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The Lower Cretaceous Flora of the Gates Formation from Western Canada

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The Lower Cretaceous Flora of the Gates Formation from Western Canada The Lower Cretaceous Flora of the Gates Formation from Western Canada A Shesis Submitted to the College of Graduate Studies and Research in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Geological Sciences Univ. of Saska., Saskatoon?SI(, Canada S7N 3E2 b~ Zhihui Wan @ Copyright Zhihui Mian, 1996. Al1 rights reserved. National Library Bibliothèque nationale 1*1 of Canada du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographic Services services bibliographiques 395 Wellington Street 395. rue Wellington Ottawa ON KlA ON4 Ottawa ON K1A ON4 Canada Canada The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive licence allowing the exclusive permettant à la National Libraxy of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distribute or sell reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microfom, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or electronic formats. la fome de microfiche/nlm, de reproduction sur papier ou sur foxmat électronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propriété du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor substantial extracts fiom it Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or otherwise de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. College of Graduate Studies and Research SUMMARY OF DISSERTATION Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirernents for the DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY ZHIRUI WAN Depart ment of Geological Sciences University of Saskatchewan Examining Commit tee: Dr. G. Rowland -/Dean's Designate, Chair College of Graduate Studies and Researcli Dr. kl. R. Staiiffer Chair of Advisory Comniittee Dept. of Geological Sciences Dr. J. F. Basinger .Advisor. Dept. of Geological Sciences Dr. V. L. Harms Dept. of Biology Dr. R. W. Renaut Dep t . of Geological Sciences Dr. K. AnsdeIl Dept. of Geological Sciences External Examiner: Dr. Sidney Ash Dept. of Geology bVeber State University Odgen. UT 84408-2.507 USA The LOWER CRETACEOUS FLORA OF THE GATES FORMATION FROM WESTERN CA-JADA The Lower Cretaceous Gates Formation (late Early Albian) of western Canada is a set of paralic coal-bearing strata composed of dtstone, sandstone and c~al.Macrofossil plants are abundant in the Gates Formation: most of those are impressions; others include casts and molds of tree trunks. No perrnineralized fossils are found. Examination of rnacrofossil plants from the Gates indicates that the flora consists of bryophytes (Marchanttolites and Thallites), Equisetites, ferns (Gleichenites of Gleicheniaceae. ..icanthopteris and Contopteris of Dicksoniaceae, Cladophle bis, Sphenopteris and a new genus), seed-ferns (Sagenopteris and a new genus), conifers (Pityocladus and Pityophyllum of Pinaceae, Athrotazites and Elatides of Taxodiaceae, Elatocladus), cycads (Chilinia, Ctenis, Pseudocycas and Pterophyllum and two new genera), Ginkgo and Ginkgoifes: leptostrobans (a new genus), Taeniopten's and angiosperrns. In total, 52 species from 28 genera are described, including 5 new genera, 15 new species and 3 new cornbinations. 51ost plants of the Gates flora appears to have been deciduous. Only Elatides cumifolia and Elatocladus manchurica are convincingly evergreen. The interpreted paleoclimate is strongly seasonal with winter minimum ternperature possibly below -15' C. Rainfall appears to have been abundant since coal deposits are cornmon in the Gates Formation. Although lotv winter minimum ternperature appears to be the main factor causing deciduousness of the Gates flora. ION- winter light Ievels may have also contributed to the deciduousness of the Gates flora, as the paleolatitude of the study area was situated at 00'-60° N. Three floral provinces are recognized: the Arctic Province, which lacks Cheirolepidiaceae; the Equa- torial Province, which has Cheirolepidiaceae; and the Xntarctic Province. which also Iacks Cheirole- pidiaceae. Similar floras have been reported from throughout the 4rctic Province, including Montana. the western Interior of Canada, the Bowser Basin, Alaska. western Greenland. Spitzbergen, Siberia. northern Mongolia, northeastern China and the Inner Zone of Japan. The Pacific-rim areas are ex- cluded from the Arctic Province. Plant deciduous habit appears to have prevailed within the Arctic Province during the Early Cretaceous. PERMISSION TO USE In presenting this thesis in partial fulfillrnent of the requirements for a Postgraduate degree from the University of Saskatchewan, I agree that the Li- brâries of this University may make it freely available for inspection. 1 further agree that permission for copying of this thesis in any manner, in whole or in part, for scholarly purposes may be granted by the professor or professors rvho supervised my thesis work or, in their absence, by the Head of the Depart ment or the Dean of the College in which my thesis work was donc. It is undcrstood that any copying or publication or use of this thesis or parts thereof for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. It is also understood that due recognition shall be given to me and to the University of Saskatchewan in any scholarly use which may be made of any material in my t hesis. Requests for permission to copy or to make other use of material in this thesis in whole or part should be addressed to: Head of the Department of Geologl University of Saskatchewan Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada SIN 5EI The Lower Cretaceous Flora of the Gates Formation frorn Western Canada The Lowr C'ret aceoiis Cistes Formation (late Early --\lbian ) of western Canada is a seqiience of paralic coal-bearing strata composcd of siltstone. sandstonc and c-oal. l[acrofossil plants are abiindant in the Cistes Forniat ion: niost fossik arc i rnpressions: ot hers iricluclc cas ts ancl molcls of t reo t riin ks. So perniincralizc,l fossils are fou ncl. The Ciates flora corisist s of br>-ophytes (.\lcrrcharitiolitc.. ancl T/t«llitr.s). Eq- . ursctltcs. krns ( Glcichc rr itr.;. .-lcartthoptcri. ancl CBnioptc ri., of Dicksoriiaccac. C'l«dop/ilebis. S'pli r nopt r ris aiirl a new geniis). seccl- ferris ( Sngr ri oplc 1-ia and a new geniis). conifers ( Pityor.l«rli~.~ancl Pityoph yllrr nz of Pinacrac. .-ltlirntrrritc.~ arirl Elnt idc.5 of Tasodiacc~ac.El(lt oclnt1rr.s). c>-cacls( C'Il ilirr irr. C't r n is. Psi rrdocyccxs aricl Pter-ophyllirrn ancl two ricw- g(-ricra). Ginkgo ancl C;irrk-goitr.-: lcptostrobans (a ri(8\\- gcniis). T«e~iiopttri.\ aricl iiriitleritified angiospernis. Ir1 total. 52 sprcics frorii 2S gcnrra arc clcscri hcd. i iicliirli rig 5 ricv Scncra. 15 ric8\\- sprcics aritl :{ rit\\- coriibiria- t ions. llost plants of tlicb C;;itc-s fiùra appears to lia\-e hbrid(~cirliioti..;. Orilj- Elntidr.. riiri*i/«liriancl R~itocindrr.-ir,,rr>r./tiri.ic~~ arc corii-iticiri;l>- ci-(argiwii.'I'lir iiit(*rpr(~t(vl palcocliniate hasecl on t hc Gatcs flora is st rong1'- scasoiial \vit li wiritcr nii riiniiiiii tetripcrat lire possi11l~-i)rl»\r - 1.5' C. Rainfall appears to lia\-c l,c(!ri ahiiiiclnrit siri(-(. coal tlcposits arc cotiirnori iti the Ciatcs Forniat ion. .-\lt hougli Io\\- \vi ritcr riiinirriiirii twiiperatiire appears to bc tlic niain factor caiisirig cli>cid~ioiisrirssof thc C;ati*ç flora. loi\ wiiitcr liglit le\-els ma'. lia\-c also contributcd to tlic rlccicliiouc;ncss of tlic Cistes flora. as tlic paleolatitudc of tlic stiicl>- arca ivas ri! iiatcd at 50u-GOu S. T tirec Ear1'- Crct aceoiis floral pro~eincesare rccognizccl: t lw ;\rct ic Proviiicr.. tvliicti lacks Cheiïolcpicliaceae: the Ecliiatorial Pro\-iticc. 1rIiicli lias C'licirolcpitli- aceae: and t lie Antarct ic Proi-ince. wliicli also Iacks C'\icirolc~~itliaccac.Floras sirri- ilar to tlie Cistes flora have hem reported frorri tliroiiglioiit t lic Arctic Provincr. incliicling Slont ana. t lie western Interior of Canada. t lir Bowcr Basi ii of riort li- u-estern C'anacla. =\laska. ivestern C;reenlancl. Spi tzbtrgcri. Silmia. iiort licrri )lori- golia. nortliaastcrn Ctiins ancl tlie Inner Zone of .lapan. Tlic Pacific-rini armç arc cscliiclcd frorn t lic .-\rct ic Pro\-incc. Plant clcciduoiis tial,i t appcars t o liai-c- prc\-ailc(l n.it hi ri t lic =\rctic Proi*incccliiriiig t tic Earlj- C'rct x~oiil;. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 1 would like to thank my supervisor, Dr. J. F. Basinger, for his support, guidance, and patience throughout this project . Thanks are due to the external examiner, Dr. S. Ash, for accepting and examining my thesis, and to my advisory cornmittee, Dr. H. E. Hendry. Dr. V. L. Harms, Dr. M. R. Stauffer, Dr. B. R. Pratt, Dr. R. W. Renaut and Dr. K. ilnsdell for their helps. Thanks are due to a number of coal-mining corporations for their special permissions for us to enter their properties to collect fossils: these corporations are: Quintette Coal Lirnited, Bullmoose Corporation, Cardinal River Coal Lim- ited, Smoky River Coals Limited and Gregg River Coals Limited. Special thanks are due to the geologists from the above mentioned corpo- rations for their help in guiding us to various fossil localities; tliesc geologists arc Mr. Rob Booker, Mr, Mike Hitch, Mr. Ken Holmes, Mr. Terry Oatway. blr. Ron Kostiuk and Mr. Luc Savoie. Thanks are due to Cathy Greenwood and Loreleen Britton for tlieir assis- tance in field work. Thanks are also due to Yanjun, Mengyan and Mengyuan, my lamily. and friends for their patience and support in the process of rescarcliing and writing t his dissertation. Financial support was provided by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (Operating Grant #OGP0001334 to .J.F. Basi ngcr), and the Univ. of Saskatchewan (Postgraduate scholarship to 2. Wan). Contents Permission to Use . 1 .. Abstract . 11 ... Acknowledgements . 11i Table of Contents . iv List of Figures.
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