resp 10 per cent), than in HK- Sub-arborescent lycopsids of 1-4 profiles (8 per cent on average). Miospores Polysporia/Chaloneria-type belong to the of equisetalean affinity occur comparably in important fossil plants of Palaeozoic. They are HK-1-4 profiles (7 per cent on average) and in ancestors of Triassic lycopsids genera the VP-29 borehole (8 per cent) and the Ovčín Pleuromeia and Annalepis and recent Isoetes. Mine (2 per cent). The percentage of Their phylogenetic lineage is documented in cordaitalean miospores of the Florinites-type is papers of Grauvogel-Stamm, Lugardon and three times bigger in comparative samples, Pigg. Carboniferous Polysporia represents than in slides from HK-1-4 profiles. compression specimens of about 2 m long It is evident, that miospore assemblages of the unbranched plants with fertile apical zones. lycospore phase of HK-1-4 profiles are Micro- and megasporangia alternated. The significantly different from those of the VP-29 biggest number of species of Polysporia is borehole and the Ovčín Mine, which both reported from the Pennsylvanian and the possess similar character. Much higher Czech Republic. In situ microspores belong to percentage of sphenophyllalean, fern and the dispersed spore species Endosporites cordaitalean miospores and twice bigger zonalis and E. globiformis. In situ megaspores number of miospore species and related are correlated to the dispersed spore species estimated number of their parent plant species Valvisisporites auritus, V. westphalensis and gives the evidence about different character of Triletes bohemicus. Phylogenetic lineage was plant assemblages and palaeoecological proved from recent Isoetes to Carboniferous conditions in HK-1-4 profiles in the Kladno- Polysporia via Pleuromeia and Annalepis, Rakovník Basin and in the Radnice Basin (VP- based mainly on the ultrastructure features of 29 borehole and the Ovčín Mine), although all in situ spores. Devonian ancestors were considered to be plants described from

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Devonian Cleveland Shale of USA these were carried laterally on small sparsely (Clevelandodendron, Arnoldia), but we had dichotomously and trichotomously branching not any direct evidence about their naked stems. This suggests morphology more relationship. Now a new specimens of similar to that of latest Devonian seed plants Devonian Polysporia from the Devonian of than to that of the contemporaneous advanced Cleveland were discovered and described. In progymnosperm Archeopteris/Svalbardia situ microspores are the same as those of found elsewhere in the same lake, which may Carboniferous specimens (Endosporites-type) otherwise be an obvious candidate for ancestry and also megaspores are of the same type of seed plants. (Valvisisporites). Microspores and most megaspores occur in dispersed form and lying of the rock surface. Only a few entire megasporangia are preserved. Devonian specimens of Polysporia give us a new Morphological variability of some Devonian evidence about the long phylogenetic lineage miospores 1 2 1 Isoetes-Pleuromeia-Annalepis-Polysporia Breuer P. , Filatoff J. & Steemans P. which cover most of the Phanezoroic era. This 1 lineage is documented mainly on in situ Unité de Paléobotanique, Paléopalynologie et spores. Micropaléontologie, University of Liège, Allée du 6 août, B18, Sart-Tilman, 4000 Liège, Belgium; [email protected] 2 Saudi Aramco P.O. Box 10781, 31311 Dhahran, Saudi Arabia In search of the earliest seed plants Berry Ch.M.1, Marshall J.E.A.2, Hemsley Human beings need to have name tags for A.R.1 & Hammond S.1 things and classify them in different boxes, in order to deal with them. Therefore, miospore 1 School of Earth, Ocean and Planetary taxa are named by using Linnaean-style Sciences, Cardiff University, Park Place, Latinized binomial nomenclature, formally Cardiff CF10 3YE; [email protected] governed by the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature (ICBN). However, 2 John Marshall, School of Ocean and Earth Palaeozoic miospore taxonomy has currently Science, University of Southampton, become somewhat problematic resulting, Southampton Oceanography Centre, European notably, in the overlapping diagnoses of some Way, Southampton, SO14 3ZH, UK; taxa. The number of described species has [email protected] been so huge that it is difficult to cope with all The appearance of seed plants in the Late this information. Devonian is a critical episode in earth history. The fact that miospores are generally retrieved How seeds evolved is still an open question. from sediments after their dispersal often Recently, in Palaeontology, Marshall and imply, at least for the Palaeozoic, ignorance of Hemsley described Spermasporites allenii their parent plants and consequently of their from a Middle Devonian lake on Ella Ø, East natural affinities, most of the time. Thus the Greenland. S. allenii is a seed megaspore morphology of miospores provides the unique bearing at its apex not only three smaller basis for taxonomic discrimination. Therefore, aborted spores of the original tetrad, but also a miospores are commonly classified into cluster of microspores. This suggested a new different well-defined boxes by a simple path to seed evolution, where the seed morphological comparison. Besides, some megaspore is most likely to be fertilized by authors urge the stratigraphic utility of microspores from within the same sporangium subdividing miospore groupings as much as but also allows for fertilization by microspores possible; but others note that gradations from another sporangium or individual. In between taxa may be so slight that order to determine the taxonomic affinity of intermediaries can often be found between the seed-meagaspore bearing plant, CMB, species or even genera, frequently regarded as JEAM, and AH mounted a NERC-funded separate. Many cases of such intergrading taxa expedition to Ella Ø under the umbrella of are common in the fossil record. The CASP. Excavation of the layers in which the palynomorphs often transgress the taxonomical seed megaspores were concentrated yielded boundaries which they have originally been numerous partial specimens of the plant. defined on. Megaspores are snugly contained in sporangia which are inserted terminally on the end of a branching system. Association suggests that

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Some examples of such continuous a continuous succession from the Zlíchov morphological intergradation are presented Limestone to the Daleje Shale. here. They show that the morphological Most studied samples of the Daleje Shale variability can be observed not only within a yielded prasinophytes, acritarchs, chitinozoans, unique species or between several species scolecondonts and some of them also spores. belonging to a same genus, but also between Within these samples numerous specimens of two distinct genera. Another example of the fusiform acritarch genus Navifusa have morphological variability presented here is due been found. All of the more than 300 observed to a possible taphonomic problem. specimens are attributed to the single species This countribution highlights some problems Navifusa bacilla. High number and excellent of miospore taxonomy by showing several preservation of this species permit a detailed examples from Devonian assemblages from morphometrical analyse and a critical Libya and Saudi Arabia. These different evaluation of the morphological variability examples of continuous intergrading within separate samples. Furthermore, it was morphological variation illustrate one of the possible to study the method of its cyst major problems in miospore taxonomy: the opening. Such analyse of large populations morphological variability of each taxon, signifies a distinct differentiation of two combined with the description of individual phases in the life cycle; namely the encystment forms, which are rarely studied within large phase and the excystment phase. populations. Acknowledgements. This work is part of the DFG Priority Programme SPP 1054 “Evolution of the system Earth during the

Upper Paleozoic reflected by sedimentary Devonian acritarch Navifusa bacilla: geochemistry, and also relates to the IGCP 499 Morphological variability and method of “Devonian Land-Sea Interactions: Evolution of opening Ecosystems and Climate (DEVEC)”. The authors are grateful to the Alexander von Brocke R.1 & Fatka O.2 Humboldt Gesellschaft (AvH) and the 1 Senckenberg Research Institute, Palynology Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG). and Microvertebrates of the Palaeozoic, Senckenberganlage 25,

D-60325 Frankfurt/Main, Germany; [email protected] Zooplankton fecal pellets and phytoplankton particles from about 445 MA 2 Charles University, Institute of Geology and deep sea black smoker mound (Yaman- Palaeontology, Albertov 6, 128 43 Prague 2, Kasy deposit, South Urals, Russia) Czech Republic Buschmann B.1, Fatka O.2 & Maslennikov Joint research activities of the V.V.3 Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg and the Charles University are focussed on comparison 1 Institut für Geologie, TU Bergakademie of the sedimentological development and the Freiberg, B.-v.-Cotta-Str. 2, 09596 Freiberg, biostratigraphical subdivision of the commonly Germany; [email protected] neritic Emsian in the type area of the freiberg.de Rheinisches Schiefergebirge (= Rhenish Slate 2 Charles University, Institute of Geology and Mountains) and the classical, pelagic Palaeontology, Albertov 6, 128 43 Prague 2, Barrandian area. The Emsian, the third stage of Czech Republic the Devonian System, encompasses about 15 to 17 Ma representing one of the longest stages 3 Institute of Mineralogy, Urals Branch of in the Palaeozoic. Hence, a subdivision of the Russian Academy of Science, 456301 Miass, Emsian into two substages, Lower and Upper Russia; [email protected] Emsian is under active discussion. The Yaman-Kasy Cu-Zn deposit represents an Initial results of ongoing palynological studies excellently preserved fossil black smoker from the Císařská rokle section in the Císařská mound situated in the allochthonous Sakmara rokle gorge are presented. Within this section Zone of the southern Uralides, near to the town the Zlíchovian-Dalejan boundary interval of Mednogorsk. The sulphide mound formed (corresponding roughly to the Lower / Upper on the Early Palaeozoic floor of the Uralian Emsian boundary interval) is well developed in ocean that was closed by Late Palaeozoic collision between the intra-oceanic

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Magnitogorsk island arc and continental the geological setting indicate a zooplankton margin of the East European craton. The arc- fecal pellet origin of the microaggregates. continent collision caused thrust of the The abundance of palynomorphs in fecal considered Early Palaeozoic ocean floor pellets indicates that acritarchs and segment upon the continental margin without prasinophytes were significant primary orogenic regional metamorphism. Graptolites producers in the bluewater pelagic from hangingwall rocks of a neighbouring environment at ca. 445 Ma. sulphide deposit record the Earliest Silurian ascensus-acuminatus zone providing a minimum age for sulphide deposition.

The Yaman-Kasy deposit is famous for preservation of the oldest known Dating ‘hot’ shales using chitinozoans: a taxonomically diverse hydrothermal vent fauna case study from northern Gondwana comprising tube worms, inarticulate Butcher A. brachiopods, and monoplacophorans. Ore textures are comparable to black smoker University of Portsmouth, School of Earth and mounds on the modern sea floor and indicate a Environmental Sciences, Burnaby Building, minimum water depth of approximately 1000 Burnaby Road, Portsmouth, PO1 3QL, UK; m. The presence of hydrothermal vent fauna [email protected] and haematite replacement of ores at top of the In northern Gondwana, Silurian organic-rich sulphide mound evidence aerated bottom water ‘hot’ shales account for 80–90% of Palaeozoic conditions. Sulphur isotope compositions of sourced hydrocarbons (Lüning et al. 2000, barite from ore are in the range of 2005). The depositional systems across North contemporaneous epicontinental evaporites Africa and the Arabian Peninsula were suggesting a well-mixed oceanic water remarkably similar around the Ordovician– column. Silurian boundary, with a strong eustatic sea- The lateral wedge of the sulphide mound level rise occurring in the latest Ordovician to yielded sediments composed of sulphide debris earliest Silurian, following the melting of the and intercalations of siliceous deposits. widespread glacial Ordovician ice sheets Sedimentary textures similar to turbidites (Loydell 1998). This widespread transgression evidence episodic deposition of coarse to silt- resulted in the deposition of organic-rich black sized sulphide and vent fauna debris sourced in shales in many areas of North Africa and the the sulphide mound. Siliceous intercalations of Arabian Peninsula, reaching thicknesses of sulphide sediments display mixed provenance over 1000 m in areas of palaeodepression (e.g. comprising the pelagic background, particles the Risha area, NE Jordan) (Lüning et al. from the hydrothermal plume of the black 2005). smoker mound, fine-grained volcanogenic In Jordan, two organically enriched horizons debris, and silica likely derived from low- occur in the Silurian: the lower and upper hot temperature diffuse exhalation at the foot of shales (Lüning et al. 2005). The term ‘hot’ the sulphide mound. They record depositional refers to the high natural radioactivity of the processes of longer duration compared to the shale units, due to an increase in authigenic event-character of associated sulphide debris uranium, and they can therefore be recognised layers. readily in well logs due to high gamma-ray The siliceous intercalations contain well values (Lüning et al. 2005). The lower hot preserved microaggregates rich in shale unit occurs at the base of the palynomorphs and POM, abundant isolated Mudawwara Shale, at or close to the base of palynomorphs (prasinophytes and the Silurian, and attains a maximum TOC of acanthomorph acritarchs), as well as rare 11% in the Southern Desert area, represented scolecodonts, radiolarians and cyanobacterial in the shallow well BG-14 (Lüning et al. relics. The microaggregates are composed of 2005). A recent study of the graptolites of the silica matrix, display oval shape, differ in size BG-14 core by Loydell (in Lüning et al. 2005) from a few tens to hundred microns, and are constrained the lower hot shale unit to the devoid of significant mineral debris. Envelops middle and upper ascensus-acuminatus and of purer silica are common suggesting vesiculosus graptolite biozones, thus indicating enhanced silica precipitation at the surface of an early to middle Rhuddanian age. microaggregates. Palynomorph remains within Due to the excellent age constraint of the BG- microaggregates often display a higher degree 14 core provided by Lüning et al. (2005), it of corrosion compared to associated isolated was decided to conduct a study of the palynomorphs. These features in context with

15 CIMP Newsletter Winter 2006 chitinozoans in the same core: the chitinozoan Verniers, J., Nestor, V., Paris, F., Dufka, P., study formed part of a recent Ph.D. thesis Sutherland, S.J.E. & Van Grootel, G., 1995. A (Butcher 2005, unpublished). Samples were global Chitinozoa biozonation for the Silurian. taken for palynological processing (conducted Geological Magazine, 132, 651–666. by Butcher), from the same core samples that yielded age-diagnostic graptolite species in Lüning et al. (2005), thus providing a known age for any palynomorphs recovered. Early Llandovery chitinozoans from The chitinozoans recovered were extremely northern Gondwana and Laurentia abundant (c. 600–4700 specimens per gram of Butcher, A. sample) and well preserved, providing excellent data for both biostratigraphical and University of Portsmouth, School of Earth and systematic study. The recovery of Spinachitina Environmental Sciences, Burnaby Building, fragilis, Belonechitina postrobusta, Burnaby Road, Portsmouth, PO1 3QL, UK; Ancyrochitina laevaensis? and Plectochitina [email protected] nodifera provides further data for the Rhuddanian age of the lower hot shale (Lüning A detailed study was undertaken of the et al. 2005), as these species have been found chitinozoan biostratigraphy of four cores elsewhere in strata of this age (see Verniers et through the earliest Silurian strata of Jordan al. 1995). (Middle East) and Illinois (USA), representing palaeogeographical positions on northern The increasing trend of integrating Gondwana and Laurentia respectively. biostratigraphical data from two or more fossil groups is recognised as an important tool in Core BG-14, from the Southern Desert outcrop creating both locally and globally applicable area of Jordan, is well constrained by biozonal schemes, of particular value to graptolite data to the middle–upper ascensus- hydrocarbon exploration. Graptolite data have acuminatus and vesiculosus graptolite already provided a high-resolution biozonation biozones. Core WS-6, from the eastern Wadi for much of the Palaeozoic: chitinozoans, Sirhan area of Jordan, is constrained to the relative to graptolites, have received little lower ascensus-acuminatus graptolite Biozone. study, although their value in biostratigraphy is Cores DH76-21 and Principia #4, from the being advanced constantly. north and west of Illinois respectively, have very poor age correlation: graptolites are rare The chitinozoan data for this study are in the lower Silurian strata of the American currently being prepared for publication, and Midwest. new research is being undertaken by Butcher and Loydell for a high-resolution integrated The well preserved and diverse chitinozoans study in North Africa. recovered from core BG-14 allowed correlation of the Spinachitina fragilis References: chitinozoan Biozone with many of the Butcher, A., 2005. Chitinozoan biostratigraphy biozones of ascensus-acuminatus graptolite Zone age proposed previously in the literature, of the Rhuddanian of Jordan and Illinois. Unpublished Ph.D. thesis, University of based upon a detailed study of published Portsmouth, UK. chitinozoan biozonations and the data upon which they in turn were correlated. The Loydell, D.K., 1998. Early Silurian sea-level Belonechitina postrobusta chitinozoan changes. Geological Magazine, 121, 447–471. Biozone was recognised also in core BG-14, and was correlated with biozones of similar Lüning, S., Craig, J., Loydell, D.K., Štorch, P. vesiculosus to cyphus graptolite Zone age, & Fitches, B., 2000. Lower Silurian ‘hot recorded from Baltica and Avalonia, and based shales’ in North Africa and Arabia: regional upon the peak abundance of the species. The distribution and depositional model. Earth- chitinozoans recovered from core WS-6 were Science Reviews, 49, 121–200. abundant but poorly preserved, and provided Lüning, S., Shahin, Y.M., Loydell, D.K., Al- little biostratigraphical data for the study. Rabi, H.T., Masri, A., Tarawneh, B. & Samples containing chitinozoans were rare in Kolonic, S., 2005. Anatomy of a world-class the DH76-21 and Principia #4 cores, although source rock: distribution, depositional model those that did contain them yielded well and hydrocarbon implications of Silurian preserved specimens. The assemblage organic-rich shales in Jordan. American recovered from core DH76-21 contained S. Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, fragilis, allowing correlation with the well- 89, 1397–1427.

16 CIMP Newsletter Winter 2006 constrained fragilis chitinozoan Biozone in 4172 m, 3434 m and 3225 m) in OR-1 Mirovo core BG-14 and elsewhere, constraining the Borehole. strata to the ascensus-acuminatus graptolite Palynozone M 2. The lower part of M2 Zone Biozone. The chitinozoans from core Principia shows the appearing of Limitisporites rectus #4 represent a latest Ordovician to earliest and disapearing of genera Cordaitina and Silurian age: the taxa recovered from the core Cannanoropollis. This zone contains many are all long-ranging, and thus taxa which are common with the underlying biostratigraphical constraint is less precise. zone, such as Lundbladispora, Falcisporites A detailed systematic study of the taxa sp., Converrucosisporites sp.. The Zone recovered from all cores revealed difficulties includes the first appearance of Vittatina in the identification of chitinozoans, due to subsaccata, V. saccata, V. cf. elegans, V. preservational effects and considerable costabilis, Vittatina cf. minima, Limitisporites intraspecific variation. Such factors emphasise delasaucei, Limitisporites sp., the need for SEM analysis of a large number of Protohaploxipinus sp., P. samoilovichi, P. specimens of any given taxa. perfectus, P. amplus, Striatoabieites (2730 m), Striatomonosaccites sp., Hamiapollenites sp., A new species of the genus Fungochitina was Cycadopites glaber, Falcisporites erected for specimens in core Principia #4, and schaubergeri, Vittatina elegans, Limitisporites one new species of Belonechitina for latus, Jugasporites sp., Kraeuselisporites sp., specimens occurring in the BG-14 and WS-6 Costapollenites sp., Lueckiesporites virkkiae. cores. Quantitatively this assemblage is distinguished by the high content of various species of Vittatina and Lueckisporites. This Zone occupies the lower part of the Hrabrovo Mb. Permian palynostratigraphy from Northeast (depth interval 2907 - 1875 m) in OR-1 Bulgaria Mirovo Borehole. Dimitrova T. & Petrunova L. Palynozone M 3. The upper part of the section, from 1548 m up to the top, indicates Geological Institute, BAS, 1113 quantitative differences in the presence of the Sofia,Bulgaria; [email protected] taxa Weylandites striatus, Platysaccus sp., P. Late Permian salt rocks exposed near the papilionis, Protohaploxypinus amplus, P. towns Targovishte and Provadia in East limpidus, Marsupipollenites sp., Falcisporites Bulgaria can be found in the Hrabrovo and zapfei, Weylandites striatus. The lower Vetrino members of the OR-1 Mirovo boundary of this Zone is marked by the Borehole. In these paleosalt beds are sparse introduction of several pollen taxa: and comparable to those of woody and pollen Lundbladispora sp., Alisporites spp., gymnosperms, that known monosaccate Striatopodocarpites sp., Alisporites plicatus, pollen, non-taeniate bisaccate pollen, Limitisporites vesiculosus, Striatites richteri, praecolpate pollen and a few spores of the S. spp., Striatopinites micros. The typical ferns. Three palynological assemblage zones specimens in the assemblage and taxa like were established from three informal Disaccites striate, Weylandites, Cycadopites, palynomorph assemblages in the succession. Nuskoisporites and Klausipollenites are very common. The maximum of some species for Palynozone M 1. The unit (two samples for the Upper Permian sediments like the index taxon interval 4172-3434 m contains the Lueckisporites virkkiae and Permian Vittatina palynological assemblage including are almost are disappearing at the top of the Costacyclus crenatus, Puntatosporites section. The upper boundary of the M3 Zone is rotundus, Converrucosisporites sp., manifested by common occurrence of some Lundbladispora gigantea, species of bisaccate pollen grain such as Microfoveolatisporites sp., Punctatosporites Klausipollenites schlaubergeri, K. staplinii, rotundus, Latosporites sp., Calamospora Vitreisporites sp., Gnetaceaepollenites sp. and plicata, C. breviradiata, Calamospora liquida, Lunatisporites sp. Their appearance marks the Retusostriletes cf. nigritellus, Illinites unicus, base of the Triassic. The Zone is located in the Limitisporites latus, L. rectus, Florinites sp., upper part of the Hrabrovo Mb. (depth interval Wilsonites vesicatus, Vesicaspora sp., 1757 - 1007 m) in OR-1 Mirovo Borehole. Plicatipollenites sp., Potonieisporites (14%), P. novicus, P. elegans, P. grandis and Correlation and botanical interpretation. Some Cordaitina uralensis, Cannanoropollis sp. stratigraphic interpretations concerning the This Zone occupies the Mirovo Fm. (depths correlations (Grigoriev, Utting, 1998) of the end of Permian transition beds from the

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Central European, Boreal and Tethyan basins Broutin, J., H. & Kerp, H., 1994. Aspects of (Broutin et al., 1998) are inconsistent with the Permian palaeobotany and palynology. XIV. A existing microfloristic stratigraphic data. new form-genus of broad-leaved Late Utting, Piasecki (1995) has made correlations Carboniferous and Early Permian northern between Angaran, Euroamerican and hemisphere conifers. – Review of Cathaysian microfloras. Palaeobotany and Palynology, 83, 241-251. The OR-1 Mirovo assemblages, however, Broutin, J., Aassoumi, H., El Wartiti, M., contain most of the elements described for the Freytet, P., Kerp, H. & Quesada, C., 1998. The Upper Permian deposits. Typical genera of Permian basins of Tiddas, Bou Achouch and Taeniate disaccate pollen are Khenifra (Central Morocco) - In: Crasquin- Protohaploxypinus, Hamiapollenites, Soleau, S. & Barrier, É. (Eds.), Peri-Tethys 4. - Lunatisporites and Lueckisporites. The species Mém. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris, 179, 257-278. Lueckisporites virkkiae is common in the Grigoriev, M., Utting, J., 1998. Zechstein of Western Europe (Visscher, 1971) Sedimentology, palynostratigraphy, and its earliest occurrence is Kazanian in the palynofacies and thermal maturity of Upper Russian stratotype. Important sporomorphs in Permian rocks of Kolguyev Island, Barents Late Permian deposits are Lueckisporites Sea, Russia. - Bulletin of Canadian Petroleum virkkiae (Hrabrovo Mb.), Falcisporites zapfei, Geology, 46, 1-11. Klausipollenites schaubergeri, Nuskoisporites and Vittatina, which were found in the Leschik, G., 1956. Sporen aus dem Satzon des sediments from OR-1 Mirovo Borehole. Zechstein von Neuhof (bei Fulda). - Palaeontographica, Abt. B, 100, 122-142. Conclusions Schaarschmidt, F. 1963. Sporen und The Pollen is predominant (92,2% to 99,5%) Hystrichosphaerideen aus dem Zechstein von and possibly had been transported over long Biudingen in der Wetterau. - distance. Three Assemblage palynological Palaeontographica, Abt. B, 113, 38-91. zones have been established for the Permian from sediments of OR-1 Mirovo Borehole. The Utting, J. & Piasecki, S., 1995. The palynology older assemblage (Mirovo Fm.) is a part of the of Northern Continents: a review. In The Lower Permian and is the first Asseblage Zone Permian of Northern Pangea, P.A. Scholle, T. (Palynozone M 1) in Permian (Autunian) age M. Peryt and D.S. Ulmer-Scholle (eds.). - (Broutin & Kerp, 1994). The second Springer Verlag, 1 (Paleogeography, (Palynozone M 2) and the third (Palynozone M Paleoclimates, Stratigraphy), 236-261. 3) Assemblage Zones (both in the Hrabrovo Mb.) show Upper Permian composition and Utting, J., 1994. Palynostratigraphy of Permian similar to ones have been reported from and Lower Triassic rocks, Sverdrup Basin, Canadian Arctic Archipelago. - Geological Western Europe Survey of Canada Bulletin, 478, 107 pp. Palynostratigraphic correlations are now possible with Permian assemblages in other Visscher, H., 1971. The Permian and Triassic of the Kingscourt outlier, Ireland. A parts of the world as those from the Zechstein (Leschik, 1956) and part of the Rothligend of palynological investigation related to regional Western Europe in Germany (Euroamerica) by stratigraphic problems in the Permian and Triassic of Western Europe. - Geological. Schaarschmidt (1963) Survey of Ireland, Special paper, 1, 1-114. The fossil records are a result of the input and depositional conditions for plant remains. Their quality also depends on the taxonomic level to which the remains can be determined Palaeozoic phytoplankton assemblage Acknowledgements. The authors would like to diversity trends: a climate and thank Mrs. Julitte Lacheva, our retired palaeoenvironmental signal colleague, for the kindness to consign us her collection of Permian palynological slides. To Dorning, K.J. Prof. Jean Broutin from the Department of Pallab Research, 58 Robertson Road, Sheffield Paleobotany & Paleoecology in Paris-VI S6 5DX, England and University of Sheffield; University “Pierre et Marie Curie”, we are [email protected] thanked for his helpful discussions and consultations on the palynomorph taxonomy. The overall diversity of Palaeozoic phytoplankton assemblages can be used to References: provide an indication of long term changes in

18 CIMP Newsletter Winter 2006 climate as well as fluctuations in 2 Laboratory of Palaeobiology and palaeoenvironment. The main groups of Palaeoecology, Institute of Geology, Academy Palaeozoic phytoplankton include acritarchs of Science, Rozvojová 269, 165 00 Prague 6; with processes, acritarchs and prasinophtes [email protected] with flanges, as well as acritarchs without The revision of compression specimens of processes or flanges. lycopsid fructification from the Late The acritarchs with processes include many Palaeozoic continental basins of the Czech forms with complex branched processes, with Republic is based on the combination of the the branching pattern regular or irregular. cone morphology and in situ spores revealed Many of these are of moderate size, and the presence of cones that bear Cappasporites typically fall into an overall size of 15 to 50 distortus microspores and Cystosporites-type um. These forms were apparently widespread of seed-like or pre-ovule megaspores. Until in the open marine shelf seas of the Cambrian, now, only anatomically preserved Ordovician, Silurian and Devonian, as their Cappasporites-bearing cones have been known benthonic cysts are routinely found in from coal-balls and described under the name abundance in sedimentary sequences deposited Achlamydocarpon, whereas cones producing in these areas. To a large extent these forms Cystosporites seed-like megaspores are known are comparable to the dinoflagellate cysts from petrifactions and compressions as well. regularly recorded in shelf sediments from the However, since the correlation of petrifactions mid Jurassic to the present day. and compressions is problematic because of different nature of diagnostic features, new In addition, small acritarchs with simple genera were established for the Cappasporites- processes, including Micrhystridium, are also and Cystosporites- bearing lycopsid cone associated with many shelf sediments from the compressions. Cappasporites- and Cambrian to Holocene. Cystosporites diabolicus-bearing cones are The acritarchs and prasinophytes with one or assigned to the genus Hemsleycarpon as male more flanges as well as acritarchs without and female counterparts. Parent plants processes apparently have a widespread probably belong to the genera distribution. Though they are also common in Diaphorodendron and/or Synchysidendron. shelf sea areas, the phycomata and cysts of Cappasporites giganteus-producing cones are some forms appear to be planktonic. They can assigned to the genus Scottocarpon as a likely therefore survive in areas of stratified water equivalent of the petrified genus where the bottom waters are dysoxic to anoxic, Lepidocarpon. Its parent plants are probably as well as in the surface waters of deep oceans. Lepidophloios, Lepidodendron s.s and Hizemodendron. The affinity of Lepidostrobus The diversity trends of phytoplankton cones, which produced microspores of the assemblages from stratigraphical sequences Lycospora-type as male counterparts of can be directly linked to changes in Scottocarpon is discussed. palaeoenvironment and climate. Diversity values have been documented from individual Three Hemsleycarpon species, both of male samples as well as aggregate records from and female types and one Scottocarpon species stratigraphical horizons. In the early have been distinguished in the Late Palaeozoic Ordovician, high diversity phytoplankton continental basins of the Czech Republic. assemblages are characteristic of high latitude These are Hemsleycarpon cernuus, H. areas. In the latest Ordovician and Silurian, lanceolatus, H. hofmanii and Scottocarpon fluctuations in the phytoplankton diversity in majus. low latitude areas is apparently driven by Excellent ontogenetic stages of seed-like changes in global climate. megaspores of the Cystosporites-type are figured. The difference in the exine structure of both Cystosporites species is demonstrated.

The number of phylogenetic lineages of Carboniferous seed-like megaspores of the Palaeozoic seed-like lycopsids is discussed. cystosporites-type, their microspores and their parent plants from the Pennsylvanian of the Czech Republic

Drábková J.1, Bek J.2 Molecular composition of Silurian/Devonian 1 Czech Geological Survey, Klárov 3, 118 21 Tasmanites, Leiosphaeridia, Chitinozoa and Prague 1, Czech Republic; [email protected] Scolecodont as revealed by pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

19 CIMP Newsletter Winter 2006

Dutta S.1, Brocke R.2, Hartkopf-Fröder Ch.3, monoaromatic tricyclic terpanes (Dutta et al., Greenwood P.4, Littke R.5, Wilkes H.6 & Mann 2006). Biomacromolecules of Chitinozoa U.1 consist of both aliphatic and aromatic moieties. Alkylbenzenes, alkylnaphthalenes, 1 Forschungszentrum Jülich, D-52425 Jülich, alkylphenols and alkylphenanthrenes were Germany; [email protected] major aromatic pyrolysates of Chitinozoa 2 Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg, D-60325 whilst a prominent series of n-alkene/n-alkane Frankfurt/Main, Germany (C6 to C22) doublets represented the aliphatic 3 moiety. No pyrolysis products diagnostic of Geologischer Dienst Nordrhein-Westfalen, chitin were detected in chitinozoan samples. D-47803 Krefeld, Germany The pyrolysis products of scolecodonts 4 University of Western Australia, Crawley- similarly included aromatic hydrocarbons such 6009, Australia as alkylbenzenes, alkylnaphthalenes, 5 alkylphenols and a homologous series of n- RWTH Technical University Aachen, D- alkenes and n-alkanes ranging from C to C . 52056 Aachen, Germany 6 18 Thus, based on this study, we conclude that 6 GeoForschungsZentrum Potsdam, D-14473 Potsdam, Germany - an inherent source-biomarker relationship between the Tasmanites and tricyclic The molecular composition of Tasmanites, terpenoids does not always exist and that Leiosphaeridia, chitinozoans and scolecodonts Leiosphaeridia represents another biological from Silurian and Devonian sediments of low source of these compounds. thermal maturity were investigated to provide a detailed insight into their biomacromolecular - it is unlikely that original biomacromolecules structure and to improve our understanding of of Chitinozoa before fossilization were made biomarkers of these organic-walled microfossil up of chitin related compounds. sources. Samples of Tasmanites originated - A lack of pyrolysates attributable to amino from Hazro (SE Turkey), Oklahoma and acids in scolecodonts is likely due to their Virginia (USA). For comparison, Late facile diagenetic loss. Carboniferous/Early Permian Tasmanites from Tasmania (Australia) were analysed. Reference: Chitinozoans and Leiosphaeridia sampled Dutta, S., Greenwood, P.F., Brocke, R., from Hazro and scolecodonts collected from Schaefer, R.G. & Mann, U., 2006. New Gotland (Sweden) were also analysed. insights into the relationship between Following kerogen isolation, about 300-400 Tasmanites and tricyclic terpenoids. - Organic individual palynomorph specimens were Geochemistry, 37, 117-127. handpicked, cleaned by dichloromethane to remove soluble organic matter, and then Hatcher, P.G. & Clifford, D.J., 1997. The analysed by Curie point pyrolysis-gas organic geochemistry of coal: from plant chromatography-mass spectrometry. materials to coal. - Organic Geochemistry, 27, 251-274. The pyrolysates of each of the Tasmanites analysed here, regardless of geographical Simoneit, B.R.T., McCaffrey, M.A. & Schoell, localities were characterised by a series of n- M., 2005. Tasmanian tasmanite: II – C6-22 alkene/alkane doublets which are typical compound specific isotope analyses of kerogen of pyrolysis products of algaenan, the oxidation and Raney Ni reduction products. - microbiological resistant algal biopolymer Organic Geochemistry, 36, 399-404. (Hatcher and Clifford, 1997). The pyrolysates of the Tasmanites from Tasmania showed the typical distribution of tricyclic terpenoid compounds believed to be biomarkers of Tasmanites (Simoneit et al., 2005 and Black shales microflora from the references therein). However, no trace of Famennian of the Kowala Quarry (Holy tricyclic terpenoids were detected following Cross Mountains, Central Poland). pyrolysis analysis of any of the Tasmanites Filipiak P. from Hazro, Oklahoma and Virginia. The pyrolysates of Leiosphaeridia were also Department of Earth Sciences, Silesian University, Będzińska Str. 60, 41-200 characterised by a series of n-C6-22 alkene/alkane doublets and several tricyclic Sosnowiec, Poland; terpenoids including monounsaturated and [email protected] diunsaturated tricyclic terpenes and

20 CIMP Newsletter Winter 2006

Four bituminous horizons are well exposed on stratigraphic order into the Zakeen (Devonian) the northern wall of the Kowala Quarry in the and Faraghan (Early Permian) formations. The Famennian part of the section. Preliminary thickness of the Faraghan Formation varies palynological research, supported by from a few meters at Kuh-e-Dinar to 500 microfaunistical and geochemical meters in the Chal-i-Sheh area. This formation investigations, reveal that two of them are mainly consists of sandstone, siltstone, shale equivalents of the world-wide known anoxic and a few limestone stringers. The upper events. The topmost one is the Hangenberg contact of Faraghan Formation is gradational event, which occurred just before the with the Dalan Formation of Late Permian at Devonian/Carboniferous boundary and the all surface and subsurface sections and is lowermost one is the annulata event from the marked by a transition from interbedded Middle Famennian. Lithologically, the sandstone to limestone. The lower contact is analyzed section (ca 25m of studied interval) characterized by a major hiatus that its consists of rhythmic sequence of marls, shales, magnitude increases in a SE-NW direction of tuffites and limestones with four distinct Zagros Basin. A total of 500 surface samples bituminous horizons. Geochemical data from the Faraghan Formation were treated and indicate that all the four black shale horizons investigated for palynomorph entities in order are rich in organic carbon (aprox. 22%). to determine the age relationships of this rock Consequently, they contain very abundant and unit. This study was also undertaken to assess diversified microfloral remains (acritarchs and the palaeogeographic relationships of the study miospores). Preliminary palynological area to Southern and Northern Hemispheres investigations of these horizons confirms so far during the time interval represented by this the age of three of them; they are the LN formation. Most samples contain well- (Retispora lepidophyta-Verrucosisporites preserved palynomorph taxa which permit nitidus) miospore Zone for the youngest black determination of the stratigraphic age of this shale, the LV (Retispora lepidophyta- formation. A detailed microscopic Apiculiretusispora verrucosa) Zone for the investigation on the samples of Faraghan underlying thin horizon and the VF (Diducites Formation reveals that the lowermost part of versbilis-Grandispora famenensis) for the this formation coincides with the appearance oldest one. The studied microfloral of abundant gymnospermous pollen taxa assemblages contain the index species whose diversities increase toward the top of Retispora lepidophyta and Verrucosisporites this rock unit. The relative percentage of each nitidus for the LN Zone, L. lepidophyta and group of morphotype was calculated based on Apiculiretusispora verrucosa for the LV Zone counts of two hundred grains per sample and and Diducites versbilis and Grandispora the sum total resulted in, 98% pollen, 1.5% famenesis for the VF Zone, and are also spores and 0.5% acritarchs. The high relative accompanied by other important miospore percentage of gymnospermous pollen taxa species. suggests a relatively cold condition which was in favor of gymnospermous plants at the Besides rich land microflora, phytoplankton is beginning of the Early Permain. A total of 56 much diversified too. Abundant are miospore species were identified within the prasinophytes (Leiosphaeridia, Hemiruptia Faraghan: Vittatina costablis, V. subsaccata, V. and Tasmanites), amorphic organic matter and verrucosa, Hamiapollenites ellipticus, some acritarch species of genera Fusacolpites fusus, F. ovatus, Boutakoffites Gorgonisphaeridium, Lophosphaeridium and elongates, Mabuitasaccites ovatus, Dictyotidium. Walikalsaccites ellipticus, Corisaccites alutas, Nuskoisporites triangularis, Striomonosaccites brevis, S. triangularis, Weylandites magnus, Cycadopites cymbatus, Potonieisporites Palynostratigraphy and palaeogeography of granulatus, P. neglectus, Plicatipollenites the Lower Permian strata (Faraghan Fm. = dendus, P. gondwanensis Decussatisporites Chal–i-Sheh Fm.) in the Zagros Basin, circularis, Distiamonocolpites ovalis, Southern Iran Tiwariasporis flavatus, T. gondwanensis, Striatopodocarpites fusus, Leiotriletes virkkii, Ghavedel-syooki, M. Verrucosisporites andersonii,Densosporites National Iranian Oil Company, Iran; solidus and Punctatisporites gretensis. These [email protected] are diagnostic of the Early Permian and the remainder are long-ranging during the A clastic sequence is well developed in the Permian. Based on the above-mentioned Zagros Basin Southern Iran. This clastic species an Early Permian (Sakmarian- sequence has been divided in ascending

21 CIMP Newsletter Winter 2006

Artiniskian) age is suggested for the Faraghan Department of Geology, Trinity College Formation. From the point of view of lithology Dublin, Ireland; [email protected] and age relationship, the Faraghan Formation Palaeozoic samples containing Tasmanites and is equivalent to the Unayzah Formation in the Veryhachium were heated in a tube furnace for southern part of the Persian Gulf (Saudi up to three months at peak temperatures up to Arabia). Therefore, the Upper Carboniferous 250˚C. The colours of the experimentally- age assignment to the Faraghan Formation, heated palynomorphs were determined in based on Sigillaria persica of Seward is transmitted light in terms of RGB intensity and rejected and the Carboniferous strata are were correlated with colours of Tasmanites presented by a hiatus in the Zagros Basin and Veryhachium from sections that have been which possibly equates with the Hercynian heated by normal burial processes. The Orogeny. potential value of acritarch / prasinophyte Likewise, the comparison was made between colour assessment as a tool for establishing the miospore species of Lower Permain organic maturity in marine, vitrinite-deficient sediments of Zagros Basin of Iran and those of rocks is outlined, with reference to a Lower other parts of the world. The comparison Palaeozoic well section in Jordan. The effect reveals that from 58 miospore species of the of heating was also assessed with nitrogen Faraghan Formation, 40 species are common isotopes. The significance of the response of with Australia, 47 species with Africa, 30 δ15N to experimental heating of Tasmanites is species with India and Pakistan, 28 species discussed in relation to chemostratigraphy. with South America and three species with

Turkey. Hence, based on palynological data, the Zagros Basin of Iran suggests a closer relation to those of Gondwanan Supercontinent rather than with those of Europe, North Stratigraphical interpretation of the new America and Turkey. The small number of miospore data from the Carboniferous acritarch taxa and scolecodonts which succession of the Foresudetic Homocline contribute 0.5 percent of the total assemblages basement (SW Poland) are associated with miospore assemblages of Górecka-Nowak A. the Faraghan Formation. In all samples, pollen diversity is high and masks the contributions Institute of Geological Sciences, University of of acritarchs, scolecodonts and spores. This Wrocław, Poland; [email protected] phenomenon might be explained in term of New results of palynological studies of the close proximity of the depositional site to the Carboniferous monotonous turbidite parent plant source. Another interpretation succession from the Fore-Sudetic Homocline would be that the Late Carboniferous basement (being a part of the infill of the Gondwana glaciation retreated and give rise to Variscan foreland basin) allowed a new look relatively cold conditions at the beginning of on their stratigraphy. Studied rocks contain the Permain period. This situation favored the macrofloristic and marine macrofaunistic gymnospemous plant community and inhibited fossils, mainly Late Viséan, and usually poorly the development of spore-bearing plants as preserved miospore assemblages of different well as acritarchs and marine annelid worms in age. These sediments had been considered as the depositional environments. In summary, representing whole profile of the the Faraghan Formation has been deposited in Carboniferous-from the Tournaisian to the shallow marine environments. Therefore, Stephanian, although detailed results of the based on the above, it would be reasonable to stratigraphical studies sometimes had been suggest that the Zagros basin, Africa, Australia contradictory. and India were not distant from one another and they were at about the same latitude along During new palynostratigraphical studies of the southern shore of the Tethys Ocean during rocks from 10 deep boreholes rich and diverse the Permain period. miospore assemblages were found. Over 400 miospore taxa were recorded in them. Miospore preservation is diverse and depends mainly on the organic mater thermal alteration. All recorded miospore assemblages appeared Thermally-induced changes in colour and to be of mixed characteristics and consist of δ15N of Tasmanites and Veryhachium the Fammennian up to the Namurian or even Westphalian taxa. In part of the studied rocks Goodhue R., Duggan C. & Clayton G. Late Viséan marine macrofaunal fossils, including goniatites, had been found earlier.

22 CIMP Newsletter Winter 2006

Only the youngest miospore taxa could be used nomenclature. The resulting to the stratigraphical interpretation and all the palynostratigraphic interpretations are of a remaining fossils were considered as higher resolution than previous analyses, reworked. In the studied sediments two rock allowing improved precision in the correlation successions of different ages were recognized. of western Irish offshore Carboniferous strata. The older one represents the Lower Namurian References: and was documented in the Września IG 1, Katarzynin 2, Paproć 29, Czerńczyce IG 1, Clayton, G., Coquel, R., Doubinger, J., Siciny IG 1 and Marcinki IG 1 profiles. The Gueinn, K.J., Lobodziak, S., Owens, B. & younger succession, recorded in the Siciny IG Streel, M., 1977. Carboniferous miospores of 1 and Marcinki IG 1 profiles, belong to the Western Europe; illustration and zonation. - Westphalian B? and C. The repetition of both Mededelingen Rijks Geologische successions in two latter profiles was observed Dienst,Nederland, 29, 1-71. and is probably caused by the tectonical deformation. Clayton, G., Owens, B. & McLean, D., 2003. Carboniferous palynostratigraphy: recent Stratigraphical data presented above allow to developments in Europe. - Abstracts of XVth conclude on the main stages of the basin International Congress on Carboniferous and developement: Permian Stratigraphy, Utrecht, Netherlands, 103. a) Turbidite sedimentation in Early Namurian and Westphalian B? and C. Robeson, D., Burnett, R. & Clayton, G., 1988. The Upper Palaeozoic Geology of the b) Canibalisation of the Fammennian- Porcupine, Erris and Donegal Basins, Offshore Tournaisian and Upper Viséan rocks during Ireland. - Irish Journal of Earth Sciences, 9 Early Namurian and Westphalian B? and C. (2), 153-175. c) Inversion of the basin after the Westphalian

C.

Palynological correlation of Mississippian

(Carboniferous) stage boundaries in the A Revised Carboniferous USA and Western Europe Palynostratigraphy For Offshore Western Heal S.1, Clayton G.1 & Eble C.2 Ireland 1 Department of Geology, Trinity College Haddow A. & Clayton G. Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland; [email protected] Department of Geology, Trinity College, 2 Kentucky Geological Survey , 247D Mining Dublin 2, Ireland; [email protected] and Mineral Resources Bldg., University of A revised Carboniferous palynostratigraphy Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40506-0107, for offshore western Ireland is presented. USA Palynostratigraphic interpretations are based A recent decision to globally recognise the on the analysis of cuttings samples from Mississippian and Pennsylvanian as eighteen hydrocarbon exploration wells. subsystems of the Carboniferous has Previous interpretations (Robeson et al. 1988) highlighted difficulties in the correlation of incorporated the original Carboniferous their composite stages and stage boundaries on miospore zonal scheme of Western Europe a global scale. A miospore zonal scheme for (Clayton et al. 1977). Recent zonal Western Europe has proved useful for modifications (Clayton et al. 2003) have correlation within Europe and similar spore enabled a revised offshore western Ireland assemblages have been recorded from palynostratigraphic interpretation. The new localities in the USA. A continuous spore zonal scheme approximately doubles the succession throughout the Mississippian of the number of biozones and sub-biozones that can USA is currently being assembled with plans be identified, with most refinement occurring to complete a full Mississippian zonal scheme in the late Mississippian and early for the Midwest/eastern USA. Pennsylvanian. Biozones are defined in terms of a single event, typically the first appearance A preliminary study focuses on marine and of a taxon. Palynological data from previous deltaic sediments from two localities; the interpretations are revised in terms of the new Hannibal shale type section in Missouri, and zonations and the latest SCCS ratified Morehead in Kentucky. At Hannibal, dates Carboniferous chronostratigraphic have been constrained to a Kinderhookian age,

23 CIMP Newsletter Winter 2006 using North American conodont biozones. An sediments is based on acritarchs in 20 borehole impoverished spore assemblage is found and trilobites in on borehole Goczałkowice IG within the marine shales. The late Devonian 1 (Holmia age). Lower Cambrian sediments spore, Retispora lepidophyta, is notably absent occur discordantly on anchimetamorphic or as is Spelaeotriletes balteatus which appears in crystalline basement. They show large lateral the Lower Mississippian. This suggests the distribution and considerable thickness assemblage is representative of the recovery reaching in the marginal zone of the block phase of the Late Devonian Mass extinction, about 2500-3000 m. The Lower Cambrian comprising of a few long ranging survivor sediments are represented by two taxa. An abundant acritarch fauna is also lithostratigraphical units; older Borzęta present here, dominated by acanthomorph Formation and younger Goczałkowice acritarchs from two or three genera, showing Formation. Middle Cambrian rocks form significant specific and intraspecific variation. Sosnowiec Formation. The age of the Morehead section has been Borzęta Formation sediments form three-unit constrained using the goniatite fauna. regressive sequence which consists of Palynological studies show the lower part of siltstones younging upwards into sandy the section spans the Devonian/Carboniferous mudstones with thin sandstone intercalations, boundary i.e. the LN and VI biozones, while and sandstones interbedded with mudstones. the upper part belongs to the Early Osagean These sediments occur only in the marginal (PC) biozone. eastern part of the USB. Lower Cambrian organic microfossils of the sub-Holmia

Horizon have been recognized in the Borzęta Formation. They are represented by following genera: Leiosphaeridia, Tasmanites, Leiovalia, Cambrian acritarch assemblages from the Granomarginata and Ceratophyton. Polish part of the Brunovistulicum The younger Lower Cambrian Holmia Jachowicz M. sediments of the Goczałkowice Formation Polish Geological Institute, Upper Silesian were deposited over much wider area. They Branch, 41-200 Sosnowiec, Królowej Jadwigi form 3-unit transgressive sequence which 1, Poland; [email protected] consists of: lower – Scolithos sandstones, middle – bioturbation sandstones, and upper – The Brunovistulian Block comprises the siltstones with trilobites. In USB acritarchs southern part of Poland, eastern part of the have so far been recognized only in samples of Czech Republic, northern part of the Slovak bioturbation sandstones and siltstones with Republic and partially in Austria. It forms a trilobites. The bioturbation sandstones yield tectonic unit of Cadomian consolidation and characteristic acritarch populations dominated consists of plutonic, metamorphic and by: E. flexuosus, C. molliculum, S. ornata, A. anchimetamorphic lithologies. There is a clear tornatum, L. dubium, T. bobrowskiae. In zonal distribution of these different, in terms of siltstones with trilobites acritarch assemblage origin, rocks. The southern and south-eastern includes: several species of Skiagia, A. part of Brunovistulicum consists of plutonic umbonulata, H. dissimilare, M. xianum, B. rocks. Towards the north and north-east, the varium, A. baltica, E. minima, M. upper parts consist of metamorphic rocks and campanulum, Granomarginata, deeper, anchimetamorphic rocks. Taking the Pterospermella. genetic differentiation of the Brunovistulicum lithologies into account, Kotas (1985) Middle Cambrian sediments of the Sosnowiec distinguished two units, termed blocks, namely Formation were only found in the borehole the Moravian (Brunia) and Upper Silesian. On Sosnowiec IG1 in the central part of the block. these units similar Lower Palaeozoic sediment They are represented by the complex of clastic cover was recognized, mainly in the Polish rocks which consist of alternating layers of part of the Brunovistulicum – Upper Silesian sandstone and clay-stone. According Block (USB). Moczydłowska (1998) there is a transition from Middle to Upper and even Ordovician The recognition of Lower Palaeozoic (Tremadocian). The recent palynological study sediments in USB is not regular. Lower resulted in finding of the typical Middle Palaeozoic sediments of USB are represented Cambrian acritarch assemblages dominated by by the best investigated sediments of Lower A. alea, C. cambriense, H. notatum, E. Cambrian and also by Middle Cambrian and llanisum and C. longispinosum. Ordovician, which were found in a few boreholes. The stratigraphy of Cambrian

24 CIMP Newsletter Winter 2006

Heretofore Upper Cambrian sediments have Preservation state of the obtained forms is very not been recognized, although their presence is bad, with high degree of carbonification. The very likely in the northern part of the USB. specimens show many damages, which makes it impossible to determine their species in

details. The most important genera determined in the material studied include: Acanthodiacrodium, Baltisphaeridium, Ordovician acritarch assemblages from the Baltisphaerosum, Veryhachium, Frankea, Upper Silesian Block Polygonium, Multiplicisphaeridium, Jachowicz M. Micrhystridium, Timofeevia, Vulcanisphaera. Polish Geological Institute, Upper Silesian WB 24 - In the detailed analyses of the Branch, 41-200 Sosnowiec, Królowej Jadwigi samples studied the representatives of the 1, Poland; [email protected] following sub-groups were documented: Diacromorphitae, Acanthomorphitae, The recognition of Lower Palaeozoic Herkomorphitae, Polygonomorphitae and sediments in the Upper Silesian Block is not Sphaeromorphitae. The most important genera regular. Lower Palaeozoic sediments of Upper and species include Peteinosphaeridium Silesian Block are represented by the best trifurcatum, Stellechinatum celestum, investigated sediments of Lower Cambrian and Peteinosphaeridium nanofurcatum, also by Middle Cambrian and Ordovician, Baltisphaeridium bystrentos, Baltisphaeridium which were found in a few boreholes. hirsutoides, Acanthodiacrodium sp., Ordovician sediments distinguished as Bibiela Cymatiosphaera sp. Formation were documented only in the WB 45 - The obtained associations are badly borehole BM 152 in the northern part of the preserved, show many damages and high block. Under Devonian carbonate rocks, at the degree of carbonification. The most numerous depth 284.6 - 375.6 m, a complex of clastic genera in the material studied include: rocks differently silified with thin insertions of Baltisphaeridium, Baltisphaerosum, Navifusa, carbonate rocks known as “shale-sand series” Orthosphaeridium, Ordovicidium, was recognised (Gładysz, 1982; Gładysz et al., Veryhachium, Goniosphaeridium, 1990). The Ordovician age of the recognised Multiplicisphaeridium. Among them the sediments was determined basing on following species were found conodonts (Siewniak-Madej, Jeziorowska, Baltisphaeridium longispinosum, B. annelieae, 1978) and acritarchs (Linczowska-Makowska, B. filosum, Baltisphaerosum christoferi, 1978; Jachowicz, 1990). Ordovician acritarchs Orthospheridium bispinosum, have not been so far described from other Multiplicisphaeridium digitatum, M. boreholes of Upper Silesian Block. This paper irregulare. presents new data concerning distribution of Ordovician acritarcha assemblages in this area. The obtained stratigraphic data confirmed the occurrence of Ordovician sediments in the Three boreholes (45-WB, 43-WB and 24-WB) succeeding profiles in the northern part of were sampled and analysed in order to Upper Silesian Block. determine acritarchs. In the analysed sections of the profiles acritarchs typical for different horizons of Ordovician from Llanvirn

(Darriwilian) to Caradok (Sandbyan) were recorded. Palynological investigation of Precambrian rocks on the Małopolska Block - foreland of Among 8 samples taken from a 35 m thick the East - European Platform section of the profile WB 43, only 2 contained determinable microfossils. Similarly in the Jachowicz M. borehole WB 45, among 7 samples taken from Polish Geological Institute, Upper Silesian different depths, only 2 appeared positive in Branch, 41-200 Sosnowiec, Królowej Jadwigi almost 50 m thick profile. In case of the 1, Poland; [email protected] borehole WB 24, over 80 m thick section was sampled built of the rocks which considered to The area of south – eastern Poland belongs to be Lower Palaeozoic. Among 30 samples the foreland of the eastern European Platform. studied, 7 from a 9 m long section contained Two tectonic units are distinguished here: microfossils. Upper Silesian Block and Małopolska Block. WB 43 - The obtained assemblages are poorly These blocks are separated from each other by differentiated in terms of genus and species. a narrow, 500 m wide Kraków – Lubliniec

25 CIMP Newsletter Winter 2006 tectonic zone. This zone is a part of the largely indicated, for example, by age of the detrital concealed Hamburg – Kraków tectonic zone mica from Lower Cambrian clastics in the which is parallel to the TTZ and continues SE Upper Silesian Block (Bełka et al., 1997). of Kraków, where Carpathian flysh is trusted According to Żelaźniewicz et al. (1997), the over the Palaeozoic basement. crystalline rocks recognised in the southern, The Upper Silesian Block together with Brno sub-Carpathian part of Brunovistulicum, Block (situated in the Czechia and partially represent an internal part of Cadomian orogen also in Austria) create a larger tectonic unit, (Internides). The Vendian Flysch and flysch - which is called Brunovistulicum (Dudek, like anchimetamorphic rocks recognised both 1980). in Brunovistulicum and Małopolska blocks would represent, therefore, the foreland of this This large tectonic unit is built of two orogen. Thus, the foreland would be located assemblages of rocks which differ from each between its internal part located in the southern other in term of the degree of metamorphic part of Brunovistulicum and eastern European transformations. The older assemblage, located Platform. in the southern, Sub-Carpathian part of Brunovistulicum is represented by crystalline schits, gneiss, magmated gneiss and olivine gabbro. These rocks represent the lower part of epi zone and mezo zone of the regional The first palynological results from the low metamorphism. metamorphosed, late Early Devonian sandstones from the Tišnov area (Moravia, The younger assemblage in the Czech Republic) Brunovistulicum is built of phyllites, metapelites, metapsammites and Jachowicz M.1, Filipiak P.2, Gilíková H.3 & metaconglomerates, which originated from Hladil J.4 flysch sediments. Anchimetamorphic rocks of 1 Brunovistulicum occur N and NE of the Polish Geological Institute, Upper Silesian outcrops of crystalline rocks on sub-Cambrian Branch, Królowej Jadwigi 1, 41-200 Sosnowiec, Poland; surface (alternatively, sub-Devonian, sub- Mesozoic or sub-Miocen surface). The [email protected] Cambrian rocks, which represent structural 2 The University of Silesia, Dept. Earth cover complex of Brunovistulicum, occur Sciences, Będzińska 60, 41-200 Sosnowiec, discordantly on the cristalline and Poland; [email protected] anchimetamorphic rocks. 3 Czech Geological Survey, Branch Office Flysch character is also associated with Brno, Leitnerova 22, 658 69 Brno, Czech anchimetamorphic lithologies which have been Republic; [email protected] recognised in the western and southern part of 4 the Małopolska Block (S of Kielce region of Institute of Geology, Academy of Sciences the Holy Cross Moutains). These are phyllites Cz. Rep., Rozvojova 269, 165 00 Prague 6, represented by: claystone and siltstone or Czech Republic; [email protected] sandstone and locally sandy conglomerates. A twenty-five metre section in rhythmically This rocks are discordantly overlain by bedded, matrix-supported lithic, quartz and Ordovician, Silurian, Devonian or Mesozoic quartz-feldspathic sandstones, with thin and Miocene sediments. interbeds of argillaceous black shales, was In the Małopolska Block anchimetamorphic documented in detail. This section "Lanovka" rocks which thickness is variously estimated is situated near the rope tow of the ski slope from 2000 m to 8000 m, have been recognized Tišnov – Předklášteří (30 km NW of Brno). in about 250 boreholes. The microfossil The rocks of this outcrop represent only one of assemblages of Precambrian (“Vendian“) age several types of siliciclastic sedimentary were documented in 7 boreholes reaching sequences which were preserved in the anchimetamorphic rocks. Palynological complex fold-and-thrust structure of the analyses provided sparse but well-preserved sedimentary cover of the "Tišnov Brunnides" organic microfossils represented by tiny para-autochthonous unit. In this fragmentary Leiosphaeridia and cyanobacteria fragments. sedimentary sequence, the sandstones and These organic microfossils represent the first pebbly sandstones have reddish brown to stratigraphic record. green-grey colour hues. The horizontal bedding is disturbed only with few The Cadomian age of Brunovistulicum conglomerate lenses and indications of consolidation is unquestionable, which is inclined bedding. In spite of different

26 CIMP Newsletter Winter 2006 stratigraphy in the Tišnov area, there exists a 35042 Rennes-cedex, France; weak parallel to siliciclastic deposits that [email protected] border the Moravian Karst facies, particularly 3 Saudi Arabian Oil Company, Dhahran, Saudi along with the northern edges of the Brno Arabia 31311 Massif. The six samples described in this paper originate from blackish, argillaceous-clayey 4 Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire - UPR slates in thin interbeds – possibly rather the 4301 du CNRS, Rue Charles-Sadron, 45071 layered mudstones than mudstone drapes in Orléans Cedex 2, France their original state. Chitinozoans are enigmatic organic-walled The preservation of organic matter is microfossils, which occurred in the Palaeozoic considerably poor due to slight oceans from Early Ordovician to latest metamorphosis, many miospores and Devonian (Miller, 1996). They are recovered undeterminable organic objects are black in from a variety of marine sediments deposited colour and fragmented. In spite of this bad in near-shore to deep oceanic environments. state of preservation, less damaged spots in Their biology and systematic affinities remain argillaceous parts of these rocks provided uncertain, although the soft-bodied metazoan sufficiently preserved specimens of the egg hypothesis is generally regarded as the microflora species that are significant for most likely (Paris and Nõlvak, 1999). biostratigraphy. The presence of Chitinozoans have proven to be very useful in Camarozonotriletes sextantii and several branches of the Earth Sciences, Emphanisporites annulatus indicate the including high-resolution biostratigraphy, Emphanisporites annulatus- palaeoenvironmental reconstructions and Camarozonotriletes sextantii miospore Zone biogeography. New fields of additional (late Emsian). Other stratigraphically application are being explored, especially significant miospores such as Dibolisporites those using chitinozoans as a source of carbon 13 echinaceus and Acinosporites cf. lindlarensis for documenting high-resolution δ Corg curves have also their first occurrences in the late (Lecuyer and Paris, 1997). Despite a dramatic Emsian. The assemblage of other miospores increase in knowledge about chitinozoans, the (Brochotriletes foveolatus, Dibolisporites unresolved question of their chemical eifeliensis, D. wetteldorfensis, Retusotriletes composition, and especially the presence of rotundus and Emphanisporites sp.) possesses chitin in their wall remains. In order to broader stratigraphical ranges than indicated decipher the chemical composition of the by the previous index species, and they occur chitinozoan wall, a variety of analytical in common in the transition interval from the techniques have been performed on Lower to Middle Devonian. In addition to individually isolated chitinozoan vesicles, miospores, there are also a few species of including conventional elemental analysis, scolecodonts and acritarchs. Similar Rock Eval pyrolysis, pyrolysis GC-MS, palynological ages from various siliciclastic Raman and Infrared spectroscopy and rocks, i.e. Early to Middle Devonian, were molecular biology.Selected rock samples from described also from the southern and northern Gondwana regions yielding abundant northeastern parts of Moravia (Mĕnin and and well-preserved chitinozoan specimens Kozlovice boreholes) and also from Poland, have been investigated. Total organic carbon particularly the Andrychów and Radom– of the most suitable rock sample is 0.47%, in Lublin areas. agreement with total carbon deduced from elemental analysis (0.69 %) while nitrogen is

0.127 %. Low Tmax values (420°C) of this rock sample, together with Raman spectroscopy performed on single vesicles, Chitinozoan chemical composition: new confirm a low thermal maturity for the insights from organic geochemistry and analysed chitinozoan specimens and potential molecular biology for the samples to retain the original chemical Jacob J.1, Paris F. 2, Miller M.A.3, Tang P.2, structure. Laser micropyrolysis GC-MS Monod O. 1, Duverger E.4, Monsigny M. 4 & performed on single chitinozoan vesicles Trichet J.1 reveals the predominance of aromatic over 1 aliphatic compounds. Within the compounds Institut des Sciences de la Terre d’Orléans - detected, no evidence for chitin derivatives UMR 6113 du CNRS, Bâtiment Géosciences, was found, unlike those confirmed in fossil 45067 Orléans Cedex 2, France insect cuticles (Flannery et al., 2001). The 2 Géosciences-Rennes, UMR 6118 du CNRS, combined results of these techniques do not Campus de Beaulieu, Université de Rennes I, support a chitin-like structure for chitinozoans.

27 CIMP Newsletter Winter 2006

To further investigate chitinozoan vesicle palynological studies of the Lower composition, fluorescent fluorescein-labelled Carboniferous in Germany (N-Germany, Wheat Germ Agglutinin was used for selective Rügen Island, Rhenohercynian Zone) binding and fluorescence microscopy optical preserving microflora from the northern shelf detection of N-acetylglucosamine, the main linked to Laurussia the spore assemblages in chitin monomer component. Preliminary Saxony are linked to the southern shelf of the molecular biological results are encouraging Rhenohercynian Basin derived from the and further chemical analyses could ultimately Bohemiam Massif and other landmasses along verify the preservation of intact N- the northern margin of the Gondwana acetylglucosamine within chitinozoan walls. Complex. Certain differences are observed in spore assemblages from Saxony compared to References: the ones from the northern part of Germany. Flannery, M.B., Stott, A.W., Briggs, D.E.K. & Contrasting Rügen Island and the Evershed, R.P., 2001. Chitin in the fossil Rhenohercynian Zone spore assemblages from record: identification and quantification of D- Saxony show high amounts of triangular glucosamine. - Organic Geochemistry, 32, spores but less cingulate and massive 745-754. ornamented types of spores. Therefore these assemblages are closer comparable to the ones, Lecuyer, C. & Paris, F., 1997. Variability in known from the very north of Germany, the the δ13C of lower Palaeozoic palynomorphs: German North Sea and the British Isles (JÄGER implications for the interpretation of ancient & MCLEAN, in press), where sedimentary marine sediments. - Chemical Geology, 138, settings are very similar also. On the other side 161-170. spore assemblages from Saxony are compared Miller, M.A., 1996. Chitinozoa. - In: Jansonius towards the east to Upper Visean assemblages J. & McGregor D.C. (eds.). Palynology: from the sudetes, the Moravian-Silesian region Principles and Applications. American to the Carpathian foredeep. Based on the spore Association of Stratigraphic Palynologists assemblage analysis palaeobotanical and Foundation, 1, 307-336. palaeoecological correlations will be done across the Rhenohercynian Basin to Northern Paris, F. & Nõlvak, J., 1999. Biological Germany and the British Isles just as along the interpretation and paleobiodiversity of a northern margin of the Bohemian Massif cryptic fossil group: the “chitinozoan animal.” towards the Carpathian foredeep. - Geobios, 32, 315-324. References:

JÄGER, H. & MCLEAN, D., in press. Palynofacies and spore assemblage variations Upper Visean palynology of the northern of Lower Carboniferous strata across the margin of the Bohemian Massif (Saxony, southern North Sea – regional variations vs. SE-Germany) and correlations across the facies dependence. - Review of Palaeobotany Rhenohercynian Basin and Palynology, Amsterdam. Jäger H. Geologisch-Paläontologisches Institut Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 234, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; [email protected] Microfossil dynamics in the upper Palynological studies are done in Upper Llandovery and lower Wenlock of Estonia Viséan strata near Chemnitz (Frankenberg Fm, Saxony, SE-Germany) at the northern margin Killing M., Hints O., Männik P. & Nestor V. of the Bohemian Massif, the very southeast of Institute of Geology at Tallinn University of the Saxothuringian Zone. The mostly sandy Technology, Ehitajate tee 5, 19086 Tallinn, deposits of the Frankenberg Formation are ESTONIA; [email protected], [email protected], typical delta- to floodplain sediments, [email protected], [email protected] including some siltstone layers and even more rare thinbedded sandy shale interlayers. These Quantitative data are essential for analysing dark pelitic interlayers have preserved the palaeoecology and dynamics of fossil moderately to well preserved microflora, used faunas, but may also contribute to a better for palynostratigraphy just as spore assemblage understanding of palaeoenvironments and analysis and palaeobotanical/palaeoecological depositional regime, and improve interpretation. In opposite to all other stratigraphical resolution. The purpose of the

28 CIMP Newsletter Winter 2006 study was to elucidate the frequency and This study is a contribution to IGCP project diversity dynamics of different microfossil 503 and was financially supported by the groups, primarily chitinozoans, scolecodonts Estonian Science Foundation grant 5920. (polychaete jaws) and conodonts, in the upper

Llandovery and lower Wenlock of Estonia, and to reveal possible relationships between these groups and between the data on fossils and the palaeoenvironment. This stratigraphical Biodiversity, stratigraphic and geographic interval was of particular interest as it distribution of Pridoli and Lochkovian embraces the Ireviken Event, which is acritarchs and prasinophyte algae from the traceable worldwide and related to turnover in Moesian Terrane, North Bulgaria oceanic circulation as well as some regional Lakova I. events (“Velise transgression”). The succession of limestones and marls was Geological Institute, Bulgarian Academy of studied quantitatively in the Paatsalu and Viki Sciences, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria; drill cores and semi-quantitatively in the [email protected] Viirelaid drill core, western Estonia. The Upper Silurian and Lower Devonian Altogether, nearly 60 species of chitinozoans, subsurface succession of mainly dark shales more than 60 apparatus-based species of jawed and siltstones in the Moesian Platform in polychaetes and 40 species of conodonts were Bulgaria and Romania is a part of the pre- recovered. The absolute frequency of Variscan sedimentary cover of the Moesian chitinozoans varied widely, reaching up to 170 Terrane. Two borehole sections, R-1 000 vesicles per kilogram in the Wenlock. The Dalgodeltsi in NW Bulgaria and R-119 maximum abundance of conodonts was Kardam in NE Bulgaria, yielded diverse recorded in the uppermost Llandovery — ca 4 chitinozoans, acritarchs, spores and tubular 000 elements per kilogram. Scolecodonts structures. A chitinozoan zonation adapted to display the least varying pattern of abundance the global Silurian and Devonian standards with a maximum of 1500 specimens per was proposed and tubular structures were kilogram in the Wenlock (the total number of described (Lakova, 2001) and joint chitinozoan all jaws and teeth being much higher though). and miospores zonations were directly calibrated (Steemans, Lakova, 2003). A All three groups display different large-scale chitinozoan zonation of the successive M. frequency patterns, which can be explained by elegans, E. bohemica, F. lata, U. simplex and their different habits and environmental U. simplex-C. plusquelleci Zones suggests preferences. The only significant correlation Přídolí and Lochkovian ages. The miospore between the three groups was recorded in the zonation representing the micrornatus- Rumba Formation reflecting changes in the newportensis Zone divided into its MN (siα), deposition or compaction rate. The most MN (siβ) and MN(G) subzones revealed some significant lithological change at the boundary age discrepancies with the chitinozoan of the Rumba and Velise formations coincides, zonation regarding the Přídolí. however, with no marked changes in the frequency or assemblage composition of Co-occurring with the chitinozoans and chitinozoans and scolecodonts. The frequency miospores, 90 species of acritarchs and peaks of several long-ranging taxa, for instance prasinophyte algae are identified within the of the genus Eisenackitina, are Přídolí – Lochkovian section. The Přídolí stratigraphically restricted and have thus assemblages are very diverse and dominated potential for correlation. Jawed polychaetes, on by species of Cymatiosphaera, the other hand, seem to display a rather Gorgonisphaeridium, Micrhystridium and complex biofacies zonation whilst their Visbysphaera. The Lochkovian is much poorer changes in time are less conspicuous. Rapid in acritarhs. The only criterion for recognition changes in the abundance as well as relative of the Přídolí from Lochkovian is the coeval frequency of different taxa were recorded in last occurrence of Duvernaysphaera the Ireviken Event interval. Conodonts aranaides, Quadraditum fantasticum and displayed a major turnover and diversity loss at Onondagella deunffii. Throughout the North this level whilst chitinozoans and jawed and West Gondwana (Libya, Tunisia, Spain, polychaetes were less affected. Chitinozoan France, Argentina, Florida), these species and conodont biozones revealed also a gap in occur within the Přídolí and persist only in the the Paatsalu section, which is partly earliest Lochkovian. In the Moesian Terrane responsible for the abrupt change at the these LOs coincide with the lower part of the Llandovery–Wenlock boundary. E. bohemica chitinozoan zone. Other biostratigraphic criteria for the base of

29 CIMP Newsletter Winter 2006

Lochkovian, the FOs of Elektoriskos intonsus 1 Geological Institute, Bulgarian Academy of and Riculasphaera fissa as proposed by Sciences, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria; Molyneux et al. (1996) are not applicable in [email protected] Bulgaria as these taxa co-occur with Přídolí 2 METU, Department of Geological chitinozoans such as Fungochitina kosovensis Engineering, 06531 Ankara, Turkey and Kalochitina lorensis. 3 MTA Department of Geological Reseach, Even the biostratigraphic potential of the 0650 Ankara, Turkey Přídolí and Lochkovian acritarchs from the Moesian Terrane is fairly low, these diverse The studied section of the Silurian Findikli assemblages are very useful for Formation is situated near Gülüc village at the biogeographical purposes. Thus, the western (left) bank of Gülüc Creek in Eregli geographic distribution analysis reveales a area, NW Anatolia, Turkey. In terms of remarkable affinities between the latest tectonostratigraphy it occupies the eastern part Silurian and early Devonian acritarchs in of the Zonguldak Terrane. The Gülüc Section Bulgaria and those from Brittany in France and consists of 3 packets: 5-7 m thick greenish Spain (Ibero-Armorica), Algeria, Tunisia and gray limy siltstones (1), followed by an Libya (North Gondwana) and much less irregular alternation of black shales and clayey similarities with Gotland in Sweden, North limestones, about 15 m thick (2) and a 6-7 m America, Carnic Alps in Austria, Bolivia and thick packet at the top of mainly siltstones and Podolia in Ukraine. These essentially peri- sandy limestones with single sandstone and Gondwanan affinities of the Přídolí and limestone beds (3). Lochkovian acritarchs from the Moesian Terrane correspond to the affinities of the co- The section has been measured and sampled occurring chitinozoans (Lakova, 1995). for conodonts and palynomorphs. Graptolites have been collected from selected levels. As a References: result, a joint biostratigraphy on graptolites, conodonts and cryptospores has allowed to Lakova, I., 1995. Palaeobiogeographic prove the Llandovery, Wenlock and Ludlow affinities of Pridolian and Lochkovian for the first time in the area and in the chitinozoans from North Bulgaria. - Geologica Zonguldak Terrane. Balcanica, 25, 5-6, 23-28. At the base of the section, within the greenish Lakova, I., 2001. Dispersed tubular structures grey siltstones, acritarchs and cryptospores and filaments from Late Silurian to Middle occur, the former being badly preserved. The Devonian marine deposits of North Bulgaria cryptospore assemblage consists of 17 species and Macedonia. - Geologica Balcanica, 31, 3- of naked and enveloped monads, dyads and 4, 29-42. tetrads of the genera Laevolancis, Dyadospora, Molyneux, S.G., Le Herisse, A. & Wicander, Tetrahedraletes, Abditusdyadus, R., 1996. Chapter 16. Palaeozoic Segestrespora, Velatitetras, Imperfectotriletes. phytoplankton. - In: Jansonius, J. & McGregor, The co-occurrence of enveloped cryptospores D.C. (eds.), Palynology: principles and and Laevolancis divellomedia suggest a application, AASP Foundation, 2, 493-529. Llandovery (Aeronian-Telychian) age (Steemans and Pereira , 2002). Steemans, P. & Lakova, I., 2003. The Moesian Terrane during the Lochkovian – new Upwards, within the shale-limestone palaeogeographic and phytogeographic alternation packet, the black shales are hypothesis based on miospore assemblages. - predominant and yielded fairly diverse Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, graptolites. The lowermost 3 m belong to Palaeoecology, 208, 3-4, 225-233. Cyrtograptus lundgreni Zone (Homerian, Wenlock). The following 6 m are also assigned

to the Homerian based on conodonts. The graptolites at 9 m above the packet base prove Neodiversograptus nilssoni Zone (lower Silurian graptolite, conodont and Gorstian, Ludlow). The second productive cryptospore biostratigraphy at Gülüc limestone bed is about 10.5 m above the base section in Eregli, Zonguldak Terrane, NW and yielded the conodonts Ozarkodina sagitta, Anatolia Oz. inclinata and Oz. crassa (lower Gorstian). Lakova I.1, Goncuoglu M.C. 2, Sachanski V.1, The uppermost 4 m of the packet 2 correspond 1 3 Boncheva I. & Saglam G. to Lobograptus scanicus Zone (Gorstian). In the packet 3, within the limy sandsones

30 CIMP Newsletter Winter 2006 graptolite finds indicate Saetograptus with graptolites and 300 m thick succession of leintwardinensis Zone (Ludfordian, Ludlow). grey-green shales and sandstones. The Findikli Formation at Gülüc section (less During a joint Turkish-Bulgarian project in than 30 m thick) represents a specific relatively 2003 and 2004, graptolites and palynological condensed and diverse lithological succession samples have been collected from the basal 15 and differs from the thick uniform black shales m of the Bakacak formation. Rhabdinopora of the same formation to the east, in the flabelliformis ssp. occurs within the 1.5 m Camdag area (Sachanski and Goncuoglu, thick packet of grey shales with brachiopods 2003), and to the west, at Karadere section in and numerous finds of Paradelograptus the Zonguldak Terrane (Dean et al., 2000). antiquus are recorded from the overlaying packet of 10 m black shales. R. flabelliformis This work is a contribution to BAS – ssp. is characteristic for the Early and early TUBITAK Project (2006-2007) and the Project Late Tremadoc and P. antiquus first occurs in NZ-1404 funded by the Bulgarian Council of the early Late Tremadoc (Cooper, 1999). Thus, Scientific Research the base of Bakacak formation is first assigned References: to lower part of the Upper Tremadoc based on graptolites. Dean, W.T., Monod, O., Rickards, R.B., Demir, O., Bultink, P., 2000. Lower Palynological samples have been collected Palaeozoic stratigraphy and palaeontology, from the shaly packets at the base of Bakacak Karadere-Zirze area, Pontus Mountains, formation. The sample Kar 4 at about 10 m northern Turkey. - Geological Magazine, 137, above the unconformity contains poorly 4, 555-582. preserved acritarchs, leiospheres and cryptospores. The acritarch assemblage Sachanski, V. & Goncuoglu, M.C., 2003. First consisting of Acanthodiacrodium formosum finding of Upper llandoverian (Telychian Gorka, Acanthodiacrodium spinum Rasul, graptolites from the Camdag area, NW Turkey. Stelliferidium sp., Vulcanisphaera cf. - C. R. Acad. bulg. Sci, 56, 3, 37-42. britannica Rasul and diverse diacrodians is Serpagli, E. & Corradini, C., 1998. Taxonomy characteristic of the mid-Tremadoc. Dean et al. and evolution of Kockelella (Conodonta) from (2000) reported Tremadoc acritarchs from the the Silurian of Sardinia. - Boll. Soc. Paleontol. overlying grey-green shales. Ital., 37, 2-3, 275-298. Single naked cryptospore tetrads, dyads and Steemans, P. & Pereira, E., 2002. Llandovery monads also occur which could be referred to miospore biostratigraphy and stratigraphic the genera Tetrahedraletes, Dyadospora, and evolution of the Parana Basin, Paraguay – Laevolancis. Numerous leiospheres and less Palaeogeographic implications. - Bull. Soc. common ‘charophyte algae’ are also Geol. France, t. 173, 5, 407-414. components of the palynological assemblage. Whereas the Caradoc to Llandovery cryptospores are of wide geographical Tremadoc graptolites, acritarchs and distribution and diversity (Steemans, 2000), cryptospores from Karadere Section, the pre-Caradoc cryptospore record is very Zonguldak Terrane, NW Turkey scarce. The previous oldest documented Lakova I.1, Sachanski V.1 & Goncuoglu M.C.2 sporomorphs of land plants were from the 1 Llanvirnian in Saudi Arabia (Strother et al., Geological Institute, Bulgarian Academy of 1996) and represent most of the cryptospore Sciences, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria; morphologies known from younger sediments. [email protected] 2 This Tremadoc cryptospore assemblage is METU, Department of Geological fairly badly preserved and of low diversity but Engineering, 06531 Ankara, Turkey represents the oldest cryptospore record Karadere section in Safranbolu area, to the S of independently dated on graptolites and Incigez Mahallesi, NW Anatolia, Turkey, acritarchs. reveals the oldest Lower Palaeozoic References: sedimentary rocks directly overlaying the Cadomian basement in the Zonguldak Terrane. Cooper, R. A., 1999. Ecostratigraphy, zonation These sediments of the Bakacak formation and global correlation of earliest Ordovician represent 4 m sandstones with gabbro and planktic graptolites. - Lethaia, 32, 1-16. granite pebbles; 1.5 m grey shales with small Dean, W.T., Monod, O., Rickards, R.B., inarticulate brachiopods; 10 m black shales Demir, O. & Bultynck, P. 2000. Lower

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Palaeozoic stratigraphy and palaeontology, Achanarras level can be correlated with the Karadere-Zirze area, Pontus Mountains, marine Kačák Event and that both can be northern Turkey. - Geological Magazine, 137, regarded as having a common climatic cause 5, 555-582. and were driven by an insolation maximum. A reconstruction of the Orcadian Basin drainage Steemans, P., 2000. Miospore evolution from system and a water balance model based on the the Ordovician to the Silurian. - Review of calcium flux within the lake shows that a very Palaeobotany and Palynology, 113, 189-196. significant volume of water would have been Strother, P. Al-Hajri, S. & Traverse, A., 1996. seasonally discharged to the Rheic Ocean and New evidence for land plants from the lower this would have caused an additional Middle Ordovician of Saudi Arabia. - Geology, environmental effect. 24, 1, 55-58.

Upper Wenlockian microphytoplankton Recognising the Kačák Event in the palaeoecology in the Baltic Basin. Devonian terrestrial environment and its Masiak M. implications for understanding land-sea interactions Institute of Geological Sciences, Polish Academy of Sciences, Twarda 51/55, 00-818 Marshall J.E.A.1, Astin T.R.2, Brown J.F.3, Warsaw, Poland; [email protected] Kurik E.4 & Lazauskiene J.5 Investigated material comes from three 1 School of Ocean and Earth Science, National localities: Sweden, Gotland – Grötlingbo-1 Oceanography Centre, Southampton, drillcore, Poland – Bartoszyce IG1 drillcore University of Southampton Waterfront and Holy Cross Mountains, Prągowiec ravine. Campus, European Way, Southampton, SO14 All of them are from lundgreni to praedeubeli 3ZH, UK; [email protected] graptolite biozones (Silurian, Wenlock, 2 School of Human and Environmental Homerian). Science, The University of Reading, Sediments of these three localities, during Late Whiteknights, PO Box 217, Reading, RG6 Wenlock (lundgreni Event) represent three 6AH, UK different facies of the same basin. All of them 3 The Park, Hillside Road, Stromness, Orkney, are very rich in microphytoplankton, especially KW16 3AH, Scotland acritarchs and prasinophytes. 4 Institute of Geology, Tallinn Technical Sediments from Grötlingbo - 1 drillcore University, Estonia Avenue 7, 10143 Tallinn, interpretated as distal platform slope Estonia environments (Calner et al, 2006 in press) consists of greenish-grey, slightly calcareous, 5 Geological Survey of Lithuania, 35 variously faintly laminated or massive Konarskio Street, LT-03123 Vilnius, Lithuania mudrock. 28 samples were investigated for the The Old Red Sandstone Basin in Scotland organic-walled microphytoplankton, which is contains the distinctive and extensive abundant within the studied interval – Achanarras lacustrine horizon which is well acritarchs: 25 genera and 45 species; known for its diverse fish fauna. It was been prasinophyte: 2 genera and 3 species were well characterized palynologically in a number recognized. of early publications by Richardson. Its The pre-extinction interval contains a quite presence in offshore wells can be determined abundant but poorly diversified acritarch by a combination of palynology, palynofacies, assemblage that is dominated by the genus log character and correlation. The Achanarras Leiofusa. lake was deep and wide and would have been filled by rainfall from a monsoon system at an The frequency of acritarchs increases more insolation maximum. Faunal elements within than tenfold in the latest flemingii-dubius the lake are in common with the Kernavė chron and thereafter drops. The interval Member in Estonia and this level can also be lacking graptolite fauna - bizones: dubius, conodont dated as late Eifelian eiflius zone. parvus-nassa, dubius-nassa (survival phase) The Kernavė Member also contains a distinct includes a low diversity, low frequency palynological assemblage. The age and acritarch assemblage, also dominated by correlation shows that the group of lacustrine Leiofusa estrecha. flooding events that occur at, and above, the

32 CIMP Newsletter Winter 2006

Sediments from Bartoszyce IG1 drillcore laminated sediments across the Baltic Shield interpreted as deep basin environments (Calner and East European Platform. GFF in press. et al., 2006 in press) consists of light grey, Porębska, E., Kozłowska-Dawidziuk, A. & sparsley bioturbated mudstones. From the Masiak, M., 2004: The lundgreni event in the lundgreni Event interval, 18 core samples were Silurian of the East European Platform, investigated for the stratigraphic succession of Poland. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, palynomorphs, for its diversity and frequency. Palaeoecology, 213, 271-294. 21 acritarch genera with 53 species and 3 prasinophyte genera with 2 species were recognized.

In the Bartoszyce section three main assemblages occur, each of them Studies on the Devonian/Carboniferous characterizing the different phases (extinction, Acritarch Decline survival, recovery phase) of the lundgreni Michaud J.R. & Strother P.K. Event (Porębska et al., 2004). Palæobotany Laboratory at Weston The first assemblage, occurring in the Observatory of Boston College, Department of extinction phase (lundgreni, testis and Geology & Geophysics, 381 Concord Road flemingii-dubius biozones) and the third, Weston, Massachusetts 02493 USA; documenting the graptolite recovery phase [email protected] (predeubeli Biozone), are similar in taxonomic diversity, frequency and abundance. The The Devonian/Carboniferous transition second assemblage (survival phase) differs experienced secular changes in the global from the other two assemblages in reduced carbon cycle that were permanent and frequency, low diversity and the occurrence of extremely significant for evolution of life on a dominant species Leiofusa parvitatis. Earth. These include shifts in the distribution of carbon in various reservoirs, including Sediments from Prągowiec ravine interpreted standing carbon biomass, buried carbon and as deep basin environments consists of atmospheric CO2. The terminal Devonian also yellowish- grey mudrocks (lundgreni and testis experienced one of the five greatest extinctions biozones) and gray silty shales with mudrocks in the Phanerozoic shallow marine realm. We intercalations (upper part of section). have begun to investigate the characteristics of the well-known acritarch decline that began in In fact, this outcrop is not located in the East European Platform but in the southern part of the Late Devonian. The research is based on Holy Cross Mts., a terrain located very close to taxon entries in the PalynoData dataset which Baltica – so it can be interpretaded as the same have been progressively filtered to produce a sedimentary basin during the Middle Silurian. curve that is more robust in terms of well characterized acritarch species and their 18 samples were investigated for the temporal distribution. The results of initial stratigraphic succession, diversity and binning at the stage level show a smooth frequency. 24 acritarch genera with 63 species decline of acritarch taxa through the and 2 prasinophyte genera with 6 species were Mississippian bound by significant loss at the recognized. Devonian/Mississippian (D/M) and Mississippian/Pennsylvanian (M/P) The assemblage, occurring in the extinction (sub)system boundaries of 24% and 32%, phase (lundgreni and testis biozones) and the respectively. The decline represents a loss of assemlage documenting the graptolite recovery approximately 80% of genera beginning at the phase (predeubeli Biozone), are similar in Famennian/Tournaisian boundary with ~180 taxonomic diversity, frequency and abundance. genera and continuing into the middle The second assemblage (survival phase) differs Bashkirian of the lower Pennsylvanian (~30 from the other two assemblages in low genera). This acritarch curve appears to lag diversity and the occurrence of a dominant behind curves of atmospheric CO based on species Oppilatala insolita. The frequency in 2 both modeling and isotopic studies and clearly the survival phase is high due to the occurence postdates the Frasnian/Fammenian extinctions of dominant species. that characterize the shallow marine realm. Reference: Characteristics of the acritarch/prasinophyte groups that collectively go extinct during this Calner M., Kozłowska-Dawidziuk, A., Masiak interval will be examined to illuminate trends M. & B. Schmitz 2006 - Correlation of the of the success or demise in such groups. middle Silurian graptolite crisis and coeval

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Palaeozoic phytoplankton diversity patterns Progress on Constructing Acritarch Mullins G.L.1, Aldridge R.J.1, Dorning K.J.2, Diversity Curves Le Hérissé A3, Moczydlowska-Vidal M.4, Molyneux S.G.5, Servais T.6 & Wicander R.7 Michaud J.R. & Strother P.K. 1 Department of Geology, University of

Leicester, University Road, Leicester LE1 Palæobotany Laboratory at Weston 7RH, UK Observatory of Boston College, Department of 2 Pallab Research, 58 Robertson Road, Geology & Geophysics, 381 Concord Road Sheffield S6 5DX, UK; [email protected] Weston, Massachusetts 02493 US; [email protected] 3 UMR 6538 "Domaines Océaniques", Université de Bretagne Occidentale 6, Avenue Acritarch taxon diversity over time should Le Gorgeu BP 809, 29285 Brest Cedex - reflect physical and biological factors that France govern the evolution of marine phytoplankton through Earth history. We are using taxon 4 Uppsala University, Department of Earth distribution data extracted from the Sciences, Palaeobiology, Norbyvägen 22, S- PalynoData database to study coarse scale 752 36 Uppsala, Sweden trends in acritarch diversity. The most striking 5 British Geological Survey, Keyworth, aspect of acritarch distribution is the terminal Nottingham NG12 5GG, UK Devonian decline, as noted and discussed by Helen Tappan quite some time ago. Because of 6 Paleontologie - Sciences de la Terre, UMR heterogeneity in the data, we have plotted a 8014 CNRS, USTL, Cite Scientifique SN5, F- series of progressively filtered curves, 59655 Villeneuve d'Ascq Cedex, France removing poorly constrained entries in the 7 database. Initial filtering procedures include Department of Geology, Central Michigan University, Mt. Pleasant, MI 48859, USA the removal of poorly constrained genera and combining synonymous taxa according to the The Palaeozoic phytoplankton principally Fensome et al. (1990) index, the removal of comprised the acritarchs and the phycomata of unnamed species and the removal of records prasinophyte green algae. However, other with poor time constraints (i.e. system level algae are known to have occurred, including first and/or last appearance ages). This has representatives of the Zygnemataceae (e.g., resulted in ~24% removal of genera from the Circulisporites), Botryococcaceae (e.g., raw data extraction. Botryococcus), Hydrodictyaceae (e.g., Our data, when resolved to the stage level, Deflandrastrum) and possible shows that the decline of the acritarchs occurs Scenedesmacaceae (e.g., Morcoa). The steadily throughout the Mississippian and does phytoPal project, which started in 2003 and has been funded by the Leverhulme Trust, has not appear to be associated with Devonian extinction events in other groups. The two sought to determine the timing, extent and greatest drops in standing diversity occur at the nature of the biodiversity fluctuations in these phytoplankton groups through the Palaeozoic. Famennian/Tournaisian and the Serpukhovian/Bashkirian boundaries at both To determine the diversity of the Palaeozoic the genus and species levels. Progressive phytoplankton we have constructed a relational filtering has also been employed to construct database using Microsoft Access. This species diversity curves based on first and last database holds the records of more than 1000 appearances within stage and at stage genera and over 6000 taxa of specific and boundaries. With this, assumptions can be subspecific rank. We have included both made between the diversity of monospecific taxonomic and stratigraphical information, for genera and the long-ranging taxa that span the example synonyms, homonyms, the age of the Late Devonian/Mississippian interval. The nomenclatural type and other reported timing and character of these diversity curves occurrences. To obtain the stratigraphical data are compatible with forced extinctions in the we have, so far, incorporated over 14,000 Carboniferous phytoplankton due to declining documented occurrences of individual taxa levels of pCO2, perhaps in conjunction with into the database. other aspects of the redistribution of standing carbon after the advent of terrestrial forests. Here we present our results on the diversity changes that occurred in the Palaeozoic phytoplankton. It is important to note that the modern phytoplankton are intimately linked to

34 CIMP Newsletter Winter 2006 the Earth's ocean-atmosphere system. Thus, trigallerus-Rotaspora knoxi TK and Lycospora our analysis is designed to reveal how the subtriquetra-Kraeuselisporites ornatus SO phytoplankton responded to the significant were established in deposits of Poruba Beds changes in Earth's climate that occurred and Jejkowice Beds, and palynozone throughout the studied interval. In addition, we Crassispora kosankei-Grumosisporites have also examined the relationship between varioreticulatus KV was established in Zabrze the diversity of the phytoplankton, forming the Beds. Miospore assemblages from this part of base of the marine food web, and the important USCB were rather poor preserved and origination and extinction events in the characterised by low taxonomical diversity, in Palaeozoic metazoans. contrast with them from the western part in Rybnik vicinity. The explanation of this The diversity of the Palaeozoic phytoplankton difference is higher coal rank in the south- increased through the Cambrian to a peak in central part of USCB. the Middle Ordovician, Darriwilian Stage, before declining towards the end of the Ordovician. The diversity of the phytoplankton in the Silurian and Devonian was largely comparable, but a notable decline in diversity Miospore assemblages of Devonian Age occurred at the Silurian-Devonian boundary. from Paleozoic basement of the Carpathian The most significant decline in phytoplankton Poredeep diversity occurred in the latest Devonian and Early Carboniferous, and low diversity floras Oliwkiewicz-Miklasińska M. with mostly simple morphologies have been Institute of Geological Sciences, Polish documented from the Late Carboniferous and Academy of Sciences, Research Centre in Permian. The diversity fluctuations have been Kraków, Senacka 1 Street, 31-002 Kraków; tested to determine whether they reflect [email protected] differences in the relative amount of time sampled and no correlation was observed. Results of palynological studies of Lower However, some similarities can be discerned Devonian clastic dark deposits and Middle between Palaeozoic phytoplankton diversity Devonian carbonates drilled out in Palaeozoic and the amount of research input. The diversity basement of the Carpathian Foredeep are curve can also be related to models of sea-level presented. Samples were collected in four change, climatic shifts (e.g. icehouse and boreholes from Upper Silesia block and eight greenhouse conditions), variations in boreholes from Małopolska block. Most of collected samples yielded well preserved and atmospheric CO2 and O2, and changes in seawater chemistry. diversified miospore assemblages with noticeable difference in thermal maturity between assemblages from Małopolska and Upper Silesia blocks. Clastic deposits represent palynozones annulatus - sextantii Mid-Namurian boundary in Amoco and douglastownense - eurypterota according boreholes from the Upper Silesia Coal Basin to palynozonation of Old Red Sandstone Continent and adjacent areas (Richardson & Oliwkiewicz-Miklasińska M. McGregor, 1986). These palynozones indicate Institute of Geological Sciences, Polish Emsian and Emsian/Eifelian ages of examined Academy of Sciences, Kraków Research deposits. Overlying carbonate deposits with Centre, 31-002 Kraków, Senacka 1; intercalations of mudstones and siltsones [email protected] represent palynozones velatus - langii and devonicus - naumovii of Eifelian age. In some The mid-Namurian boundary in the Upper cases ( samples from boreholes Kostki Małe 2, Silesia Coal Basin is contained in transition of Trzebownisko 3, Zagość 2) miospore paralic deposits into continental deposits, or assemblages are more similar to these the boundary between Paralic Series and described from the East European Platform by Upper Silesia Sandstone Series. 130 samples Avkhimovitch et al., 1993 and they represent were collected from 9 boreholes drilled in acme zones Diaphanospora inassueta, south-central part of USCB by Amoco. Periplecotriletes tortus and Geminospora Miospore assemblages from Poruba Beds, extensa. Jejkowice Beds and Zabrze Beds have been palynologically studied. Palynostratigraphy was established according to revised miospore zonation of the British Namurian (Owens et al., 2004). Palynozones Mooreisporites

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Industrial palynology: stemming the tide of Área de Paleontología, Universidad de corporate memory loss Extremadura, 06071 Badajoz, Spain; [email protected] Owens B.1 & Stephenson M.2 A detailed cartographic revision of the post- 1 Palynology Research Facility, Department of Cadomian Cambrian of southwest Iberia (Fig. Animal & Plant Sciences, University of 1) allows the recognition of four Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, United lithostratigrafic units: Torrearboles, Alconera, Kingdom; [email protected]. Vallehondo and Playón formations. The last 2 British Geological Survey, Keyworth, two units are the subject of this study. The Nottingham, NG12 5GG, UK continuous record of diagnostic cosmopolitan acritarchs in a thick succession bracketed In the last 20 years, palynology has suffered a between lower Cambrian levels with decline in prestige and funding within some Serrodiscus (Upper Marianian sensu Liñán et international oil companies. Perhaps the most al., 2002 or Upper Banian sensu Geyer et al., grievous loss has been that of experienced 2004) and Middle Cambrian levels with palynologists either during ‘restructuring’ or Solenopleuropsis vergadiana (Upper through voluntary resignation, which has Caesaraugustian), allows us to establish a contributed to loss of ‘corporate memory’. The detailed acritarch-based chronostratigraphy main consequence of this is that it has become (Fig. 2). Six acritarch zones are recognized, the a challenge to maintain company palynological lower Cambrian H. dissimilare-S. ciliosa databases, skills and knowledge to a high assemblage Zone (Moczydlowska, 1991) and standard. Thus very small numbers of Tubulosphaera perfecta Zone and the middle palynologists retained within some Cambrian Comasphaeridium silesiense, international oil companies range over the Cristallinium cambriense, Adara alea (Martin entire stratigraphic column, and require access & Dean, 1988) and Timofeevia lancarae zones. to potentially huge reservoirs of palynological These are interval zones, with upper limit literature to maintain high quality work. defined by the base of the successive zone. ‘Inhouse’ biozonation schemes, which may be Figure 2 shows the range of these zones and based on undescribed informal taxa that have proposed global correlations. no reference specimen (the equivalent of a holotype), or are known simply by an The middle part of La Hoya Member contains alphanumeric code rather than a Linnaean the cosmopolitan acritarchs Skiagia ciliosa, binomial may be difficult for inexperienced Dyctiotidium priscum, Asteridium tornatum, staff to use. The reference slides that support Asteridium spinosum, Comasphaeridium or display these key specimens (if they exist) mackenzianum and Alliumella baltica. We may be stored within company collections that include this assemblage in the H. dissimilare- are not curated to the standard of public S. ciliosa assemblage Zone, equivalent to the palynological collections in national museums Holmia kjerulfi assemblage Zone in Baltica or geological surveys, and so may be difficult (Moczydlowska, 1991) and the Marianian to find for detailed study. Regional Stage in the Iberian Chains (Palacios & Moczydlowska, 1998). In regions where Palaeozoic palynology is important there is a pressing need to rationalise Tubulosphaera perfecta Zone. The lower the use of regional biozonal taxon names, as boundary of this zone is marked by the FAD of well as to make photographs, descriptions and Heliosphaeridium notatum and Tubulosphaera reference specimens available. This talk will perfecta. This zone includes associations discuss some of the ways that databases and characterized by a great abundance and a low collections could be developed to support diversity of acritarchs, dominated by industrial palynology, and the pitfalls and Leiosphaeridia spp. advantages of such schemes. Comasphaeridium silesiensis Zone. The lower limit is marked by the FAD of Comasphaeridium silesiensis,

Multiplicisphaeridium martae, Acritarch biostratigraphy from the Upper Comasphaeridium longispinosum and Eliasum Lower Cambrian-Middle Cambrian of the llaniscum. In the upper part of this zone is northern margin of Gondwana (Ossa- recorded the LAD of Comasphaeridium morena zone, Southwest Iberia) silesiensis and Tubulosphaera perfecta. This zone is recognized for first time in this area, Palacios T., Jensen S. & Apalategui O. and globally is little represented due to the

36 CIMP Newsletter Winter 2006 widespread regression at the end of the early 2002. 3 Cambrian. In: Wes Gibbson & Teresa Cambrian. Moreno (eds.). The Geology of Spain. Geological Society, London, 17-29. Cristallinium cambriense Zone. The FAD of Cristallinium cambriense and Adara matutina Martin, F. & Dean, W.T., 1988. Middle and marks the lower boundary of this zone. This Upper Cambrian acritarch and trilobite Zone records an increase in the diversity of zonation at Manuels River and Random Island, acritarchs, near the base of the Playón eastern Newfoundland. - Geological Survey of Formation, which include the FAD of Canada, Bulletin, 381, 1-91. Celtiberium dedalinum and Vulcanisphaera Moczydlowska, M., 1991. Acritarch lanugo and a dramatic decrease of algal biostratigraphy of th Lower Cambrian and the filaments and Leiosphaeridia spp., very Precambrian-Cambrian boundary in abundant in the La Albuera Member of the southeastern Poland. - Fossil and Strata, 29, 1- Vallehondo Formation. 127. Adara alea Zone (Martin & Dean, 1988). The Palacios, T. & Moczydlowska, M., 1998. FAD of Adara alea and Eliasum cf. E. Acritarch biostratigraphy of the Lower-Middle asturicum marks the lower boundary of this Cambrian strata in the Iberian Chains, province zone in Newfoundland. In our material, with A. of Soria, northeastern Spain. - Revista Revista alea appears a great abundance of Eliasum Española de Paleontologia Nº Extraordinario, asturicum and the species of the previous zone, 65 -82. except V. lanugo. Volkova, N.A., 1990. Middle and Upper Timofeevia lancarae Zone. The FAD of Cambrian acritarchs in the East European Timofeevia lancarae, Solisphaeridium Platform. Akademiya Nauk SSSR, flexipilosum and Solisphaeridium Geologicheskii Institut, Trudy, 454, 1-114. (in multiflexipilosum marks the lower boundary of Russian). this zone. In the lower part of this zone is the LAD of Adara alea, Eliasum asturicum, Eliasum pisciformis and Celtiberium dedalinum. This zone, under different names (Fig. 2) has been recognized in Baltica Palynostratigraphy of the Bedford Shale (Volkova, 1990) and Newfoundland (Martin & and Berea Sandstone Formations of Ohio Dean, 1988). and Kentucky, USA Conclusions: Paterson, N.W. & Clayton, G. We present here the first detailed Department of Geology, Trinity College, chronostratigraphy of the siliciclastic and Dublin 2, Ireland; [email protected] volcanosedimentary series of the uppermost Lower Cambrian-Middle Cambrian from the A comprehensive miospore zonal scheme has northern margin of Gondwana, on the basis of been long established for the Carboniferous in acritarch. Western Europe (Clayton et al. 1977). Surprisingly little research has been attempted We propose the recognition of the on Mississippian miospores in the USA. Comasphaeridium silesiensis Zone as the first Perhaps the most extensive investigation of zone of the Middle Cambrian Upper Devonian and Mississippian miospores in the USA was undertaken by Winslow Detailed correlations between Gondwana, Baltica and Avalonia is established on the (1962), prior to the development of the basis of cosmopolitan acritarch species (Fig. 2) European miospore zonation. In the present study, samples collected from the Bedford This study reinforces the great utility of Shale and Berea Sandstone Formations from acritarchs for detailed Cambrian localities in Ohio and Kentucky were analysed chronostratigraphy. using standard techniques. Samples yielded well preserved and diverse miospore References: assemblages dominated by representatives of Geyer, G. & Landing, E., 2004. A unified Retispora lepidophyta and Vallatisporites Lower-Middle Cambrian chronostratigraphy vallatus. Correlation with Europe will be for West Gondwana. - Acta Geologica discussed in detail and Winslow’s results re- Polonica, 24 (2), 179-218. evaluated within the context of the most recent European miospore zonation (Clayton et al. Liñán, E., Gozalo, R., Palacios, T., Gámez 2003). This study forms part of an ongoing Vintaned, J.A., Ugidos, J.M. & Mayoral, E., project which aims to erect a preliminary but

37 CIMP Newsletter Winter 2006 comprehensive miospore zonation for the greywackes, siltstones and shales, forming a Mississippian of the Midwest and Eastern flysch- like succession; the Horta da Torre Fm. USA. is composed of dark shales, impure sandstones, siltstones and quartzitic beds with strong References: bioturbation. The Santa Iria and Horta da Torre Clayton, G., Coquel, R., Doubinger, J., Fms are affected by a main folding phase with Gueinn, K.J., Loboziak, S., Owens, B. & associated cleavage. The group thickness is Streel, M., 1977. Carboniferous miospores of estimated in 500 m. Western Europe; illustration and zonation. - The south limb of the structure is represented Mededelingen Rijks Geologische Dienst, by the Chança Group, which is composed also Nederland, 29, 1-71. by three units: the Atalaia Fm. composed Clayton, G., Owens, B. & McLean, D., 2003. mostly of phyllites and quartzites, sharing with Carboniferous palynostratigraphy; recent the Pulo do Lobo Fm. the same type of developments in Europe. - Abstracts of XVth tectonic deformation; the Gafo Fm. made up of International Congress on Carboniferous and a thick pile of greywackes siltstones and shales Permian Stratigraphy, Utrecht, Netherlands, forming a flysch succession, with 103. intercalations and intrusions of felsic and mafic volcanics with two main episodes of Winslow, M., 1962. Plant spores and other NW trending folds and related cleavages; the microfossils from the Upper Devonian & Represa Fm. which is composed of siliceous Lower Mississippian rocks of Ohio. - U.S. silstones, shales, greywackes and minor Geological Survey Professional Paper, 364, 1- intercalations of fine volcanogenic sediments. 93 The group thickness is estimated in 1100 m Recent palynostratigraphic research allows the following main conclusions: Recent advances on the Upper Devonian 1. No age determination was achieved for the palynostratigraphy of the Pulo do Lobo Pulo do Lobo and Atalaia Fms, probably due Domain, South Portuguese Zone, Portugal to the high grade of metamorphism that 1 2 affected these units. The unit is surely older Pereira Z. & Oliveira J.T. than early Frasnian. 1 INETI, Geological Survey, Dep. Geology, 2. The Ribeira de Limas and Gafo Fms. Rua da Amieira, 4465 S. Mamede Infesta, revealed the presence of moderately preserved Portugal; [email protected] miospore assemblages assigned to the BM 2 INETI, Geological Survey, Dep. Geology, Biozone of early Frasnian. The assemblages Estrada Portela, Zambujal, 2720 Alfragide, include the species Aneurospora greggsii, Portugal; [email protected] Chelinospora sp., Cristatisporites triangulatus, Cristatisporites sp. cf. C. inusitatus, The Pulo do Lobo Domain is an antiformal Geminospora lemurata, Lophozonotriletes sp., structure situated at the northern edge of the Rugospora bricei, Verrucosisporites bulliferus, South Portuguese Zone, just in contact with the V. premnus and V. scurrus. Ossa Morena Zone, Iberian Variscides. In the core of the structure outcrops the Pulo do Lobo 3. The Santa Iria, Horta da Torre and Represa Fm. composed of phyllites, quartzites, minor Fms. yielded well-preserved assemblages of felsic volcanics and amphibolites (former miospores assigned to the VH Biozone of Late basalts) with MORB-type geochemical affinity Famennian age (Cunha e Oliveira, 1989; at the lower part. A common feature of this Pereira et al, 2006). The assemblages contain unit is the widespread occurrence of exudation Apiculiretusispora verrucosa, Auroraspora quartz veinlets related to the strong tectonic macra, Diducites spp., Emphanisporites spp., deformation characterized by three episodes of Geminospora lemurata, Grandispora cornuta, NW trending folds and associated cleavages. G. echinata, G. famenensis, G. gracilis and Rugospora flexuosa. All the studied samples In the north limb of the structure, the Ferreira- show abundant and the same species of Ficalho Group includes from base to top the acritarchs and prasinophytes. following units (Carvalho et al.; Oliveira, 1983): the Ribeira de Limas Fm. is composed 4. The ages of the units Ribeira de Limas/Gafo of phyllites, quartzwakes and minor and Santa Iria-Horta da Torre/Represa are intercalations of tuffites with a tectonic separated of about 14 My. This fact reinforces deformation similar to that of the Pulo do Lobo previous structural interpretations that Fm ; the Santa Iria Fm. is made up of suggested the existence of an unconformity

38 CIMP Newsletter Winter 2006 between the pair Santa Iria/Horta da Torre Being very common in transitional Fms. and the underlying Ribeira de Limas Fm. Precambrian-Cambrian strata these acritarchs are still of high use in regional biostratigraphy. 5. The units of the Pulo do Lobo Domain have To understand interrelation between described been interpreted as an accretionary prism in species and to verify their taxonomic position a close relation with a northward directed rich material from the type area has been (present coordinates) subduction zone. A more reinvestigated. recent interpretation consider that only the Pulo do Lobo, Ribeira de Limas, Atalaia and Five samples from the Lontova Formation Gafo Fms. were incorporated in the acretionary from the Narva-69 borehole, Estonia (interval prism. The upper units, much less tectonically 105,35 – 84,90 m) contain palynological deformed were laid down in a basin assemblage dominated by ‘marginata’ superimposed over the accretionary prim acritarchs (1000 to over 5000 specimens per (Pereira et al, 2006) and contemporaneous of slide). This assemblage is qualitatively and the Iberian Pyrite Belt detritic substrate quantitatively analyzed throughout the studied (Phyllite-Quartzite Group) and the overlying interval. Among ‘marginats’, specimens first volcanic episodes. displaying diagnostic features of G. squamacea are about 2-7 %, G. prima – about

7-13% and L. simplex about 30-50%. The rest part consists of intermediate forms and forms at dividing stage. On the basis of more than Late Precambrian - Early Cambrian 15000 specimens the following observations ‘marginata’- type acritarchs: some critical have been documented: remarks i - Leiomarginata simplex differs from Raevskaya E. accompanied species of Leiosphaeridia by its Institute of Precambrian Geology and wall structure which is similar to that of other Geochronology, Russian Academy of Sciences ‘marginats’; (IGGD RAN), Makarova embankment, 2, ii – a continuous transition ‘simplex’ – ‘prima’ Saint-Petersburg 199034, Russia; - ‘squamacea’ shows gradual size increasing [email protected] by growth of spongy extension surrounding the Morphologically simple circular forms with central body; thickened edge and smooth to spongy wall iii – intermediates are more abundant than structure were documented for the first time by certain ‘prima’ and ‘squamacea’; Naumova (1960) from the Lower Cambrian of Estonia. Although the original descriptions of iv – doubled forms are rare (0,5-1,3 %), but Leiomarginata simplex Naumova, 1960 and neither ‘simplex’ nor ‘squamacea’ is found Garnomarginata prima Naumova, 1960 were dividing, instead, normally ‘prima’ or forms rather poor these species together with later intermediate between ‘simplex’ and ‘prima’ described Granomarginata squamacea have double central body surrounded by thin Volkova, 1968 became recognizable and most spongy rim. frequently cited species indicating the base of It is reasonable to assume that all studied the Cambrian in the East-European Platform. morphological varieties of ‘marginats’ are Interest to these species as to biostratigraphic different developmental stages of a single indexes, however, was reduced when they organism. were found in Siberia in sediments of certain Precambrian age. Some confusion also existed Collections from other Estonian section (the in species definitions due to few diagnostic Ranna-Pungeria borehole) and from Siberia criteria. (the Chekurovka River) were studied for comparison. In addition to the reinvestigated Without reinvestigation of the original material material large published data were revised. Leiomarginata as a junior synonym was Geographical distribution, stratigraphical transferred to Leiosphaeridia (Cramer and range, biological and ecological aspects of Diez, 1979) and G. squamacea was attributed ‘marginats’ are discussed in the present study. to the genus Annulum (Martin and Dean, 1983). Thus, morphologically similar ‘marginata’ species belong now to three different genera: Annulum, Granomarginata and Leiosphaeridia (Fensome et al., 1990). Lower Devonian Cryptospores and miospores, their distribution patterns in the lower Old Red sandstone of the Anglo-

39 CIMP Newsletter Winter 2006

Welsh basin & the habitat of their parent and in the lower and middle parts of the Ditton plants Formation (lower & middle subzones of micrornatus–newportensis (MN) Palynozone) Richardson J.B. these plants had terminal sporangia, in higher Department of Palaeontology, Natural History parts of the Ditton Formation, in the Clee Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD; Hills, plants with both lateral (Zosterophyllum) [email protected] and terminal sporangia (Salopella) occur together (Edwards and Richardson 1974). Palynomorphs are abundant in some fine- Miospores in South Wales become grained rocks in the Lower Old Red Sandstone increasingly larger in the upper Red Marl and (L.O.R.S.) of the Anglo-Welsh Basin. In this lower Senni Bed Formations (upper study the distribution and relative abundance Lochkovian, upper MN Sub-palynozone & of cryptospores and miospores have been breconensis – zavallatus BZ Palynozone) and examined in a series of samples from trilete spores increasingly more diverse. The uppermost Downton – Ditton Formation important macrofloras described from the sections from Hereford in the south to Brecon Beacons by Edwards (1968, 1969, Shropshire in the north. The pioneering work 1970, 1980) occur higher in the Senni Bed of John Allen on the L.O.R.S. facies of the Formation, in the succeeding polygonalis – Anglo-Welsh Basin led to a more detailed emsiensis Palynozone, where the greatest analysis than had been previously attempted. diversity of miospores occurs. Miospores are He interpreted the facies to have formed in dominant in these spore assemblages and marginal marine to fluvial environments. characteristic species have apiculate and Muller (1959) demonstrated that the spores biform or murornate sculpture. and pollen in Recent sediments of the Orinoco Delta were dispersed mainly by water. However, in the Late Silurian and earliest

Devonian, many miospores and some cryptospores were smaller than 25µm (the upper size indicating adaptation to wind Palynological evidence for the dating and dispersal in modern bryophytes; Mogensen, interpretation of a late Devonian 1981). The Lower Old Red Sandstone sedimentological event in northeast U.S.A.: sequence in the Anglo-Welsh Basin shows Extraterrestrial, meteorological or glacial? offlap with the migration of medial and proximal facies (fluvial environments) to Richardson J.B.¹, Woodrow D., Avkhimovitch overlie the distal facies (marine influenced V². environments) in the south. Dispersed palynomorphs have been examined from a ¹Department of Palaeontology, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD; series of sections from the distal margins of the floodplain in the south (Hereford) to more [email protected] proximal areas of the floodplain in the north ²Geoscience, Hobart and William Smith (Clee Hills, Shropshire). Distribution patterns Colleges, 300 Pulteney Street, Geneva, NY in cryptospore and miospore assemblages 14456, U.S.A. reflect both the lateral and stratigraphical changes, and although influenced by water Palynological analysis of over 120 samples transport, may be used with caution to interpret from the Upper Famennian (Cattaraugus, potential habitats of their parent plants. In Oswayo, and Kushequa Formations) from New some cases cryptospores dominated distal York State and Pennsylvania has been used to sediments, laid down in a marine-influenced date an unusual rock sequence in part of the coastal plain. In contrast, in the more proximal latest Devonian Spechty Kopf and Rockwell (upstream) sediments, miospores are usually Formations (Pennsylvania) overlying the dominant. In situ cryptospores and trilete Catskill and Hampshire Formations spores have been isolated from the sporangia respectively. A typical sequence of these rocks terminating tiny fragmentary plant axes (see includes a diamictite with sedimentary, inter alia Edwards & Richardson 2000 and igneous and metamorphic clasts, overlain by a references therein). These Lilliputian plant pebbly mudstone, laminite and that by quartz- axes are often remarkably similar, but their rich sandstone. The variable, but distinctive, variable terminal sporangia and spores, sedimentary profile has a maximum thickness indicate increasing plant diversity possibly of c.150m to c.10m. It is known from related to adaptation to a wider range of exposures scattered across approximately environments. Whilst in the lower Downton 40,000 km² in a band 400 km parallel to the Formation (tripapillatus-spicula Palynozone) strike and 100 km across strike. The

40 CIMP Newsletter Winter 2006 northernmost exposures are in northeast Srivastava A.K. Pennsylvania (Scranton) and the southernmost Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany, known is in Maryland. Samples from the Lucknow-226007, India; diamictite sequence were at first provided by [email protected] Woodrow (1990’s) for palynological analysis and comparison with previous palynological The Permian Gondwana of India is represented studies (Richardson unpublished, Richardson by elements of Glossopteris flora, also known & Ahmed, 1988). More recently, joint as the Lower Gondwana flora. The flora fieldwork (Woodrow & Richardson) has been survived during the entire period of Permian. carried out on diamictite and other sequences The different geologic formations of the in Pennsylvania (sponsored by the Permian Gondwana of India e.g. Talchir, Pennsylvania Geological Survey). The Karharbari, Barakar, Barren Measures and diamictite profile varies between outcrops but Raniganj have provided enormous data about it includes large boulders to granules, and the plant megafossils and microfossils. sometimes rafts of material several metres Palynological investigation of the Talchir, across, in a silty clay matrix. The spore Karharbari and Barakar formations of the assemblages below, within, and at the top of Lower Permian shows the dominance of the diamictite sequence are almost identical radially-symmetrical monosaccate pollen and belong to part (a subzone?) of the during the early phase and later shows the the Retispora lepidophyta – Indotriradites proliferation of non-striate and striate disaccate explanatus (LE) Palynozone. Rock sequences, pollen. The trilete spores and other forms are containing spore assemblages of the same significantly or insignificantly associated with palynological interval, traced westwards in the flora. Pennsylvania have shown no sign of the Analysis and synthesis of spore-pollen diamictite, or any other apparent disturbance although the diamictite itself is absent there. assemblages have helped to identify a number To the northwest in Pennsylvania the LE of biohorizons and assemblage zones in Lower and Upper Permian sequences. The Palynozone is overlain by the Retispora lepidophyta – Verrucosisporites nitidus (LN) palynological composition of the biohorizons Palynozone (uppermost Famennian) and is and palynological zones along with the appearance and disappearance of taxa are underlain by rocks containing spore assemblages in which some key species discussed at successive stratigraphic levels of apparently differ in their order of appearance the Lower Permian. relative to their counterparts in Western Europe and Byelorussia.

The origin of the diamictite sequence is enigmatic; many scientists working over the Megaspore Diversity in Lower Gondwana past 30 years have studied this unusual Succession of India sequence of sedimentary rocks and failed to Srivastava A.K. agree on the origin. Interpretations of the diamictite include a debris flow deposit, a Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany 53, subaqueous mud flow deposit formed in a University Road, Lucknow- 226007, India; marine, estuarine or lacustrine environment, a [email protected] deposit formed by valley-wall collapse, a Qualitatively and quantitatively rich deposit related to valley glaciation, or a deposit megaspore assemblages are known from resulting from a Bolide plunging into the different Gondwana basins of Peninsular India Appalachian Basin, followed by a tsunami. All e.g. Son, Mahanadi, Damodar, Satpura, these hypotheses have been previously Wardha and Godavari. They are described proposed, but is there another explanation for from all the formations of Lower Gondwana this dramatic sequence of rocks? Palynological e.g. Talchir, Karharbari, Barakar, Barren data are discussed in relation to these Measures and Raniganj representing Permian hypotheses and hypotheses previously Period. proposed for palaeoenvironments based on palynofacies data. Megaspores have been studied under dry and wet condition. The microscopic observation of dry megaspore shows the external morphological features of exosporium or exine such as tetrad mark, contact area, contact Early Permian palynological sequence in marking and ornamentation. At different stage Indian Gondwana of maceration individual megaspore under wet

41 CIMP Newsletter Winter 2006 condition reveals the structural features of Silurian and early Lower Devonian inner body (nexine/endosporium) indicating miospores from South America the thickness and sculpture of wall, presence or Steemans P.1 & Rubinstein C.2 absence of cushions and trilete trace. The combined characters of exosporium and 1 NFSR Research Associate, Palaeobotanic- endosporium are useful for the classification of Palaeopalynology-Micropalaeontology, megaspores. University of Liège, B-18, Sart Tilman, 4000 Liège 1, Belgiím; [email protected] Most of the megaspores range in size from 400 to 600 μm in diameter, their shape is circular 2 CONICET, Unidad de Paleopalinologia, (Bokarosporites, Jhariatriletes, IANIGLA, CRICYT, C.C. 131, 5500, Banksisporites, Ramispinatispora, Mendoza, Argentina; Saksenasporites), triangular (Duosporites, [email protected] Barakarella, Talchirella.). Sometimes they are subcircular and subtriangular in shape. Two new localities have been sampled for a Exosporium besides being psilate and scabrate palynological study on miospores in the Silurian and the Lochkovian. Detailed (Bokarosporites) shows verrucae (Talchirella, Duosporites), baculae (Barakarella, palynological study has revealed diverse Jhariatriletes), coni/setae (Biharisporites, assemblages, permitting to describe new species and extend the time or latitudinal range Singhisporites), simple spines (Singraulispora, Lagenicula), furcated and branched spines of some taxa. (Ancorisporites, Satpuraspora). Different The first one is located in the Urubu area, types of appendages e.g. mammillate western part of the Amazonas Basin, northern (Mammilaespora), long, slender, apically Brazil, from layers belonging to the divided (Sethiaspora), rods/ribbon-like Manacapuru Formation. A previous (Manumisporites), club shaped (Pilatriletes) or palynological work based on chitinozoans tubercles (Saksenasporites) are seen over the (Grahn and Melo, 2003), had allowed dating surface. the samples as late Ludlow, early Pridoli and early Lochkovian in age. Fourteen productive Presence and absence of cushions are characteristics features of inner body, samples have been investigated. Sixty four wherever they occur their size and distribution miospore species have been identified among which two new species are described. One are important for taxonomic deliberation. Bokarosporites, Banksisporites, specimen attributed to the genus Grandispora, Singraulispora, Ramispinatispora, identical to unpublished specimens observed in Singhisporites, Manumisporites, Lochkovian layers from Saudi Arabia, has Biharisporites, Jhariatriletes are devoid of been discovered in a Lochkovian sample. They are the oldest known Grandispora. Among the cushions whereas few cushions in one row are observed in Duosporites congoensis, abundant acritarchs, specimens of the genus Talchirella nitens, number of trigonally Schizocystia have been observed for the first time in layers older than the Devonian. arranged cushions are seen in Barakarella pantii, Duosporites multipunctatus, Talchirella The second locality is situated in the Quebrada trivedii, Ancorisporites binaensis, Pilatriletes Ancha area, Central Precordillera of San Juan. mirzapurensis and irregularly arranged The La Chilca Formation, considered as late cushions are present in Duosporites irregularis Hirnantian-Llandovery/Wenlock? in age, yield and Lagenicula barakarensis. acritarchs and related marine forms, with very scarce cryptospores. Among acritarchs from The elevation of trilete mark and the contact area into a cone-like gula represent the gulate the lower levels, Tylotopalla caelamenicutis megaspore which are described as Gulatrilete , Loeblich 1970 and T. digitifera Loeblich 1970 seem to be biostratigraphically useful. The Shahdolia, Lagenicula, Setosisorites and Satpuraspora. overlying Los Espejos Formation considered as Wenlock to locally Pridoli in age, yield The megaspores have not yet been discovered diverse, abundant and well preserved marine in attachment with Lower Gondwana plant and terrestrial palynomorphs. The lower levels fossils in India, however, their structural show a predominance of acritarchs and related features indicate their affiliation with lycopsid forms, among which: Neoveryachium group of plant. carminae Cramer 1970, Quadraditum fantasticum Cramer 1964, Fibriaglomerella

divisa Loeblich & Drugg 1968, Onondagaella asymmetrica Playford 1977 and typical large fusiform species. Miospores increase towards

42 CIMP Newsletter Winter 2006 the top of the unit, with more trilete spores (Dadlez, 1990). Detailed stratigraphy of the than cryptospores. Miospores include cf. Ordovician has been established on graptolite, Lophozonotriletes? poecilomorphus chitinozoa, conodonts and acritarchs faunas Richardson & Ioannides 1973, cf. (Modliński, 1968; Bednarczyk, 1974; Synorisporites verrucatus Richardson and Szczepanik, 2000; Wrona, Bednarczyk and Lister 1969, cf. Clivosispora verrucata var. Stempień-Sałek, 2001). convoluta McGregor & Camfield 1986, The borehole Miastko 1, is situated east of Chelinospora sp. A in Richardson and Lister Koszalin, in Koszalin-Chojnice Structural 1969, C. sanpetrensis Richardson et al. 2001, Zone. The Ordovician sediments have been Scylaspora vetusta Richardson et al. 2001, S. here found at the depth 2737,0- 2745 m, cf. scripta Burgess and Richardson 1995 in directly underlies the Devonian sediments. It is Richardson et al. 2001, cf. Coronaspora represented by dark grey silstones, mudstones, cromatica Richardson et al. 2001, fine grained sandstones and black shales Aneurospora sp., Coronaspora sp. and occasionally with pyrite concretions. Amicosporites sp. Most of these miospores are recorded for the first time in Argentina. The biostratigraphic analisys of the Ordovician from borehole Miastko 1 is based on Although samples are relatively poor in graptolite. Modliński (1968) and Bednarczyk miospore specimens, the present study displays (1974) identified from the silstones the most diversified Silurian-earliest Pseudoclimacograptus angulatus sebyensis Lochkovian assemblage from South America. Jaanusson. It is corresponded to the References: Glyptograptus teretiusculus – Orthograptus acutus Zone (Jaanusson, 1973). Grahn, Y. and Melo, J.H.G., 2003. Silurian- Devonian chitinozoan biostratigraphy along Palynological assemblages from Upper the Urubu, Uatumã and Abacate rivers in the Ordovician have been studied. Four western part of the Amazonas Basin, Northern palynological samples of siliceous shale were Brazil. Bulletin of Geosciences, 78(4): 373- subjected to standard laboratory treatment. 391. Three of them yielded acritarchs. The dominant palynological matter found in the

samples is amorphous. Determinable palynomorphs constitute a minor admixture. There samples contained leiospheres, Upper Ordovician microphytoplankton acanthomorphs and cryptospores. The from the western Pomerania (Miastko), NW preservation of the particular taxa is generally Poland poor, hence many are determined to generic Stempień-Sałek M. level only or left in open nomenclature. However, several forms can be recognised Institute of Geological Sciences, PAS. Twarda precisely. Reasonably well represented taxa 51/55, 00-818 Warsaw,Poland; are the following: Baltisphaeridium, [email protected] Ordovicidium and Orthosphaeridium with The Ordovician sediments in the Polish part of wide and long processes which are the Pomerania Terrane (western Pomerania, characteristic of the Late Ordovician. They are Koszalin-Chojnice Structural Zone) have been accompanied by long-ranging taxa of simple reached only by exploration drillings. Rock of morphology such as Goniosphaeridium, Cambrian age in have not been penetrated. The Micrhystridium, Polygonium and oldest strata are Llanvirnian (early Darriwilian) Veryhachium. in age and the youngest – Caradocian (early Generally the acritarch frequency is rather low Sandbyan) in age as indicated by their being up to 40 specimens per slide. Only in a graptolite fauna (Modliński, 1968, Bednarczyk one samples is frequency higher: from 50 to 70 1974). The litological characteristics of the specimens. The dimension of acritarch are Ordovician series within the Koszalin- mainly in the range between 15 and 45 µm, Chojnice area show its monotonous only occasionally reaching 75 µm, the development and strongly disturbed tectonics. dimension of cryptospores - between 35 and 50 The Ordovician complex is composed of µm. The thermal maturity of organic matter in claystones, silstones and sandstones. Those borehole Miastko 1 is generally low. deposits pass into Silurian graptolitc siltstones. The folded Ordovician and Silurian are – Palynological study agree with those of probably diachronously – overlined by previous research on graptolites from the continental clastic sediments of the Devonian Ordovician in Koszalin-Chojnice Structural Zone confirm that investigated material can be

43 CIMP Newsletter Winter 2006 attributed to the Middle - Upper Ordovician, Geography, University of Nottingham, probably Llanvirnian (Darriwilian)/Caradocian Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK (early Sandbyan), Caradocian (Sandbyan) and 3 21 Dunster Road, West Bridgford, NG26JF, correspond partially to the Glyptograptus UK teretiusculus -– Orthograptus acutus Graptolite Biozone. 4 British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham NG12 5GG, UK

There are few palaeolimnological studies of References: Palaeozoic lake sediments using Bednarczyk, W., 1974. The Ordovician in the methodologies developed for the study of Koszalin-Chojnice region (Western Quaternary lakes. New research described here Pomerania). - Acta Geologica Polonica, 24, 4, indicates the benefits of applying 581- 600. multidisciplinary high-resolution sampling and analysis on the Middle Devonian lake Bednarczyk, W., Stempień-Sałek, M. & sediments of the Orcadian Basin in order to Wrona, R., 1999. Integrated biostratigraphy understand lake palaeoecology and response to (graptolite, acritarch and chitinozoan) of the water chemistry change and possible climate subsurface Caradocian in Pomerania, NW change. In a continuously sampled 4 m thick Poland. - Acta Universitatis Carolinae - lake cycle in two correlated boreholes in Geologica, 43, 53-54. Caithness there are two distinct features. There Dadlez, R., 1993. Pre-Cainozoic tectonics of is a broad trend in δ13C of sedimentary organic the southern Baltic Sea. - Geological matter from high values in the shallow water Quarterly, 37, 3, 431-449. sediments to lower values in the deeper water sediments, attributed to changing contributions Dadlez, R., 2000. Pomeranian Caledonides from terrestrial plant material (δ13C c. -28‰) (NW Poland), fifty years of controversies: a 13 and algal material (δ C c. -33‰). This revive and a new concept. - Geological variation is consistent with palynology and is Quarterly, 44, 3, 221-236. best explained by proximal-distal variation as Modliński, Z., 1968. Ordowik na Pomorzu the lake filled. A smaller but well correlated up Zachodnim. - Geological Quarterly, 12, 3, section decreasing d13C trend occurs over 488-492. approximately 1 m, starting at the cycle centre where the lake was at its deepest. Since the Szczepanik, Z., 2000. The Ordovician acritarch same feature is seen in two boreholes, we of the Caledonides and their foreland. suggest that local effects of migrated bitumen, Geological Quarterly, 44, 3, 275-295. diagenesis or facies changes are unlikely to be Wrona, R., Bednarczyk, W.S. & Stempień- the cause, and that changes in the carbon cycle Sałek, M., 2001. Chitinozoas and acritarchs of the lake are responsible. Explanations for from the Ordovician of the Skibno1 borehole, this trend may relate to the source of carbon Pomerania, Poland: implications for that algae utilise as the lake changes from a stratigraphy and palaeogeography. - Acta fresher to a more saline environment, and to Geologica Polonica, 51, 4, 317-331. changes in the carbon isotope composition of the lake water during periods of enhanced productivity. Change in the cycle can be scaled by reference to annual lamination, the whole period of maximum change being Palynology and organic carbon isotopes to approximately 3000 years. elucidate the millennial scale evolution of a Middle Devonian lake in response to climate change, Orcadian Basin, Scotland Stephenson M.H.1, Leng M.J.2, Michie U.3 & 4 Middle Cambrian Acritarchs from the Vane, C.H. Conasauga Group, eastern Tennessee, USA 1 British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Strother P.K. Nottingham NG12 5GG, UK. Email: [email protected] Palæobotany Laboratory at Weston 2 Observatory, Department of Geology & NERC Isotope Geoscience Laboratory, Geophysics, Boston College, Weston, British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Masssachusetts US; [email protected] Nottingham, NG12 5GG, UK and School of

44 CIMP Newsletter Winter 2006

Reports of Cambrian acritarchs from central Relating the fossil record to deglaciation in North America are rather sparce and with the the Early Permian of Gondwana: exception of a field guide report for the development of a Gondwana-wide biotic Reelfoot Rift area of Missouri by Gordon deglaciation model Wood and co-authors, are limited to scattered Stephenson, M.H.1 & Angiolini, L.2 reports of new taxa by Wood and co-authors. An examination of the JOY-2 borehole from 1 British Geological Survey, Keyworth, the Oak Ridge National Laboratories has Nottingham NG125GG, UK; yielded low numbers of acritarchs ranging [email protected] from the Rome Formazion (uppermost Lower 2 Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra “A. Cambrian) through the entire Middle Cambrian. The palynological assemblages Desio”, Via Mangiagalli 34, 20133 Milano throughout this predominantly estuarine Italy sequence are overwhelming dominated by Deglaciation sequences of Early Permian age thick-walled sphaeromorphs and cryptospores. in Gondwana have until now been Thermal alteration is low and the excellent distinguished mainly on lithological criteria by preservation has enabled detailed examination reference to climate-sensitive lithologies such with light microscopy. Many of the acritarchs as diamictite, limestone, glacial shales (with are quite small, however, which has made dropstones and varves) and associated some taxonomic determinations difficult. The geochemistry, whereas identification on biotic oldest samples from the Rome Fm are criteria such as vegetational or faunal change characterized by Revinotesta and Asteridium has not been employed. Data shows that the (Michrystridium) tornatum-like maximum rate of deglaciation probably acanthomorphs. Middle Cambrian taxa include occurred around the Granulatisporites well-preserved Retisphaeridium dichamerum confluens palynological Biozone, at least in along with several forms that fall between Australia, Antarctica, East Africa, India and Celtiberium and Heliosphaeridium with thin- Arabia, in late Asselian – early Sakmarian walled, tapered processes with capitate tips. times. There is a new genus exhibiting short, bifurcating processes whose bases fuse to form Present palaeontological data, which is a partial reticulum. These specimens would admittedly widely-scattered geographically, appear to be similar to Dictyotidium in light and of different stratigraphic scales and microscopic examination. Degraded specimens resolutions clearly show diversity increase of Skiagia ciliosa occur in the Ehmaniella from glacial conditions to post glacial Zone; these may be reworked from Lower conditions. Amongst the marine fauna, a cold Cambrian sources. Cymatiosphaera species water fauna consisting of bivalves such as occur in the Crednaria-Crepicephalus Zone, Eurydesma and Deltopecten, and brachiopods which is considered Late Cambrian in such as Lyonia and Trigonotreta, were Laurentia. There is a somewhat marked change established in the earliest post glacial marine in the assemblages in the lower Nolichucky transgressions that did not affect all of Shale, which may mark the Middle/Upper Gondwana. Above this is a more diverse, Cambrian boundary in this part of the section. increasingly warmer, temperate fauna, There are no diacrodiods or other indicators of including brachiopods, bryozoans, bivalves, later Cambrian age common in Avalonian cephalopods, gastropods, conularids, Terrain (as described by Martin, Parsons and fusulinids, small foraminifers, asterozoans, co-workers). Overall, the Conasauga Group blastoids and crinoids like that of the Saiwan assemblages are somewhat similar to acritarchs Formation/Haushi limestone of Oman. from Cambrian sections in northwest Spain The palynomorph succession shows some described by M. Fombella, but they are consistency across Gondwana in Asselian- extremely similar to coeval assemblages from Sakmarian rocks. Very broadly a change from the Canadian Rockies, including the Burgess monosaccate pollen assemblages, associated Shale and related rocks, currently under study with fern spores to more diverse assemblages by Kevin Gostlin. Given the restricted with common non-taeniate bisaccate pollen depositional setting of these deposits, the occurs through the deglaciation period. In construction of biozones based on these Oman, where this has been studied in greatest assemblages is probably unwarranted. detail, the upland saw changes from a glacial monosaccate pollen-producing flora to a warmer climate bisaccate pollen-producing flora; while in the terrestrial lowlands, a parallel change occurred from a glacial fern

45 CIMP Newsletter Winter 2006 flora to a warmer climate colpate pollen- The new palynological data apparently provide producing and lycopsid lowland flora. The much more accurate, but still not fully sedimentary organic matter of the clastic rocks satisfying, age estimates of the Hazro- of the Oman sequence records a corresponding assemblages. Palynological biozones, 13 δ C trend (from approximately -21 to -24‰) established for the Permian of Saudi-Arabia believed to reflect palaeoatmospheric change and Oman, are still incompletely defined. due to postglacial global warming. Paleophytogeographical aspects have not yet been elaborated in detail in palynological The advantages of developing a deglaciation studies. A number of recently-published model would be in understanding in detail the studies by Turkish scientists on foraminifera, response of life to increasing temperatures and especially fusulinids typical for the other climate change, and might be useful in Palaeotethys, and other characteristic faunal the study of modern biotic change during elements from the sequence in the region global warming. However to achieve such a around Hazro have also provided new datings. model more detailed bed by bed Based on the combination of interdisciplinary palaeontological studies of micropalaeontological and palynological data, measured sections demonstrably related to it can be concluded that the sedimentary climate-forced deglaciation must be carried succession in the Hazro area ranges from the out. For these studies to be comparable across Guadalupian to Lopingian. This presentation Gondwana, sections must be precisely focuses on the palynology of the Kaş correlateable so that like can be compared with Formation and the new stratigraphic data will like. Therefore a Gondwana-wide be used for correlating the Hazro area with palynostratigraphy, uniting the four or five adjacent regions such as Iraq and Saudi- schemes presently in existence for the former Arabia. continents of Gondwana, needs to be established.

Chitinozoan biostratigraphy across the base of Darriwilian Stage from the type area in Age assessment of Permian palynomorph Eastern China assemblages from the Hazro Anticline (SE Turkey, Arabian Plate) and correlation with Tang P.1,3, Paris F.3, Geng L.Y.1,2 & Zhu adjacent regions H.Ch.1,2 Stolle E. 1 Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, the Chinese Academy of Forschungsstelle für Paläobotanik, Sciences, No. 39, East Beijing Road, Nanjing Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, 210008, China; [email protected] Hindenburgplatz 57, 48143 Münster, Germany; [email protected] 2 State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, the Chinese Academy of During the Permian, thick sequences of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China terrestrial and marine sediments were deposited at the northern edge of the Arabian 3 UMR 6118 du CNRS, Géosciences-Rennes, Platform. Today, a more than 200 m thick Université de Rennes I, 35042 Rennes-cedex, succession is exposed in the Hazro Anticline. France Based on lithological characteristics these In the Jiangshan-Changshan-Yushan (JCY) sediments are referred to the Kaş and area, located on the borders of Jiangxi and Gomaniibrik formations. In 2005, a large Zhejiang provinces, eastern China, the number of samples of clastic and coal-bearing Ordovician succession is represented in strata of these formations were taken for ascending orders by the Yinchufu, Ningkuo, palynological analyses. Palynological data may Hulo, and Yenwashan formations. The GSSP contribute towards a better understanding on for the Darriwilian Stage was defined by the the occurrence and nature of mixed floras and First Appearance Datum (FAD) of floral provincialism. However, reliable and Undulograptus austrodentatus in the Ningkuo precise age assessments are necessary before Formation at the Huangnitang section, such aspects can be addressed. Previously Zhejiang, eastern China (Mitchell et al., 1997). published information on the age of the strata Three distinctive chitinozoan assemblages are is incomplete or inconclusive. Based on recognized in the Ningkuo Formation (Fig. 1). palynological analyses, the same lithological Assemblage A consists of Conochitina sp. 1, units were variously dated as Early and Late Conochitina cf. brevis, ?Lagenochitina sp., Permian.

46 CIMP Newsletter Winter 2006

?Bursachitina sp.. The preservation is Wang Z.H. & Bergström S.M. 1995. relatively poor and the abundance is very low Castlemainian (Late Yushanian) to Darriwilian (<0.2 specimens/gram). Assemblage B (Zhejiangian) conodont faunas. In: Chen Xu distinguishes from Assemblage A by the and Bergström (eds.). The base of the presence of Euconochitina sp. 1 and the austrodentatus zone as a level for global abundance of Conochitina cf. subcylindrica subdivision of the Ordovician System. Combaz and Péniguel. The latter represents Palaeoworld, 5, 86-91. 86% of the population. The presence of C. ordinaria suggests links with chitinozoan microfaunas described from Canada and from Australia. Assemblage C is characterized by the appearance of B. zhejiangensis, L. Miospore zonation of Givetian-Fransnian praepirum, and Sagenachitina sp. 1. In deposits of the Timan-Pechora province addition to these species, Belonechitina Tel'nova, O. chenjiawuensis sp. nov., E. hengtangensis sp. nov., Busachitina laminaris sp. nov. and L. Laboratory of Stratigraphy, Institute of langei are additional important elements of this Geology of Komi Science Centre RAS (Ural assemblage. div.). 167982, Pervomayskaya st., 54, Syktyvkar, Russia. E-mail: [email protected] The base of Assemblage C is very close to the base of the Darriwilian Stage where dramatic In sections of the East European Platform the changes in chitinozoan abundance and level of standard bottom border of Frasnian diversity occur close to the base of the remains debatable till now. In Timan-Pechora Darriwilian Stage occur in the JCY area. In the Province this stratigraphic interval is well Hengtang section, new elements of specific submitted in natural exposures and core of composition represent more than 76% of this wells. It is characterized in details by fauna, assemblage. In addition to the increasing there is detailed developed zone palynological diversity, the abundance raises sharply near the chart. base of the Darriwilian Stage. Although the The analysis of taxonomic structure of weathering processes affects the preservation palynospectra from the miospore zone of chitinozans, the fact that The FAD of Contagisporites optivus-Spelaeotriletes Sagenachitina sp. 1 is close to the base of the krestovnikovii (Avkhimovich et al., 1993) and Darriwilian Stage in the type area. This species its comparison to spores in situ as well as the is the oldest recorded Sagenachitina and results of studying of sporoderm ultrastructure therefore, the appearance of this genus, which of disperse spores has allowed to establish that has a wide palaeogeographical distribution, the most essential innovations occur on can be used for locating the base of the stratigraphic level Densosporites sorokinii Darriwilian in remote regions. around the palynozone (Tel'nova, Meyer-Melikyan, 1993, world shows its potential significance for long 2002; Tel'nova, 2005). distance biostratigraphic correlation. Archaeopteris spores Givetian-Frasnian Acknowledgements: Financially supported by palynospectra gradually become dominating the Chinese Academy of Sciences (KZCX2- group. In the top part of Timan horizon (Zone SW-130), the National Natural Science Densosporites sorokinii) appear spores of Foundation of China (No. 40072005), and lycopsids which later in Late Frasnian form the Géosciences-Rennes, CNRS, Université de second dominating group. The point of Rennes I (France). occurrence of these spores can be considered Reference: as the phytostratigraphic boundary corresponding to a level of Givetian-Frasnian Mitchell C.E., Chen X., Bergström S.M., boundary. Zhang Y.D., Wang Z.H., Webby B.D.& Finney S.C. 1997. Definition of a global From the same deposits (Kuz'min, 1995) the boundary stratotype for the Darriwilian Stage conodont complexes was described. They can of the Ordovician System. Episodes, 20(3), be related to Lower asymmetricus zone on 158-166. prevalence of Polygnatus lanei species. Species Ancyrodella rotundiloba, A. binodosa, Chen X. & Bergström S.M. 1995. The base of A. soluta, A. rugosa and A. alata are the austrodentatus zone as a level for global established in conodont complex above on a subdivision of the Ordovician System. section (Ust'yarega sute). That specify on Palaeoworld, 5, 36-66. correlation of this part of a section with the top part of Lower asymmetricus zone. The share of

47 CIMP Newsletter Winter 2006

"lycopsids" miospores increases up to 24 % in However, evaluation of morphological palynocomplexes from these deposits. The variability within separate populations was palynocomlex is of the Sargaev age and it is never published. related to local Cristatisporites deliqucsens Four species of Eliasum have been cited from palynozone. Cambrian and Ordovician sediments of Czech Thus the border of average and top Devonian Republic (Barrandian area): in the Timan-Pechora province should be Eliasum llaniscum Fombella 1977 has been drawn in the top part of Timan horizon. This documented from Middle Cambrian Jince boundary is close to the international standard Formation of the Skryje-Týřovice Basin and of Givetian-Frasnian border (Sandberg et al., Příbram-Jince Basin as well as from the early 1989). Cambrian Paseky Shale of the second area The analysis faunistic and microfloristic fossils (Steiner and Fatka, 1993). Eliasum jennessii from Middle-Upper Devonian deposits in the Martin in Martin et Dean 1984 is known from most full sections of the Timan-Pechora Middle Cambrian of the Příbram-Jince Basin, province testifies to synchronism of changes while Eliasum pisciforme Fombella 1977 sea and continental biotas. Synchronous occurs in Middle Cambrian of both Příbram- development of so different communities could Jince and Skryje-Týřovice basins. Eliasum be caused only significant changes in abiotic asturicum Fombella 1977 and E. llaniscum component and reflects the unidirectional were established in supposedly redeposited character of biota development. The carried acritarch assemblage from the Kosov out analysis confirms conclusions of Formation of Hirnantian age (Upper V.V.Menner (1962, 1973, 1982) about fast Ordovician) by Vavrdová (1988). evolution of flora. It is possible to speak, at Comparatively common occurrence combined last, about comparability of rates of with a good preservation of acritarchs in development in vegetative and animal palynological samples from richly fossiliferous communities. middle portion of the Jince Formation at The analysis of miospores distribution in Vinice Hill near Jince (stratotype section of the palynocomplexes from boundary deposits formation) provided a good chance for testifies to absence of spasmodic character of morphometrical analyse of several acritarch change of flora and about continuity of genera. More than 200 well preserved evolutionary development in phylogenetic specimens were used for study of groups of Devonian plants. morphological variability of the genus Eliasum. Studied specimens come from eleven The offered chart is based on a principle of samples collected at a continual section in palynozone allocation on the first occurrence middle part the Onymagnostus hybridus of species. Trilobite zone.

The following five parameters were evaluated:

1. central body length (CBL), Morphological variability of the acritarch 2. central body width (CBW), genus Eliasum Fombella 1977 3. number (N) and width of longitudinal Tonarová P. & Fatka O. thickenings (LTW) and Charles University, Institute of Geology and 4. distance of longitudinal thickenings Palaeontology, Albertov 6, 128 43 Prague 2, (DLTW). Czech Republic Results: Genus Eliasum Fombella 1977 (type species Eliasum llaniscum Fombella 1977) includes 1. Scatter diagrams of CBL against CBW show eight species ranging from the early Cambrian that the data of all samples are concentrated in to early Silurian (Fensome et al., 1990). One to one common cluster, with the exception of one three species of Eliasum have been usually distinctly smaller (longitudinally shorter) and determined in several tens of papers dealing two markedly larger (transversally wider) with Cambrian and Ordovician acritarch specimens in samples J-51 and J-5 assemblages from Europe (Spain, Britain, respectively. Ireland, Czech Republic, Poland, Lithuania, 2. Very strong difference has been observed in Norway, Sweden, Russia), Africa (Morocco), number of longitudinal thickenings, whose Asia (Jordan, Turkey), Newfoundland and North America (Canada).

48 CIMP Newsletter Winter 2006 distribution is more or less regular in major of organic microfossils. Based on these part of the samples and ranges usually from differences they have been described as three to five thickenings. Two thickenings Gotlandian, Braderup and Wielen type. were observed in abou 18 % of specimens Contrary to both Braderup and Wielen type, comming mainly from lower portion of the the Gotlandian type is completely unweathered section; five thickenings were ascertained in and highly fossiliferans which can be observed about 10 % of specimens in middle and higher already macroscopically. This chert type also levels of the section and six thickenings are contains organic microfossils of which the so- known in two specimens only. called melanosclerites have been focussed at. Very conspicous reduction of thickenings was Originally, this microfossil group was uncovered in lithologically undistingushable discovered by EISENACK in 1930. His material sample J-50 where the two of the observed came from Ordovician and Silurian glacial specimens bear three thickenings, 14 erratics from the Baltic region. He introduced specimens display two thickenings and only the term “Melanosclerite” to describe these one thickening was noted in two specimens. problematic rod-shaped microfossils. EISENACK differentiated two groups of The Czech Science Foundation supported the sclerites: the first group forms the skeleton contribution through the Project No proper, the second group represents the 205/06/0395. appendices of a skeleton. An appendix consists References: of two main parts, a long proximal part and the rod, ball or tine-shaped distal part. In well- Fensome, R.A., Williams, G.L., Barss, M.S., preserved material the wall of the Freeman, J.M. & Hill, J.M., 1990. Acritarchs melanosclerite test is opaque and dark-brown and fossil prasinophytes: an index to genera, colored. The surface of the wall is smooth. The species and intraspecific taxa. - American size ranges between 60-2000µm. The sclerites Association of Stratigraphic Palynologists. can be found in marine sediments from Contribution Series 25, 1-771. Ordovician to Devonian age. The systematic Fombella, M.A., 1977. Acritarcos de edad position and natural relationship of the Cambrico medio-inferior de la provincia de melanosclerites is still unknown. EISENACK Leon, Espana (Middle-Lower Cambrian 1942 first speculated upon their biological acritarchs of Leon, Spain). - Revista Española affinities and noted similarities with de Micropaleontologia, 9, 115-124. cnidarians. An algal origin was also assumed (GORKA 1971). DUNN (1959) suggested that melanosclerites might represent Thecamoeba. He noted that the pseudochitinous wall composition of melanosclerites resembles the Organic microfossils from the Ordovician shell composition of the Recent thecamoebid Öjlemyr Chert of Gotland, Sweden Gromia oviformis rather than true chitin. Trampisch C. & Hinz-Schallreuter I. CASHMAN (1992) found similarities in shape and size between the modern cubomedusa University of Greifswald, Institute of Carybdea alata and the melanosclerite Geography and Geology, Dept. of Melanostylus coronifer. Paleontology and Historical Geology, F.-L. - Jahnstr. 17a, 17487 Greifswald; There have been two attempts to classify [email protected], ihinz- melanosclerites. One involves the suprageneric [email protected] subdivisions first introduced by EISENACK (1942) and subsequently developed by himself Ojlemyr cherts from the Isle of (1950, 1963). This classification was adopted Gotland/Sweden are known for more than a and improved by SCHALLREUTER (1981) who century and have been stratigraphically introduced new taxa on the family as well as determined as Upper Ordovician F1c and F2. on the generic and species level. These cherts are secondarily silicified limestone concretions which occur exclusively References: as glacial erratic boulders (Geschiebe). Apart Cashman, P.B., 1992. Melanosclerites: First from the Isle of Gotland Ojlemyr cherts have North American Report of these Problematic been discovered on the Isle of Sylt as well as Microfossils and Discussion of their Affinity. - in Niedersachsen, Germany. Regionally these Journal of Palaeontology, 66, 4, 563–569. cherts are weathered to a different degree and also vary concerning their faunal content, Eisenack, A., 1942. Die Melanoscleritoide, particularly with regard to presence or absence eine neue Gruppe silurischer Mirkofossilien

49 CIMP Newsletter Winter 2006 aus dem Unterstamm der Nesseltiere. - divisible into regions characterized by Paläontologische Zeitschrift, 23, 1/2, 157–180. presence of larger or smaller lacunae. In Biharisporites, the region with larger lacunae Eisenack, A., 1950. Nachtrag zum is situated in the middle of the outer layer, and Melanoskleriten-Problem. - Neues Jahrbuch in Contagisporites such lacunae are situated für Geologie und Paläontologie Mitteilung, 12, within the inner region (of the outer layer). The 371–376. inner layer of Biharisporites is slightly Eisenack, A., 1963. Melanoskleriten aus electron denser than the outer layer and easily anstehenden Sedimenten und Geschieben. - detachable from it. At the upper region of the Paläontologische Zeitschrift, 37, 1/2, 122–134. inner layer, there is a peculiar band of extremely small perforations, which are Gorka, H., 1971. Sur les Melanosclerites circular and of uniform size (about 0.015--0.02 extraits des galets erratique Ordoviciens de mkm). In the region of the proximal scar, over Pologne. - Bulletin Société Géologique the suture, the inner layer becomes thicker at Minéral, Bretagne (C) 3, 29 –40. the expense of the outer layer. Several narrow Paris, F., 1981. Les Chitinozoaires dans le lacunae are visible in the inner layer in this Paleozoique du sud- ouest de l`europe. - region. Mémoires de la Society Géologique et The difference between the dispersed Minéralogique Bretagne, 26, 1 –412. Biharisporites and Contagisporites on one Schallreuter, R., 1981. Mikrofossilien aus dem hand, and in situ archaeopteridalean Geschiebe, I Melanosclerite. - Der megaspores on the other concerns the structure Geschiebesammler, 15, 3,107 –130. of the inner layer. It is homogenous in our material but in archaeopteridalean megaspores it is usually described as lamellate or, at least, showing locally certain lamellation. Additionally, the band of minute perforations Exine ultrastructure of some Givetian (Biharisporites) has never been reported in megaspores megaspores of this affinity. Nevertheless, the Turnau E.1, Zavialova N.2 & Prejbisz A.3 sporoderm ultrastructure of the megaspores 1 under discussion fits quite closely that of Institute of Geological Sciences, Polish archaeopteridalean megaspores. Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Senacka 1, 31- 002 Kraków, Poland; [email protected] All four spores of the seed-megaspore tetrad of 2 Granditetraspora zharkovae have a similar Paleontological Institute of the Russian two-layered sporoderm with a thick lacunate Academy of Sciences, Moscow, outer layer and a homogeneous, often folded Profsoyuznaya, 123, 117647, Russia; inner layer. The lacunae of the outer layer are [email protected] small, numerous, and distributed throughout 3 Institute of Geological Sciences, Polish the layer, except of some homogenized lines. Academy of Sciences, Twarda 51/55, 00-818 Distally, the outer layer presents an almost Warszawa; [email protected] solid mass of perforated sporopollenin. The "stalk" is filled with nearly homogeneous The focus of this investigation was to analyze, sporopollenin mass in its axis and is margined by means of TEM, the ultrastructure of some with several bands that correspond to the Middle Devonian megaspores that were meshes of the superficial net that covers this described previously from Western Pomerania structure. Granditetraspora zharkovae is (NW Poland) by Fuglewicz & Prejbisz (1981). surprisingly different in the sporoderm Megaspores that are conventionally ascribed to ultrastructure from other Devonian seed either Biharisporites or Contagisporites are megaspores (Spermasporites allenii and S. known from megasporangia of Archaeopteris, devonicus) and, by contrast, has much in with ultrastructural information available for common with the archaeopteridalean type. several species. Our dispersed specimens of This research was funded in 2005-2007 by the these genera are similar to each other and to award of grant from the State budget, funds for the archaeopteridalean ultrastructural type in scientific research (research project 2 PO4D having a two-layered sporoderm with the outer 030 28). lacunate layer and inner homogeneous layer. The proximal side of the sporoderm, in References: contrast to the distal one, is constituted of Fuglewicz, R. & Prejbisz, A., 1981. Devonian smaller sporopollenin units, and smaller megaspores from NW Poland. - Acta lacunae. The outer layer of the distal wall is Palaeontologica Polonica, 26, 55-72.

50 CIMP Newsletter Winter 2006

- The Baltoscandic Fungochitina spinifera Biozone brackets the base of the Ashgill Series

in its type area. The base of the Ashgill Upper Ordovician GSSP’s and the British therefore corresponds to a level in the Historical Type Area: a Chitinozoan Point Baltoscandic upper Oandu or in the Rakavere of View Stage; previously the base of the Ashgill was thought to fall in the overlying Vormsi Stage. Vandenbroucke, T.R.A. - Application of chitinozoan correlations Research Unit Palaeontology, Ghent places levels with graptolites of the University, Krijgslaan 281/S8, B-9000 Ghent, Dicellograptus morrisi subzone Belgium; [email protected] (Dicranograptus clingani Biozone) in the Recent developments in chronostratigraphic Onnian and Pusgillian. Subsequently, the level procedure and new biostratigraphical insights of the Pleurograptus linearis Biozone is necessitated the ongoing revision of the moved into the Cautleyan or even higher. The Ordovician System’s chronostratigraphy. A suggested changes result in a much better new global subdivision of the Ordovician is agreement with the revised graptolite being established by the ICS, at the expense of biozonation of the Cautley district (Rickards, the British chronostratigraphical framework, 2002) than with the previously existing ones which has long been used as an informal for the area. ‘global’ standard. The first of this project’s Reference: main objectives consisted of the study of the chitinozoan assemblages in the newly Jenkins, W.A.M. 1967. Palaeontology 10 (3), proposed, or already ratified Global Stratotype 436-488. Sections and Points (GSSP’s) for the Upper Rickards, R.B. 2002. Proceedings of the Ordovician Series. Chitinozoan abundances Yorkshire Geological Society 54, 1-16. and preservation permitting, a biozonation was established and a proxy selected for each of the investigated boundary levels.

During the second phase of the project, these New chitinozoans from the P. linearis new Upper Ordovician GSSP’s are compared graptolite biozone in Baltoscandia and to the historical type areas of the British Avalonia equivalent Caradoc and Ashgill Series, from a chitinozoan perspective. Concomitantly, the Vandenbroucke, T.R.A.1, Nielsen, A.T.2 & first Upper Ordovician chitinozoan Verniers, J.1 biozonation for British Avalonia is established. 1 The historical Caradoc and Ashgill type Research Unit Palaeontology, Ghent sections in the Anglo-Welsh Basin yield an University, Krijgslaan 281/S8, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium; [email protected] important chitinozoan fauna; these data are supplemented with information from other 2 The Geological Museum, University of British key sections which are famous for their Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade 5-7, DK-1350 accurate graptolite control. As a result, the Copenhagen, Denmark established chitinozoan biozonation for British Avalonia is nicely tied to both the British Rickards (2002; 2004) has recently suggested chronostratigraphical framework and the that the P. linearis Graptolite Biozone is of graptolite biostratigraphy. It consists of Rawtheyan age in the historical type area of fourteen chitinozoan biozones and subzones the Ashgill Series (Cautley district, Cumbria, and is of importance as Avalonia lacks a Northern England), implying that this biozone formal biozonal scheme for the Ordovician, in is younger than previously believed. contrast with the well-established biozonations Subsequently, Vandenbroucke et al. (2005) in the other prominent palaeocontinents of that studied the rich and diverse chitinozoan period in time. Interestingly, the newly drawn assemblages from the same area and British biozonation scheme has a recognised several, both new as well as predominantly Baltoscandic signature, which previously defined biozones, from bottom to fits Avalonia’s migrating position during the top: the Fungochitina spinifera, Tanuchitina Ordovician. Highlights include: bergstroemi?, Conochitina rugata (three Baltoscandian biozones), Spinachitina - The chitinozoans of the Caradoc type area are fossensis, Bursachitina umbilicata (two re-organised into biozones which are more Avalonian biozones), Ancyrochitina merga (a readily applicable than those erected by Northern Gondwana biozone) and the Jenkins (1967).

51 CIMP Newsletter Winter 2006

Belonechitina postrobusta Zone (a global Vandenbroucke T.R.A., Rickards, R.B. & lower Silurian biozone). All biozones are well Verniers, J. 2005. Geological Magazine, 142 correlated with the graptolite (Rickards, 2002; (6), 783-807. 2004) and shelly fauna (Ingham, 1966) biozones described from the region.

However, the above dating of the P. linearis Graptolite Biozone is in contradiction with its Chitinozoan biozonation and correlation of age assignment in (a.o.) the classic Girvan area the Middle Ordovician to Llandovery (Scotland), where it straddles the Caradoc- succession of the Condroz Inlier (Belgium): Ashgill (= Sandbyan/Katyan) boundary, as implications for the evolution of the indicated by shelly fauna data. Unpublished Condroz-Brabant Basin chitinozoan data from these levels are in good agreement with chitinozoans from the Vanmeirhaeghe, J. Laurentian C. pygmaeus Graptolite Biozone, Research Unit Palaeontology, Department of which correlates with the P. linearis Graptolite Geology and Pedology, Ghent University, Biozone. Krijgslaan 281/S8, B- 9000 Gent, Belgium; It is our intention to map graptolite- [email protected] chitinozoan relations in several sections Chitinozoan studies on more than 250 samples through the discussed interval, in order to resulted in a revised stratigraphical scheme and contribute to the solution of the existing a biozonation for the Condroz Inlier correlation problem. As the chitinozoan (Belgium), contributing to the establishment of biozonation in the Cautley district has a mainly a chitinozoan biozonation for Avalonia. The Baltoscandian signature (together with some obtained biozonation allowed a more detailed Avalonian elements), a Baltoscandic section correlation of the Middle Ordovician to rich in graptolites was sought to study for Llandovery succession of the Condroz Inlier chitinozoans, and to compare the graptolite- with that of the Brabant Massif, from which a chitinozoan relations on both palaeocontinents. basin evolution from the Middle Ordovician to Such a section is found on the Bornholm the Llandovery is inferred. Island, Denmark, where the upper main part of the Dicellograptus Shale represents the D. The Middle Ordovician of the Condroz Inlier clingani and P. linearis zones, whereas the succession starts with the black shales of the overlying Lindegård Mudstone contains early Llanvirn Huy Formation, in which the graptolites indicative of the D. complanatus formosa Biozone was found. Overlying are the Zone (Bjerreskov and Stouge, 1985). The P. strongly burrowed sediments of the newly linearis Biozone interval of the Vasagård defined Chevreuils Formation, for which the section yields a rich and diverse chitinozoan chitinozoans indicate a late Llanvirn to early fauna, of which the first results are shown on Caradoc age. The Aurelucian to lower Onnian the poster. An inter-palaeocontinental range (lower to upper Caradoc) Vitrival-Bruyère comparison of key chitinozoan species such as Formation, correlated with the stentor, Lagenochitina baltica, Lagenochitina cervicornis and spinifera biozones, consists of prussica, Angochitina communis and siltstones with sometimes thick intercalated Tanuchitina bergstroemi is presented and sandstone beds. The Sart-Bernard Formation is discussed. shown to be part of the Vitrival-Bruyère Formation. The calcareous siltstones and Reference: mottled mudstones of the Fosses Formation (Pusgillian – Rawtheyan), contain the Bjerreskov, M. & Stouge, S. 1985. Field Excursion Guide, Bornholm. Graptolite spinifera, bergstroemi, rugata, fossensis and working group of the International umbilicata biozones. Both members of the Fosses Formation display a strong diachrony, Palaeontological Association, Third International Conference 1985, Copenhagen, showing a deeper basin from west to east. Denmark, 1-23. Therefore, ?Hirnantian sandstones from the newly defined Tihange Member (Fosses Ingham, J. K. 1966. Proceedings of the Formation) and the Rhuddanian dark grey Yorkshire Geological Society 35, 374-504. shales of the newly introduced Bonne- Espérance Formation only occur in the east. Rickards, R.B. 2002. Proceedings of the The siltstones of the Aeronian Génicot Yorkshire Geological Society 54, 1-16. Formation, locally containing conglomeratic Rickards, R.B. 2004. Geological Magazine, levels in the western Puagne Inlier, overlie 141 (6), 735-738. these. The green-(grey) and red shales of the Dave Formation are restricted to the upper

52 CIMP Newsletter Winter 2006

Aeronian to Telychian. The green-grey shales Trans-European Suture Zone. Clastic of the Criptia Group in the western Puagne sediments from the Uhřice - 1 borehole in Inlier are tentatively correlated with this unit. southern Moravia yielded dispersed miospores of ferns, sphenopsids and lycopsids (37 Correlation with the Brabant Basin. The lower species) and rare marine microplankton. Llanvirn Huy Formation correlates with a part Genera Acinosporites, Apiculiretusispora and of the dark grey shales of the Rigenée Retusotriletes dominate in the assemblage. Formation; the upper part of the latter might Recovered microfossils indicate continental correlate with the Tier d’Olne Formation of the environment with limited marine influence eastern Condroz Inlier, implying a Burrellian such as coastal tidally influenced marshes and age for it. The turbiditic sediments of the Ittre deltaic swamps. Miospores with prominent and Bornival and the slope to basin deposits of irregular verrucate scupture such as the Hospice de Rebecq formations correlate Verrucosisporites flexuosus, V. premnus and V. with the Burrellian - ?Actonian part of the scurrus suggest the Middle Devonian, most Vitrival-Bruyère Formation. The upper probably early Givetian age. A composition of shoreface deposits of the Onnian Huet palynospectrum reflects a presumed Middle Formation correspond to a stratigraphic hiatus Devonian homogeneity of miospore between the Vitrival-Bruyère and the Fosses assemblages from paleo-tropical to paleo- formations in the Condroz Inlier. The subpolar regions. Close connection can be overlying ?outer neritic deposits of the Madot noted with miospores from the Orcadian Basin, Formation record a sea-level rise, which in the Scotland. Cell wall of the organic-walled Condroz Inlier corresponds to the Pusgillian to microfossils is more affected by the Rawtheyan interval of the Fosses Formation. irreversible colour changes than Early In the Hirnantian, a distal turbiditic facies only Cambrian microfossils from the neighbouring occurs in the Harelbeke unit, and the boreholes in southern Moravia. equivalent in the Condroz Inlier may be the sandstones of the Tihange Member. The overlying Deerlijk and Lust formations still contain distal turbidites and are correlated with the Bonne-Espérance, Génicot and Dave A case study using spore biochemistry as a formations of the Condroz Inlier. proxy for past UV-B levels: the rise and fall of atmospheric oxygen during the From the upper Llanvirn on, a differentiation Carboniferous-Permian between the Condroz (shelf) and Brabant (deep shelf to basinal) deposits hence becomes clear. Wellman C.H.1, Lomax B.H.1, Fraser W.T. 2, Sea-level changes consequently are more Sephton M.A.3, Beerling D.J.1 expressed in the Condroz Inlier than the 1 Dept. of Animal & Plant Sciences, University Brabant Massif. These findings are in agreement with the position of the Condroz of Sheffield, Alfred Denny Building, Western Inlier closer to the craton with respect to the Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK Brabant Massif in Ordovician-Silurian times. 2 Dept. of Earth Sciences, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, UK

3 Dept. of Earth Science & Engineering, South Palynomorphs from the Uhřice - 1 borehole, Kensington Campus, Imperial College London Middle Devonian of the Czech Republic SW7 2AZ, UK Vavrdová M. Recently reported experiments demonstrate that angiosperms increase their investment in Laboratory of Paleobiology and pollen exine UV-B screening pigments when Palaeoecology, Institute of Geology, Academy exposed to elevated levels of UV-B radiation. of Science, Rozvojová 269, 165 00 Praha 6, We have confirmed that a similar response CzechRepublic; [email protected] occurs in extant homosporous (Lycopodium) Despite numerous radiometric, petrological, and heterosporous (Selaginella) lycopsids, mineralogical and geophysical studies, based on experiments in the Abisko research palynological analysis still appear to be a sole station in arctic Sweden. The experiments mean to distinguish the Early Cambrian and utilize Lycopodium and Selaginella grown in the Devonian clastics covering igneous and outdoor plots subjected to either background or metamorphic rocks of the Precambrian enhanced UV-B radiation. Furthermore, we Brunovistulicum. Palynomorphs contribute to have analysed levels of exospore UV-B elucidation of terranes assembled within the screening pigments in historical records of

53 CIMP Newsletter Winter 2006

Lycopodium spores from herbaria collections The late Silurian (Ludlow and Přídolí) of plants from Ecuador and South Georgia. through the earliest Devonian (early The spores from Ecuador have been exposed to Lochkovian) was a time, not only of major constant UV-B radiation levels and show no compositional change in the marine organic- change in pigment levels. The spores from walled phytoplankton, but also important South Georgia have been exposed to a changes in the palaeogeography, progressive increase in UV-B radiation (related palaeooceanography, and geochemistry of the to thinning of the stratospheric ozone layer) world as well. Innovative morphologies and clearly exhibit an increase in pigment appeared in high latitude assemblages during levels. Our data records a strong three fold the late Silurian, although overall diversity linear increase in the concentration of UV-B decreased elsewhere, and marine protecting pigments in response to a 14% transgressions along the margin of Gondwana thinning of the ozone column. This newly apparently led to the emergence of new taxa identified response offers a potential tool for during the early Devonian. investigating natural changes in UV-B flux Observed changes in biodiversity over geological time (potentially related to during the nine-million year period of the changes in atmospheric oxygen levels and Ludlow through earliest Lochkovian were concomitant changes in the thickness of the based on organic-walled microphytoplankton stratospheric ozone layer). In order to test if data derived from published and unpublished spore wall biochemistry can be utilized as a stratigraphic sections where independent age proxy for past UV-B levels we have analysed control was firmly established. Regional fossil lycopsid spores from throughout the biodiversity changes for the organic-walled Carboniferous-Permian interval. This interval microphytoplankton were then determined for is of interest because it is considered to have low latitude warm water areas (Avalonia, witnessed a huge rise and subsequent fall in Baltica, and Laurentia) and the middle to atmospheric oxygen levels, that presumably higher latitude temperate to cool water regions affected thickness of the stratospheric ozone of northern Gondwana. layer, and thus UV-B radiation levels. The late Silurian-earliest Devonian

organic-walled phytoplankton was divided into three major categories to facilitate comparison between geographical areas and to determine Late Silurian to Earliest Devonian organic- compositional changes. The three categories walled phytoplankton biodiversity changes are: marine chlorophytes and prasinophytes, Wicander R.1, Le Hérissé A.2, Dorning, K.J.3 & marine acritarchs, and nonmarine types, Mullins G.L.4 including coenobial forms. This tripartite 1 grouping is based on overall morphology, and Department of Geology, Central Michigan within each category is detailed enough to University, Mount Pleasant, Michigan 48859, mark critical changes in the paleoenvironment USA; [email protected] as well as the phytoplankton assemblage. 2 UMR 6538 CNRS, Université de Bretagne The only meaningful data for the late Occidentale, 6 Avenue Le Gorgeu, BP 809, Silurian of Laurentia indicates a phytoplankton 29285 Brest Cedex, France assemblage dominated by prasinophytes 3 Pallab Research, 58 Robertson Road, similar in composition to that reported from Sheffield S6 5DX, England, United Kingdom Podolia. This is followed by an initial radiation 4 of new taxa as indicated by the diverse Department of Geology, University of assemblage of acritarchs and prasinophytes Leicester, University Road, Leicester LE1 present in the Lochkovian Haragan Formation 7RH, England, United Kingdom of Oklahoma, U.S.A. The highest Environmental factors including light, phytoplankton diversity in the Welsh Basin of temperature, salinity, nutrients, water depth, Wales and the Welsh Borderland, a part of circulation patterns, and latitude contribute to Avalonia, occurred during the late Homerian to the distribution, abundance, and diversity of early Gorstian and late Gorstian, with a decline present-day marine phytoplankton. These same in diversity in the Ludfordian. Data from factors are most likely to have also affected the Gotland, Sweden, mirrors that from the Welsh Palaeozoic marine phytoplankton, which was area. In Podolia, phytoplankton diversity dominated by organic-walled acritarchs and declined during the Wenlock and Ludlow. The prasinophytes. significantly lower values in the late Ludfordian, however, may be reflective of very shallow marine conditions.

54 CIMP Newsletter Winter 2006

Data from northwest Libya and and prasinophytes, but is equally well northern Spain along the northern Gondwanan preserved. The miospore assemblage includes margin, indicate phytoplankton diversity stratigraphically restricted taxa such as increased from the Gorstian to the late Retispora lepidophyta, Rugospora famenensis Ludfordian and early Přídolí, and then declined and Vallatisporites pusillites, all of which are in the late Přídolí. A significant new definitive of a latest Devonian (late diversification began in the early Lochkovian, Famennian) age. Reworked earlier Devonian coincident with that in North America, taxa are also present, together with long- resulting in a noticeable reduction in ranging forms. The acritarch and prasinophyte phytoplankton provincialism. assemblage is very diverse and consists of the following characteristic Middle and Upper

Devonian species: Duvernaysphaera angelae, D. radiata, Evittia someri, Exochoderma irregulare, Horologinella horologia, An Upper Devonian palynomorph Maranhites mosesii, M. brasiliensis, assemblage from Bolivia Pterospermella pernambucensis, Wicander R.1, Clayton G.2, Troth I.3, Racey Umbellasphaeridium deflandrei, U. A.3 & Marshall J.E.A.4 saharicum, and Veryhachium trispinosum. 1 Other taxa recovered include Ammonidium sp., Department of Geology, Central Michigan Cymatiosphaera sp., Dictyotidum sp., University, Mount Pleasant, Michigan 48859, Gorgonisphaeridium sp., Hapsidopalla sp., USA; [email protected] Leiosphaeridia sp., Lophosphaeridium sp., 2 Department of Geology, Trinity College, Micrhystridium sp., and Veryhachium sp. The Dublin 2, Ireland taxa recovered are consistent with a Late 3 Devonian age, although none are restricted to BG Energy Holdings Ltd., 100 Thames the latest Devonian. Valley Park Drive, Reading, Berkshire RG6 1PT, United Kingdom Although the Itacua Formation has 4 been reported as “Early Carboniferous” and School of Ocean and Earth Science, “Devono-Carboniferous,” there are no University of Southampton, National definitive Carboniferous miospore or marine Oceanography Centre, Southampton, European phytoplankton species present in the preserved Way, Southampton, SO14 3ZH, United assemblage. Based on the spore and Kingdom acritarch/prasinophyte taxa recorded, the oldest A well-preserved and diverse assemblage of that this section could be is latest Famennian. palynomorphs was recovered from a river However, total reworking of Devonian section and nearby roadside outcrop at palynomorphs into barren Carboniferous Bermejo, Santa Cruz Province, Bolivia, sediments cannot be totally ruled out as a approximately 80 km southwest of Santa Cruz. possible, if somewhat unlikely, scenario. Six productive samples were taken from Based on the miospore/acritarch ratio, the low sandstones and shales assigned to the abundance of phytoclasts, and the composition uppermost few metres of the Upper Devonian of the acritarch assemblage, these sediments Iquiri Formation. Eighteen productive samples are interpreted as having been deposited in an were recovered from the lower 17 m of the offshore, shelf environment. overlying diamictites. This approximately 38 m thick unit constitutes the Itacua Formation, which has been described in the past as “Early Carboniferous” and as “Devono- Electron-microscopical studies for Permian Carboniferous” in age. Regionally, the Itacua palynology Formation unconformably overlies the Iquiri Formation, but in the Bermejo section, the Zavialova N.1 & Stephenson M.2 contact is sheared. Spot samples from basal 1 Laboratory of Paleobotany, Paleontological sandstones of the Tupambi Formation, which Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, overlies the Itacua Formation, all proved Moscow, Profsoyuznaya, 123, 117647, Russia; barren. [email protected] The assemblage is dominated by 2 British Geological Survey, Keyworth, acritarchs and prasinophytes, all of which Nottingham, NG12 5GG, UK show the same degree of thermal maturity and are typically well preserved. The miospore The aim of this talk is to show why broader assemblage is less diverse than the acritarchs application of electron-microscopical studies

55 CIMP Newsletter Winter 2006 of fossil exines is important for Paleozoic Meyen, S.V., 1987. Fundamentals of palynology (using the example of Permian Palaeobotany. Chapman and Hall, London– pollen). SEM and TEM not only allow one to New York. observe minute morphological characteristics Zavialova, N.E., Gomankov, A.V., of the exine, indiscernible in transmitted light, Yaroshenko, O.P. & Rovnina, L.V., 2004. but also to differentiate between surface and Morphology and ultrastructure of monosaccate inner elements of the exine. The consecutive pollen grains of the genus Cordaitina application of LM, SEM, and TEM to one and Samoilovich 1953 from the Permian of Russia. the same specimen (that is particularly - Acta Palaeobotanica Polonica, 44, 1, 3–35. pertinent dealing with dispersed material, because similar palynotypes, which may occur Zavialova, N.E., Meyer-Melikian, N.R., & even in the same assemblage, might have been Gomankov, A.V., 2001. Ultrastructure of produced by evolutionary distant plant groups) Some Permian Pollen Grains from the Russian provides complete information about each Platform: 99-114. - In: Goodman D.K. & specimen and prevents merging the Clarke R.T. (eds.) Proceedings of the IX IPC. morphological characteristics of different plant groups. Zavialova, N.E. & Stephenson, M.H., 2006. The exine ultrastructure of Plicatipollenites A list of Permian pollen genera has been Lele 1964. – Review of Palaeobotany and studied in terms of their exine ultrastructure. Palynology, 139, 241-252. For example, ultrastructural characteristics made it possible to differentiate between the Permian and Triassic members of Cordaitina Samoilovich, 1953 and to show that the latest members of this dispersed genus most probably were produced by a different plant Goldenbergites gen. nov. a new genus of group than its Permian members. The herbaceous lycophytes and its spores from functionality of the trilete scar was supposed. the Radnice Member (Bolsovian) of the An intermediate type between protosaccus and Radnice Basin (Czech Republic) eusaccus was revealed (Zavialova et al., 2001, 2004). Drábková J. Electron-microscopical data provide better Czech Geological Survey, Klárov, Prague 1, substantiation to the morphological basis on Czech Republic; [email protected] which conclusions of palynologists are based, Three shoots of herbaceous lycophytes from concerning the affinity of parent plants of the Radnice Member (Bolsovian) of the dispersed pollen and spores, plant evolution, Radnice Basin were studied, together with and distribution of plant groups on different their insitu spores. These fossils are preserved continents. The last problem is especially as compressions in whitish tuff lying at the topical for the Permian, which is characterized, base of the Whetstone volcanic horizon on the one hand, by high degree of directly overlying the Lower radnice Coal and provincialism, and, on the other, by the comes from Ovčín (Pokrok), opencast Mine, striking similarity between pollen morphotypes near Radnice. The sterile laafy shoot appear to occurring in different continents. Meyen be isophyllous with their leaves (1987) believed that ultrastructural data would configurational to four rowes on the shot clarify the apparent similarity between several bearing strobile are leaves relatively closelly Gondwana and Angaraland palynotypes. adpressed to the axis. Serrated monosporangite Recently, the exine ultrastructure of sporophylls create narrow apical strobiles. Plicatipollenites Lele, 1964 from the Permian Each sporophyl bores one big cordate of Oman was studied (Zavialova and sporngium. Simple sporophylls are arranged in Stephenson, 2006). The comparison with its alternating verticils, two per whorl. The Angaraland analogue Cordaitina, surprisingly strobiles yelded megaspores closely show much more similarities between these comparable with dispersed species dispersed genera that we have been expecting Bentzisporites tricollinus. Simillar specimens keeping in mind their distant occurrence and were described and figured by Goldenberg most probable different origin as well as the (1855) as Lycopodites elongatus and transfered high variability earlier revealed within to Sellaginellites by Halle(1907). Megaspores Cordaitina. The comparative analysis of other isolated from Sellaginellites elongatus by genera would be extremely interesting. Haslle (1907) and Sen (1958) are closelly References: comparable with dispersed species Bentzisporites bentzii. Cingulate megaspores

56 CIMP Newsletter Winter 2006 of the genus Bentzisporites are different from important endemism documented for the Early zonate megaspores of the genus and Mid Ordovician chitinozoans. The limited Triangulatisporites isolated from faunal exchanges in the group were partly due carboniferous herbaceous lycophytes of the to the scattering of the main palaeoplates and genus Selaginella. A new genus to green house conditions that favoured Goldenbergites gen. nov. is proposed, most sluggish oceanic circulation. especially on the bases of the presence From the early Late Ordovician onward, the different megaspores. Two species consist biodiversification slowed down progressively genus Goldenbergites gen. nov. in present: in Baltica and northern Gondwana while in Goldenbergites elongatus and Goldenbergites Laurentia, after a marked decrease during the serratus sp. n. Sandbian, the diversification continued to References: develop, reaching its maximum in the early Katian. The global chitinozoan diversity Goldenberg, H. R., 1855: Flore Saraepontana followed the same pattern with the magnitude fossils. Die Flora der Vorwel. Saarbrücken. 1: of the late Katian peak comparable to the 1-38. Darriwilian one. This Katian global diversity, Halle, T. G., 1907: Einige krautartige however, was not much higher than the Lycopodiaceen palaeozoischen und Laurentian one, suggesting important faunal mesozoischen Alters. K. Sven. Vet. Akad. Ark. exchanges. During Late Ordovician, a major Bot. 7: 1-17. paleogeographic reorganisation of the southern hemisphere resulted from northward drift of

Avalonia, its docking to Baltica, and the concomitant widening of the Rheic Ocean. In the meantime important tectonic events Palaeogeography and palaeoclimatology as (Taconic orogeny) related to the closing of the main controlling factors for the Ordovician Iapetus Ocean developed along the Laurentian chitinozoan diversification margin. All these geotectonic events induced Paris F.1 Achab A.2 & Asselin E.3 global changes in climate, sea level, seawater 1 composition, nutrient input, and oceanic Géosciences-Rennes, UMR 6118 du CNRS, circulation. These changes deeply influenced Université de Rennes 1, 35042 Rennes-cedex, the chitinozoans through a lowering of their France; [email protected] previous endemism and an inversion of their 2 Institut national de la recherche scientifique- biodiversification trend in Baltica and ETE, 490, rue de la Couronne, Québec, Gondwana. In Laurentia, however, as the Québec G1K 9A9, Canada; result of the Taconic orogeny and [email protected] modifications of the oceanic circulation 3 patterns, a diversity decrease is observed in the Natural Resources Canada, Geological early Late Ordovician followed by a diversity Survey of Canada, Québec Division, 490, rue increase attributed to the development of de la Couronne, Québec, Québec G1K 9A9, turbid nutrient rich waters. Canada; [email protected] Globally an important decrease in chitinozoan Chitinozoans originated in the early diversity is observed in Late Ordovician. It Tremadocian and disappeared in the latest started in early Sandbian in northern Devonian. These enigmatic tiny organic- Gondwana and Baltica and in middle Katian in walled vesicles are recorded in marine Laurentia. This trend seems concomitant with sediments ranging from nearshore to deep the onset of an icehouse environment oceanic environments. They were an important culminating with the Hirnantian glaciation. component of the Ordovician palaeoplankton. The triggering factors of this icehouse episode They are generally interpreted as reproduction are not fully understood, but they could be stages of cryptic, soft-bodied "chitinozoan” linked to the major paleogeographic and animals. paleoceanologic changes of the Late The chitinozoan group diversified Ordovician. Temporary and periodic global progressively from the Tremadocian to the late perturbations of the carbon cycle are also Darriwilian, when it reached its acme in documented during this period. Baltica and northern Gondwana. At that time, a The dramatic fall of the chitinozoan diversity first peak of diversity is registered in Laurentia during the Hirnantian resulted from a and the global chitinozoan diversity combination of climatic and environmental represented approximately the sum of the changes on populations already weakened. regional diversities. This is consistent with the However, as for other fossil groups the

57 CIMP Newsletter Winter 2006 chitinozoan extinction event was not selective. Some members mentioned that it is sometimes Only a few genera really disappeared just difficult to organise payment of subscriptions before the top of the Ordovician and the and that the cost of bank transfers is too high. chitinozoan assemblages recorded during the Methods of alternative payment e.g. the Paypal Silurian recovery exhibited the same system (https://www.paypal.com/) were morphologic features and the same ecology as discussed. The Secretary and Treasurer agreed their pre-Hirnantian predecessors. to look into the use of Paypal for CIMP subscription. This is a contribution to IGCP n° 503. Newsletter CIMP General Meeting minutes The Newsletter Editor (M. Stephenson) said Mike Stephenson that very few people send articles for inclusion in the biannual CIMP Newsletter. G. Clayton Date of meeting 5-10-06, Time 1500hrs suggested that one Newsletter could be Treasurer’s presentation produced per year instead of two. Another member said that perhaps there should not be P. Steemans (Treasurer) presented the financial Subcommission Newsletters. M. Stephenson accounts for CIMP (reproduced at the back of said (1) there was a danger that CIMP might this Newsletter). become rather moribund if there were only one The treasurer made the following points: Newsletter per year, and (2) that the purpose of the biannual CIMP Newsletter is primarily to A google spreadsheet showing the details of discuss non-specialist topics of interest to all each CIMP member including their Palaeozoic palynologists and thus is more membership and payment status is at general than the Subcommission Newsletters. http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?ke Subcommission reports y=pPFD_Y0BN_lB_fzVxd- kYSg&output=html&gid=0&single=tr Reports were given by the respective Secretaries. New personnel were voted into ue office (see next section). If you would like to access your information Publications for Prague CIMP papers you can obtain a password from P. Steemans at [email protected] Oldřich Fatka said that papers could be published in the Czech Bulletin of Geoscience There will be a general amnesty for members (http://nts1.cgu.cz/bulletin/contents/2006/vol8 that have not paid up until 2006, but after this 1no1). Colour plates would be possible but year (2006) all members are expected to pay papers would be restricted to 12 printed pages the correct amount (Euros 10 or $10) per and 4 diagram pages. For more details annum. Students and retired professionals have [email protected]. free membership. CIMP role in curating type specimens P. Steemans said that not enough people pay their subscriptions at present. He also asked M. Stephenson mentioned that some of the that council members and officials of CIMP most important holotypes and paratypes should pay their fees more often. (particularly in Carboniferous and Permian palynology) are either lost or not curated M. Stephenson (Secretary) said that without a professionally. Similarly specimens that are guaranteed and predictable income it is exemplars of key informal species in industrial difficult to commit to an annual spend. A few contexts are sometimes not curated at all. He members however countered by saying that asked if CIMP could have a role in storing or members don’t feel that CIMP spends any arranging for the storage of important type money and that the level of subscription specimens. He mentioned such initiatives as payment would be improved if CIMP were to Taxonomy Online at the British Geological be seen to be spending some money. M. Survey Stephenson agreed that two ‘grants –in-aid’ (http://www.bgs.ac.uk/taxonomy/spores/home. might be offered to deserving CIMP members html.) and PalyWeb to help them attend the International (http://www.palyweb.ulg.ac.be/wiki/index.php Palynological Congress in Bonn in 2008. P. ?title=Main_Page) and suggested that ‘virtual Steemans agreed that there are funds to allow museums’ may be a solution. modest support. It was also suggested that additional funds might be sought from New President of CIMP industrial sources.

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The election of a new President was discussed. Secretary and Newsletter Editor: Thijs Alternatives were presented: (1) an immediate Vandenbrouke who replaces Gary vote in the chamber, or (2) a vote by email. A vote was carried out to decide which option Mullins was best. An email vote was decided upon. President: Ken Dorning was re- The result of the vote is given in a later elected.. section. Future CIMP activities Next CIMP Conference: Cracow It was agreed the the CIMP IFPS councillors 2010? would enquire about CIMP representation at the IPC in Bonn 2008. Monika Masiak ([email protected]) and It was suggested that proposals be made to the colleagues have volunteered to host the Secretary regarding the venue for the next CIMP Conference. See later section. CIMP 2010 conference in Cracow, Poland, including a fieldtrip to the Election of President of CIMP Holy Cross Mountains.

I am sorry that it has taken so long to Gallery of Prague photos reply over the election of our new President, but I was overseas much of the time after September 2006. However I am pleased to say that the election went smoothly and the results for the two candidates were: John Marshall - 31 votes Jacques Verniers - 23 votes Thus John Marshall is elected President of CIMP! Congratulations John! Left to right: Issam Al-Barram, PhD student at Sheffield, Charles Wellman, Bader Ali Al New subcommission positions in Belushi, palynologist at Petroleum CIMP Development Oman Spore-Pollen Subcommission Secretary and Newsletter Editor: Marco Vecoli., who replaces Duncan McLean President: Zelia Pereira, who replaces Ken Higgs Acritarch Subcommission Secretary and Newsletter Editor:

Catherine Duggan who replaces Marco Reading through abstracts before the talk Vecoli. begins President: Reed Wicander was re- elected. Chitinozoan Subcommission

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Jiri Bek preparing to speak The CIMP Gala dinner

Something amusing. The PDO dinner

Randall Penney and Bader Ali Al Belushi at The CIMP Gala dinner the PDO dinner

Drinks at breaktimes Deep discussion at the excellent lunches

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Klučice. In addition we also visited the Silurian/Devonian GSSP at Budňany Rock , Karlštejn.

Fig. 1 the Barrandian area

John Richardson and Ken Higgs

Budňany Rock , Karlštejn Also the beautiful section at the Natalia Zaviolova and Maria Tekleva Silurian-Devonian GSSP at Klonk near Suchomasty was a fine stop in the Post CIMP Field trip sunshine, before setting off back to Mike Stephenson Prague. I attended the fieldtrip ‘Lower Palaeozoic of the Barrandian area’ which was a very nice short tour of the geology of an area to the west of Prague, as well as a superb introduction to some important GSSPs in the Barrandian area. The trip included visits to the Upper Ordovician of Levín and the Lower Silurian of

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Silurian-Devonian GSSP at Klonk Finally the Ludlow/Přídolí GSSP at Požáry Quarry was a fascinating end to the trip.

Fig. 2 Stratigraphic positions of the localities

Letter from Jiri Bek Dear CIMP Members, I should like to present some of my impressions and feelings concerning CIMP General Meeting Prague 2006 with a special attention to the closing CIMP Council. First of all, thank you very much to all participants for their contributions, presentations and official and Ludlow/Přídolí GSSP at Požáry Quarry unofficial discussions. I hope, that the meeting ‘upgraded’ and enriched all of The stratigraphic positions of the us. localities visited are shown in Fig. 2. Secondly, it was suprising, that so many of us do not pay their CIMP fee

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regularly. CIMP, as a member of IFPS, during cofee breaks, lunches, the possesses two councillors opening ice breaker party. There would (representatives of CIMP on the be no support for students or senior highest world-wide palynological palynologists. The fee of such a level) because it has more than 200 conference could be very low, perhaps members. I understand that CIMP pays 20-30 Euros. But I think, nobody only for 40-50 members (if I wants a ‘budget’ conference. understood Phillipe Steemans The second type would be the correctly) although it has two organisation of a “more comfortable“ councillors. It is not dangerous for conference with support of several today, because I am IFPS Secretary colleagues, free lunches, free opening and Treasurer, but it may be a party, bags with abstracts book, dangerous thing in the future. I am photos, pencils, notebooks and related sure, that it is good that CIMP has two things etc. The problem is that the fee councillors on the highest for such a conference cannot be low palynological level because only a few without financial help. Organizers of other palynological societies possess Prague meeting were able to support two councillors (AASP, Russian EVERYBODY who asked for support palynologists, APLF and Chinese within the published deadline. We palynologists). It may be good, if it is a even supported people who made constant feature also for the future. So, application after the deadline, for please pay your fees. It will be good example a few weeks before the for all of us. meeting. The main problem was that Thirdly, CIMP has a small chance to the level of the fee did not correspond be active in some ways if people with our previous ideas. We had to fix cannot rely on the finance of the the fee for 160 Euros due to all these organization. There are several ways factors. Maybe the level of the fee was how to spend or use fee money. For not ideal for all, but we had no other example, we could (1) support the best chance because Palaeozoic palynology PhD students; (2) support selected is not so attractive for sponsors. In fact projects (e.g. CIMP working groups); I hoped that CIMP will be able to help (3) support participations of students us and will cover some costs. The best and people from not so rich countries ; should be, if organizers will be able to (4) support selected senior manage all these things together with palynologists on international meetings relatively low fee. If CIMP could help and conferences organised by CIMP ; us, I think, that the fee might be less or (5) support publications of CIMP than 100 Euros including full service, members. But if there is no money of supports of people etc. It is my activities must be very limited. suggestion for organizers of the next CIMP General Meeting. If the situation continues, I think that the organizers of the next CIMP I heard complaints that the two parallel General Meeting will have to sessions was not ideal, and that this compromise the financial situation of was the first time, a CIMP conference the conference, like ourselves in has had two parallel sessions. In fact Prague. It is not a real problem to everybody who was at Lille in 2000 organise a ‘budget’ conference. At knows that two parallel sessions were such a conference nothing would be organisied there as well. I think that free, except the book of abstracts and there were only a few people who were you would have to pay for coffee or tea interested in both sessions – marine

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microplankton and chitinozoans as well as spore and pollen session. Few people are working on Ordovician- Devonian microplankton and Devonian-Permian spores together. In fact, if we had had one session there would have been two problems for the organizers. The first, you do not need another room but on the other hand you have to pay for longer time for all other previous rooms (you need one room for the session, one for cofee breaks and one for organisers, internet, registration etc). The second problem - the whole conference must be longer. In Prague only one session should mean not three days but almost five days. It represents additional costs for organizers (costs of all rooms) as well as for participants (hotels, table money) and additional time for all of us. We prefered two parallel sessions due to all these factors. I am sure, that a good and predictable I have found nothing similar in the financial situation for CIMP will literature. They are associated with greatly help our next President – John rare chitinozoans and acritarchs, and Marshall or Jacques Vernier - with his with numerous well preserved effort to make CIMP a well organised miospores and megaspores. There are and research organisation. also abundant cuticles and tracheids. At the end of the General Meeting, I Because of this, the palynofacies noticed, that nobody said thank you to corresponds to a near shore our former President Florentin Paris - environment with a strong continental no applause and no thanks. This is not input. The strange palynomorphs are a good exit from the scene after four composed of two distinct parts: a years. So, Florentin thank you very central body and a sheath in which it is much for your service to CIMP! enclosed (see above). The central body is spherical, or ovoid, with a diameter Jiří Bek, Laboratory of Palaeobiology and ranging from 260 to 450 µm. It is Palaeoecology, Institute of Geology, Academy of Science, Prague, Czech Republic composed of an indistinct very thin pale brown membrane supported by a network of interweaved fibres. The external sheath has is vase-shaped and Enigmatic Givetian palynomorphs looks like a net closed at its largest part P. Steemans ([email protected]) and open at its narrowest extremity. Have you seen anything like this The general appearance is of a (below)? Large enigmatic fisherman’s keepnet. The meshes are palynomorphs have been observed in rounded at the largest extremity and Givetian samples from Libya strongly elongated at the opposite one. The mesh diameter size ranges from

64 CIMP Newsletter Winter 2006 around 40 µm to 60 µm at the base and Gallery of database from around 16x90 µm to 20x160 µm The aim of ‘Taxonomy Online’ is to at the top. The “threads” of the mesh use the internet as a forum to illustrate are around 10 µm in diameter. Some fossil specimens held in the collections specimens have spines on the mesh, 20 of the BGS, and to outline their to 50 µm long and 10 µm large at their taxonomic and biostratigraphical base. A very thin membrane, 5 to 20 importance. As such, these web-based µm high, runs all along the “threads” publications supplement but do not on their internal and external faces replace traditional hardcopy (figs 4-5). When spines are present, palaeontological publications but allow they subtended the membrane (fig. 6). easy access to illustrations of In one case, two palynomorphs are specimens, descriptions, and to brought together, one above the other information about stratigraphic one. Dimensions: Length: 564 (940) distribution. 1617 µm (lowest dimensions are underestimated as several specimens For convenience, data are presented as are broken). Base width: 401 (500) 603 web-based packages so that amateur, µm. Top width: 186 (260) 341 µm student and professional (largest dimensions are probably palaeontologists will have easy access overestimated as several specimens are to the information. However, web broken). sites do not have publication status and for this reason a formal publication is As a reward for all suitable produced in .pdf format in the information, I will offer a good drink Research Report series of the British of your choice during the next CIMP Geological Survey. They are available meeting (If it is at Lisbon, then I as a free download from the website. suggest an excellent Port!). These reports have been assigned Thank you in advance ISBN numbers and are deposited with the copyright libraries. It is to the Taxonomy online Research Report that bibliographical Mike Stephenson reference should be made in formal taxonomic research. A new online searchable pictorial database of the 'Bernard Owens The collection of single grain mount Collection' of single grain mount slides which is partly illustrated in the palynological slides, curated at the database, is one of the most important British Geological Survey (BGS), is at collections of single grain Late http://www.bgs.ac.uk/taxonomy/spores Palaeozoic palynomorphs in the world /home.html. This is part of the BGS with over 145 taxa represented by ‘Taxonomy Online’ project. many specimens (up to 25 specimens per taxon), showing a wide range of preservation and natural variation. The specimens were collected from localities worldwide but are most closely associated with the UK and north-west Europe. Many of the taxa illustrated and described are integral to the biozonation of the Carboniferous of north-west Europe published by Clayton et al. (1977) and to earlier regional biozonations of smaller

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stratigraphical intervals within the UK housed on the web server of the (Smith and Butterworth, 1967; Neves University of Liège. A daily backup is et al., 1972, 1973; Owens and Burgess, carried out in order to safeguard all 1965; Owens et al., 1977). information in the event of system failure. Each single grain mount slide is associated with a unique BGS collections number prefixed with MPK. All slides are held in the BGS Palaeontology Collections at Keyworth, Nottingham. For information on the collection and on slide loans please contact Dr Mike Howe, Chief Curator, BGS, Keyworth, [email protected]. In short this initiative is an attempt to broaden access to BGS’ collections and I hope, if you have time, you will look at the work and comment on it. Fig. 1 Example of a PalyWeb page containing We would like to include new the description of the Tetrahedraletes genus. Blue words inside the descriptive text are links information on the taxa illustrated in to other pages (bibliographic references or future versions of the database. genus description pages).

PalyWeb Its internet address is: Phil Steemans P.1,2 & Pierre Breuer1 http://www.palyweb.ulg.ac.be/wiki/ind ex.php?title=Main_Page 1 Palaeobotanic-Palaeopalynology- Micropalaeontology, University of Liège, B- 18, Sart Tilman, 4000 Liège 1, Belgium. 2 NFSR Research Associate PalyWeb is a project of a web based free-content palynological databank in open access. Its conception is similar to the well known Wikipedia encyclopaedia. It is a wiki website type. This means that it is allowed to visitors of the site to very quickly and easily add, remove, or edit all content for rectification. This ease of interaction and operation makes such website an effective tool for collaborative scientific writing. PalyWeb is a databank filled collaboratively by volunteers, allowing most articles to be changed by anyone with access to a computer, web

browser and Internet connection. Fig. 2 General architecture of PalyWeb based However, users need to be logged to on the example of the Tetrahedraletes avoid external vandalism, and cryptospore genus. inconsistency. The PalyWeb site is

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PalyWeb is destined to contain the databank may be added. Pages may be description of a maximum of available put in one or more categories, creating palynomorph taxa published in automatically alphabetic list of pages scientific reviews in accordance with related to them (listing of species by the Botanical and Zoological stratigraphic level, by countries, etc.) Nomenclature Codes. There is no In the expectation that this project limitation in number of pages or in meets with success, such databank their length. Text, figures and pictures would have numerous advantages. The may be up- and down-loaded. The whole palynological community has a navigation through pages may be done free access to the website and in clicking on the case sensitive links everybody is allowed to improve it or in typing keywords in search engine without leaving his/her own computer. (e.g. in typing a species name etc.). The free distribution, constant updates, The databank contains three sections: diverse and detailed coverage, by the main one contains the descriptions numerous palynologists would of the taxa previously published in guaranty the high quality of data scientific reviews, the second one brought in the website. Only free contains unpublished taxa left in open internet browser software is needed. nomenclature for which information There is no limitation in size and from the PalyWeb community is contents. It is the place where taxa requested, and the third one is devoted described in other languages than the to enigmatic palynomorphs. Of course, English, which is the usual way of this structure is a suggestion, and can communication for scientists, can be be subject to debate and easily translated. The building of the website modified. Each page (article) is is not function of the pugnacity of the articulated around four main databank creator or of a small group of components. The first one is the persons. It does not need to organize “page” itself which is named with a meetings which are usually limited to title located in the top of the screen. people who have funds to travel … and The second one is obtained by numerous otheradvantages. selecting the heading "to modify" (edit page), to change immediately the page New address content, without restrictions. A third component is the heading "discussion", Duncan McLean and David Bodman, where PalyWeb users, can exchange formerly of Sheffield University, have their ideas on the contents. The last moved to MB Stratigraphy Ltd., 11 component is the “history” of pages. Clement St., Sheffield, S9 5EA, UK. All former versions of the pages are stored with the user name, authors of More contributions modifications. Every previous version Please contribute articles to the can be restored (a very useful tool to Newsletter. Items on new techniques, prevent mistakes). Bibliographic pages research, book reviews and ideas are associated to the main body of the all welcome.

67 CIMP Newsletter Winter 2006

Treasurer’s Report CIMP Finances Delivered by P. Steemans (Treasurer) at CIMP General Meeting, 5-10-06

• Expenses: …………………………..……………………0.00 • Entries: – 2005 • Fees: Fess payment of 3 members for 2 to 10 years ………………………………………………………… 94.00 • Interests 2005: …………………………………. 29.58 – 2006 • Fees: Fess payment of 8 members for 1 to 5 years ……………………………………………………..…190.00 • Balance: – 1836.22 +94 +29.58 +190= …………………..2149.80 – Difference Dec. 2004 – July 2006= ………….293.58

Participants at Prague.

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