Carboniferous palynoevents in the circum-Arctic region
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.4138/atlgeol.2021.003Abstract
The Carboniferous of the present-day Arctic yields an abundant and diverse association of terrestrial palynomorphs, particularly from Mississippian successions. Relatively few sections have been studied. However, those published so far demonstrate considerable similarities in the palynofloras between Arctic regions. Based on the published record, we present a compilation of 31 last occurrences (LOs), first occurrences (FOs), and some abundance events that have correlation potential around the Arctic. The chronostratigraphic resolution is relatively low, and the lack of independent age control hampers exact age assignments. But for most of these successions, palynology is the only dating tool available.
References
Alpern, B., Girardeau, J., and Trolard, F. 1958. Description de quelques microspores du Permo-Carbonifère francais. Revue de Micropalaeontogy, 1 (2), pp. 75–86.
Artuz, S. 1957. Die Sporae dispersae der Turkischen Steinkohle von Zonguldak Gebiet. Revue de la Faculté des Sciences de l’Universite d’Istanbul, Série B., 22, pp. 240–263.
Bamber, E.W., Henderson, C.M., Jerzykiewicz, J., Mamet, B.L., and Utting, J. 1989. A summary of Carboniferous and Permian biostratigraphy, northern Yukon Territory and northwest District of Mackenzie. In Current Research, Part G, Geological Survey of Canada, Paper 89-1G, p. 13–21. https://doi.org/10.4095/127556 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4095/127556
Barss, M.S. 1967. Illustrations of Canadian fossils; Carboniferous and Permian spores of Canada. Geological Survey of Canada, Paper 67-11, 94 pp. https://doi.org/10.4095/100916 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4095/100916
Barss, M.S. 1972. A problem in Pennsylvanien–Permian palynology of Yukon Territory. Geoscience and Man, 4, pp. 67–71. https://doi.org/10.1080/00721395.1972.9989720 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00721395.1972.9989720
Becker, R.T., Gradstein, F.M., and Hammer, O. 2012. The Devonian Period. In The Geologic Time Scale 2012. Edited by F.M. Gradstein, J.G. Ogg, M. Schmitz, and G. Ogg. Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp. 559–601. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-444-59425-9.00022-6 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-444-59425-9.00022-6
Bharadwaj, D.C. 1954. Some new spore genera from the Saarkarbons. Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Palaontologie, Monatshefte, 1954 (11), pp. 512–525.
Bharadwaj, D.C. 1956. The spore genera from the Upper Carboniferous coals of the Saar and their value in stratigraphical studies. The Palaeobotanist, 4, pp. 119–149.
Bharadwaj, D.C. and Venkatachala, B.S. 1962. Spore assemblage out of a Lower Carboniferous shale from Spitzbergen. The Palaeobotanist, 10 (1–2), pp. 18–47.
Braman, D.R. and Hills, L.V. 1992. Upper Devonian and Lower Carboniferous miospores, western District of Mackenzie and Yukon Territory, Canada. Palaeontographica Canadiana, no. 8, pp. 1–97.
Bringué, M., Fensome, R.A., Poulton, T.P., Galloway, J.M., Bujak, J.P., Golding, M.L., Orchard, M.J., and Williams, G.L. in press. The 2020 Canada datapack for TimeScale Creator: a new tool for Mesozoic–Cenozoic stratigraphy of the Canadian North. Geological Survey of Canada, Bulletin 609. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1130/abs/2020AM-353274
Bugge, T., Mangerud, G., Elvebakk, G., Mørk, A., Nilsson, I., Fanavoll, S., and Vigran, J.O. 1995. The upper Palaeozoic succession on the Finnmark Platform, Barents Sea. Norwegian Journal of Geology, 75, pp. 3–30.
Clayton G., Coquel R., Doubinger J., Gueinn K.J., Loboziak S., Owens B., and Streel M. 1977. Carboniferous miospores of western Europe: illustration and zonation. Mededelingen Rijks Geologische Dienst, 29, pp.1–71.
Clayton, G., Loboziak, S., Streel, M., Turnau, E., and Utting, J. 1990. Palynological events in the Mississippian (Lower Carboniferous) of Europe, North Africa and North America. Courier Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg, 130, pp. 79–84.
Dalhoff, F., Vigran J.O., and Stemmerik, L. 2000. Stratigraphy and palynology of the Lower Carboniferous Sortebakker Formation, Wandel Sea Basin, eastern North Greenland. Geology of Greenland Survey Bulletin, 187, pp. 51–63. https://doi.org/10.34194/ggub.v187.5194 DOI: https://doi.org/10.34194/ggub.v187.5194
Doubinger, J. 1968. Contribution a l’étude palynologique du Permo-Carbonifère de d’Autunois. Bulletin de la Société d´Histoire Naturelle d´Autun, 45, pp. 1–6.
Doubinger, J. and Vetter, O. 1973. Observations paléontologiques sur le Houiller de la Chapelle-Sous-Dun (S.-and-L.). Bulletin de la Société d'Histoire Naturelle d'Autun, 65, p. 7.
Gradstein, F.M, Ogg, J.G., Schmitz, M.D., Ogg, G.M., Agterberg, F.P., Aretz, M., Becker, T.R., Butcher, A., Ernst, R.E., Esmeray-Senlet, S., Fensome, R.A., Gale, A.S., Gréselle, B., Gibbard, P.L., Goldman, D., Grossman, E.L., Halverson, G.P., Henderson, C.M., Hesselbo, S.P., et al. in press. The Geologic Time Scale 2020. Elsevier, Amsterdam, 2 volumes, ca. 1300 pp.
Hacquebard, P.A. 1957. Plant spores in coal from the Horton Group (Mississippian) of Nova Scotia. Micropaleontology, 4, pp. 301–324. https://doi.org/10.2307/1484439 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/1484439
Hacquebard, P.A. and Barss, M.S. 1957. A Carboniferous spore assemblage, in coal from the South Nahanni River area, Northwest Territories. Geological Survey of Canada, Bulletin 40, pp. 1–63. https://doi.org/10.4095/101497 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4095/101497
Hoffmeister, W.S., Staplin, F.L., and Malloy, R.E. 1955. Mississippian plant spores from the Hardinsburg Formation of Illinois and Kentucky. Journal of Paleontology, 29, pp. 372–399.
Hughes, N.F. and Playford, G. 1961. Palynological reconnaissance of the Lower Carboniferous of Spitsbergen. Micropaleontology, 7 (1), pp. 27–44. https://doi.org/10.2307/1484141 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/1484141
Ibrahim, A.C. 1933. Spore forms of the Agir horizon of the Ruhr Basin. Triltsch, Wurzburg, 46 pp.
Ishchenko, A.M. 1958. Spore and pollen analysis of the Lower Carboniferous deposits of the Dnieper-Donets Basin. Trudy Instituta Geologicheskikh, Akademiya Nauk Ukrainskoy SSR, 17, pp. 33–99 (in Russian).
Kaiser, H. 1970. Die Oberdevon-Flora der Bareninsel 3. Mikroflora des höheren Oberdevons und des Unterkarbons. Palaeontographica, Abteilung B, 129, pp. 71–124.
Kaiser, H. 1971. Die Oberdevon-Flora der Bareninsel 4. Mikroflora der Misery-Serie und der Flözleeren Sandstein-Serie. Palaeontographica, Abteilung B, 135, pp. 127–164.
Kedo, G.I. 1963. Tournaisian spores of the Pripyat Depression and their stratigraphic significance. Trudy Institut Geologii Paleontologiya i Stratigrafiya BSSR, Akademyia Nauk BSSR (Minsk), 4, pp. 3–121 (in Russian).
Knox, E.M. 1950. The spores of Lycopodium, Phylloglossum, Selaginella and Isoetes and their value in the study of microfossils of Palaeozoic age. Transactions and Proceedings of the Botanical Society of Edinburgh, 35, pp. 209–357.
Kosanke, R.M. 1950. Pennsylvanian spores of Illinois and their use in correlation. Illinois Geological Survey, Bulletin, 74, pp. 1–128. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.61458 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.61458
Lele, K.M. and Karim, R. 1972. Studies in the Talchir flora of India. 6. Palynology of the Talchir Boulder Beds in Jayanti Coalfield, Bihar. The Palaeobotanist, 19 (1), p. 52–69.
Lindström, S. 2003. Carboniferous palynology of the Loppa High, Barents Sea, Norway. Norwegian Journal of Geology, 83, pp. 333–349.
Lopes, G., Mangerud, G., Clayton, G., and Mørk, A. 2016. New insights on East Finnmark Platform palynostratigraphy and paleogeography ― a study of three shallow cores from a Mississippian succession in the Barents Sea, Norway. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 450, pp. 60–76. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2016.02.055 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2016.02.055
Lopes, G., Mangerud, G., and Clayton, G. 2018a. The palynostratigraphy of the Mississippian Birger Johnsonfjellet section, Spitsbergen, Svalbard. Palynology, 43 (4), pp. 631–649. https://doi.org/10.1080/01916122.2018.1518849 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/01916122.2018.1518849
Lopes, G., McLean, D., Mangerud G., Clayton G. 2018b. A new Mississippian biozonal scheme for the Finnmark Platform, Norway ― palynostratigraphic integration of exploration wells 7128/4-1 and 7128/6-1. Marine and Petroleum Geology, 92, pp. 94–108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2018.02.004 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2018.02.004
Love, L.G. 1960. Assemblages of small spores from the Lower Oil-Shale Group of Scotland. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Section B, P2, 67 (7), pp. 99–106. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0080455X00000710 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0080455X00000710
Luber, A.A. and Waltz, I.E. 1938. Classification and stratigraphic value of spores of some Carboniferous coal deposits in the USSR. Trudy Vsesoyuznyy Nauchno-Issledovatel'skiy Geologorazvedochniy Neftyanoy Institut (VNIGRI), 105, pp. 1–46 (in Russian).
Mangerud, G. and Konieczny, R.M. 1991. Palynological investigations of Permian rocks from Nordaustlandet, Svalbard. Polar Research, 9 (2), pp. 155–167. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-8369.1991.tb00611.x DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-8369.1991.tb00611.x
McLean D., Owens B., and Neves R. 2005. Carboniferous miospore biostratigraphy of the North Sea. In Carboniferous hydrocarbon geology: the southern North Sea and surrounding onshore areas. Edited by J.D. Collinson D.J. Evans D.W. Holliday and N.S. Jones. Occasional Publications of the Yorkshire Geological Society, no. 7, pp. 13–24.
Neves, R.1961. Namurian plant spores from the southern Pennines, England. Palaeontology, 4 (2), pp. 247–279.
Neves, R. and Owens, B. 1966. Some Namurian camerate miospores from the English Pennines. Pollen et Spores, 8 (2), pp. 337–360.
Ogg, J.G., Ogg, G., and Gradstein, F.M. 2016. A concise geologic time scale: 2016. Elsevier, Amsterdam, 240 p.
Owens, B. 1983. Bascaudaspora gen. nov., a new reticulate miospore genus from the Namurian of northern England. Report of the Institute of Geological Sciences, 83 (10), pp. 46-49.
Paproth, E., Feist, R., and Flajs, G. 1991. Decision on the Devonian–Carboniferous boundary stratotype. Episodes, 14 (4), pp. 331–336. https://doi.org/10.18814/epiiugs/1991/v14i4/004 DOI: https://doi.org/10.18814/epiiugs/1991/v14i4/004
Playford, G. 1971. Lower Carboniferous spores from the Bonaparte Gulf Basin, Western Australia and Northern Territory. Bulletin of the Bureau of Mineral Resources, Geology and Geophysics, 115, pp. 1–105.
Playford, G. 1962. Lower Carboniferous microfloras of Spitsbergen, part 1. Palaeontology, 5, pp. 550–618.
Playford, G. 1963. Lower Carboniferous microfloras of Spitsbergen, part 2. Palaeontology, 5, pp. 619–678.
Playford, G. 1964. Miospores from the Mississippian Horton Group, eastern Canada. Geological Survey of Canada, Bulletin 107, pp. 1–47. https://doi.org/10.4095/120064 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4095/120064
Playford, G. 1976. Plant microfossils from the Upper Devonian and Lower Carboniferous of the Canning Basin, Western Australia. Palaeontographica B, 158, pp. 1–71.
Playford, G. and Dino, R. 2000. Palynostratigraphy of upper Palaeozoic strata (Tapajos Group), Amazonas Basin, Brazil: part one. Palaeontographica Abteilung B, 255 (1–3), pp. 1–46. https://doi.org/10.1127/palb/255/2000/1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1127/palb/255/2000/1
Playford, G. and Melo, J.H.G. 2012. Miospore palynology and biostratigraphy of Mississippian strata of the Amazonas Basin, northern Brazil. AASP Contribution Series, no. 47, pp. 1–201.
Playford, G., Dino, R., Marques-Toigo, M. 2001. The upper Paleozoic miospore genus Spelaeotriletes Neves and Owens, 1966, and constituent Gondwanan species. Journal of South American Earth Sciences, 14, pp. 593–608. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0895-9811(01)00038-4 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0895-9811(01)00038-4
Potonié, R., Ibrahim, A.C., and Loose, F. 1932. Sporenformen aus den Flozen Agir und Bismarck des Ruhrgebietes. Neues Jahrbuch für Mineralogie, Geologie und Paleontologie. Monatshefte. Abteilung 2: Geologie, Paleontologie, 67, pp. 438–454.
Ravn, R.L. 1991. Miospores of the Kektiktuk Formation (Lower Carboniferous), Endicott Field Area, Alaska North Slope. American Association of Stratigraphic Palynologists Contributions Series, no. 27, pp. 1–115.
Richardson, J.B. and McGregor, D.C. 1986. Silurian and Devonian spore zones of the Old Red Sandstone Continent and adjacent regions. Geological Survey of Canada, Bulletin 364, pp. 1–84. https://doi.org/10.4095/120614 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4095/120614
Rise, L. and Sættem, J. 1994. Shallow stratigraphic wireline coring in bedrock offshore Norway. Scientific Drilling, 4, pp. 243–257.
Scheibner C., Hartkopf-Fröder C., Blomeir D., and Forke H. 2012. The Mississippian (Lower Carboniferous) in northeast Spitsbergen (Svalbard) and a re-evaluation of the Billefjorden Group. Zeitschrift der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Geowissenschaften, 163 (3), pp. 293–308. https://doi.org/10.1127/1860-1804/2012/0163-0293 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1127/1860-1804/2012/0163-0293
Schemel, M.P. 1950. Carboniferous plant spores from Daggett County, Utah. Journal of Paleontology, 24 (2), pp. 232–244.
Schopf, J.M., Wilson, L.R., and Bentall, R. 1944. An annotated synopsis of Paleozoic fossil spores and the definition of generic groups. Illinois State Geological Survey, Report of Investigations 91, pp. 1–66. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.61674 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.61674
Smith, A.H.V. and Butterworth, M.A. 1967. Miospores in the coal seams of the Carboniferous of Great Britain. Special Papers in Palaeontology, 1, pp. 1–324.
Staplin, F.L. 1960. Upper Mississippian plant spores from the Golata Formation, Alberta, Canada. Palaeontographica, Abteilung B, 107 (1), pp. 1–40.
Staplin, F.L. and Jansonius, J. 1964. Elucidation of some Paleozoic densospores. Palaeontographica Abteilung B, 114 (4), pp. 95–117.
Streel, M. and Marshall, J.E.A. 2007. Devonian–Carboniferous boundary global correlations and their paleogeographic implications for the assembly of Pangaea. In Proceedings of the XVth International Congress on Carboniferous and Permian Stratigraphy Utrecht, the Netherlands, 10–16 August 2003. Edited by T.E. Wong. Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, pp. 481–496.
Sullivan, H.J. 1964. Miospores from the Drybrook Sandstone and associated measures in the Forest of Dean Basin, Gloucestershire. Palaeontology, 7 (3), pp. 351–392.
Utting, J. 1965. Palynomorphs from the type section of the Otto Fiord Formation (Upper Carboniferous) on Ellesmere Island, Queen Elisabeth Islands, Canada. Bulletin of Canadian Petroleum Geology, 33 (3), pp. 341–349.
Utting J. 1989. Preliminary palynological zonation of surface and subsurface sections of Carboniferous, Permian and lowest Triassic rocks, Sverdrup Basin, Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Geological Survey of Canada Paper 89-1G, pp.233–240. https://doi.org/10.4095/127606 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4095/127606
Utting, J., 1991. Lower Carboniferous miospore assemblages from the Hart River Formation, northern Yukon Territory. Geological Survey of Canada, Bulletin, 412, pp. 81–99. https://doi.org/10.4095/132680 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4095/132680
Utting, J., Goodarzi, F., Dougherty, B.J., and Henderson, C.M. 1989a. Thermal maturity of Carboniferous and Permian rocks of the Sverdrup Basin, Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Geological Survey of Canada, Paper 89-19, pp. 1–20. https://doi.org/10.4095/127356 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4095/127356
Utting, J., Jachowicz, M., and Jachowicz, A. 1989b. Palynology of the Lower Carboniferous Emma Fiord Formation of Devon, Axel Heiberg, and Ellesmere islands, Canadian Arctic Archipelago. In Contributions to Canadian Paleontology, Geological Survey of Canada, Bulletin 396, pp. 145–159. https://doi.org/10.4095/127721 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4095/127721
Vigran, J.O., Stemmerik L., and Piasecki S. 1999. Stratigraphy and depositional evolution of the uppermost Devonian–Carboniferous (Tournaisian–Westphalian) non-marine deposits in northeast Greenland. Palynology, 23, pp. 115–152. https://doi.org/10.1080/01916122.1999.9989525 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/01916122.1999.9989525
Waterhouse, J.B. and Waddington, J. 1982. Systematic descriptions, paleoecology and correlations of the late Paleozoic subfamily Spiriferellinae (Brachiopoda) from the Yukon Territory and the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Geological Survey of Canada, Bulletin 289, 72 pp. https://doi.org/10.4095/109261 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4095/109261
Wicher, C.A. 1934. IV. Sporenformen der Flammkohle des Ruhrgebietes. Arbeiten aus dem Institut fur Paleobotanik und Petrographie der Brennsteine, 4, pp. 165–212.
Wilson, L.R. 1962. Permian plant microfossils from the Flowerpot Formation, Greer Country, Oklahoma. Oklahoma Geological Survey, Circular 49, pp. 1–50.
Wilson, L.R. and Kosanke, R.M. 1944. Seven new species of unassigned plant microfossils from the Desmoines Series of Iowa. Proceedings of the Iowa Academy of Science, 51, pp. 329–333.
Wilson, L.R. and Venkatachala, B.S. 1963. Thymospora, a new name for Verrucososporites. Oklahoma Geology Notes, 23, 3 p.
Wilson, L.R. and Venkatachala, B.S. 1964. Potonieisporites elegans (Wilson and Kosanke 1944), Wilson and Venkatachala, comb. nov. Oklahoma Geology Notes, 24 (3), pp. 67–68.
Winslow, M.R. 1962. Plant spores and other microfossils from Upper Devonian and Lower Mississippian rocks of Ohio. United States Geological Survey, Professional Paper 364, pp. 1– 93. https://doi.org/10.3133/pp364 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3133/pp364
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
All material contained in Atlantic Geology is copyrighted by the journal. Permission to photocopy for internal or personal use or for the internal or personal use of specific clients is granted by Atlantic Geology to libraries and other users. Other requests should be addressed to one of the journal editors, or sent to Atlantic Geology, Box 116, Acadia University, Wolfville, NS, Canada B4P 2R6. Permission to use a single graphic for which Atlantic Geology owns copyright is considered “fair dealing” under the Canadian Copyright Act and “fair use” by the journal, and no other permission need be granted, subject to the image being appropriately cited in all reproductions. The same fair dealing/fair use policy applies to sections of text up to 100 words in length.