AB STRA CT Middle and Late Miocene palynological biozonation of the southwestern parts of Central Paratethys (Croatia) is presented based on organic-walled phytoplankton. Nine characteristic palynozones of regional palynostratigraphic range are recognized, e.g. Early Badenian (Langhian) Cribroperidinium tenuitabulatum (Cte), Badenian (Late Langhian-Earliest Serravallian) Unipontidinium aquaeductum (Uaq), Late Badenian (Early Serravallian) Cleistosphaeridium placacanthum (Cpl), Sarmatian (Middle and Late Serravallian) Polysphaeridium zoharyi-Lingulodinium machaerophorum (Pzo-Lma), early Early Pannonian s.l. Mecsekia ultima-Spiniferites bentorii pannonicus (Mul-Spa), middle Early Pannonian s.l. Spiniferites bentorii oblongus (Sob), late Early Pannonian s.l. Pontiadinium pecsvaradensis (Ppe), early Late Pannonian s.l. Spiniferites validus (Sva), and late Late Pannonian s.l. Galeacysta etrusca (Get). As inferred from the regional palynostratigraphic correlation, the signals of two transgressions after the isolation of Paratethys during the Sarmatian are recognised: the fi rst one in the late Early Pannonian, when Mediterranean dinofl agellates migrated into the Pannonian Basin, and the second one in the Late Pannonian, when endemic Paratethyan taxa migrated into the Mediterranean.

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This paper describes the results of new stratigraphic correlations and petroleum systems analyses of the Triassic deposits in the Syrian Palmyrides. The correlations are based on well data and new palynological work which reconcile previous lithological and stratigraphic miscorrelations of Triassic sequences from this region. The sequences are subdivided into four Megacycles, which are directly related to the key elements of the petroleum systems of the Palmyrides. The hydrocarbon discoveries within these systems, the fluid contacts and hydrodynamics are explained with reference to the Megacycle subdivision. This subdivision is applied on a regional scale and is used to define the distribution of reservoir seal pairs for volumetric estimations.

Velika Palagruza (Pelagosa) is the largest island of the Palagru2a arehipelago (central Adriatic Sea, Croatia). Despite its minute size the island bears a certain geological interest being the only exposed piece of land in the central part (Mid-Adriatic ridge) of the common Adriatic foreland of the Apenninic and the Dinaridic orogenic domains. The litho-. bio-, and chemostratigraphic (strontium and sulphur isotopes) characteristics of the sedimentary units, along with tectono-stnictural and geomorphic characteristics of the island, are described in (his paper. The oldest ¿ato unit is composed of highly deformed siliciclastics containing gypsum, and carbonates of Middle Triassic (Ladinian) age. This unit represents a transitional fluvial-to-shallow marine, occasionally evaporitic environment, typical of the Middle Triassic rifting phase of the Adriatic microplate. Soft and strongly deformed Zalo unit deposits are found along a probably still active, WN W-ESE striking, subvertical, oblique-slip tault that crosses the entire length of the island. The Zalo unit is probably in diapiric contact with the Lantema unit, poorly defined as Late Triassic. and characterized by dolomite with chert and dolomite breccia, presumably deposited in a transitional plattbnn-to-basin environment of an evolving Adriatic basin. The Lantema unit deposits are capped by Miocene biocalcarenites of the Salamandrija unit over an almost perpendicular discordance, possibly representing an unconformity, suggesting that an early deformational phase preceded a Miocene marine transgression. Talus, landslide deposits, and humic soil make up the cover of the bedrock sedimentary succession, and they represent the ultimate phase of emersion of the island, which probably occurred during Pliocene(?) to Quaternary times. An active neotectonic regime of the central Adriatic is evidenced by present-day seismicity. while recent uplifting of the island is shown by the presence of remnanis of pebbly palaeobeach deposits, marine (erosional) straths, and cyanobacterial supratidal encrustations (pelagosite) currently observed at various elevations above mean sea level.