Cretaceous–Paleocene palynology from the Côte d'Ivoire-Ghana Transform Margin, Sites 959, 960, 961, and 962

Abstract

A set of 204 Cretaceous and Paleocene samples from Holes 959D, 960A, 960C, 961A, 961B, 962B, 962C (barren), and 962D of the Côte d'Ivoire-Ghana Transform Margin (Leg 159) were palynologically analyzed. Three main types of palynofacies were distinguished. The first type indicates strong terrestrial depositional conditions and characterizes lithologic Unit V of Hole 959D, Subunit VB and most samples of Subunit VA of Hole 960A, and Unit III of Holes 961A and 961B. The presence of some stratigraphically significant spores and pollen grains indicates a late Barremian-middle Albian age for Unit V of Holes 959D and 960A, and a middle Albian age for Unit III of Holes 961A and 961B. The second type of palynofacies reveals mixed terrestrial and marine depositional conditions. This type was observed in Subunit IIC of Hole 962B and Unit III of Hole 962D. The occurrence of stratigraphically significant spore, pollen grain, and dinoflagellate cyst species argues for a Cenomanian age for these units in Holes 962B and 962C. The third type of palynofacies indicates clearly marine environmental conditions. This type is found in Subunit IVA and Unit III of Hole 959D, where highly diversified dinocyst assemblages (73 species, among them the following three new ones: Spiniferites bejuii n. sp., Spiniferites sp. G, and Xenascus ghanaensis n. sp.) were identified. Based on the presence of several Late Cretaceous and Paleocene markers, precise age determinations are possible for this part of Hole 959D: Subunit IVA and the lowermost cores of Unit III are probably early Coniacian in age; subsequent cores of Unit III are Santonian, Campanian, Maastrichtian, Danian and, at the top, late Thanetian in age.

Leaf Cuticular Morphology Links Platanaceae and Proteaceae

“…The plants that produced T. minutus were evidently part of the second (nonmagnoliid) wave of angiosperms that reached the Australian region at around this time (Dettmann 1994). At present, Triorites africaensis Jardiné & Magloire is considered to represent the oldest record of Proteaceae pollen (Ward and Doyle 1994), from CenomanianTuronian sediments of northern Gondwana (Africa and South America), as reported for instance by Masure et al (1998). However, Dettmann and Jarzen (1998) cautioned that to be accepted with greater confidence, grains of T. africaensis that were definitely formed according to Garside's rule would have to be found.…”

Occurrences of Elaterate Pollen from the Lower Cretaceous of Ghana: Implications for Biostratigraphy and Palaeoclimatology

“…These include; Afropollis jardinus (Aptian -lower Cenomanian) (Herngreen 1973(Herngreen , 1975Doyle et al, 1982), Reyea polymorphus (lower Albian -Middle Albian) (Herngreen 1973(Herngreen , 1975Masure et al, 1998), Perotriletes pannuceus (Albian -Cenomanian) (Brenner, 1968), Classopollis spp. (early Aptian -late Cenomanian) (Schrank and Ibrahim, 1995).…”

Dinoflagellate cysts from the Cretaceous–Paleogene boundary at Ouled Haddou, southeastern Rif, Morocco: biostratigraphy, paleoenvironments and paleobiogeography

“…danicum) below the FO of K. lophophora, in sample OH 10 (M. pilatum, M. densispinatum) between the FO of K. lophophora and the FO of C. cornuta, in sample OH 11 (K. parvum) at the same level of the FO of C. cornuta and in sample OH 16 (I. celinae). The FO of I. celinae recorded above the FOs of D. californicum and K. lophophora by Masure et al (1998) is possibly a significant bioevent in the early Danian. The stratigraphic level of the FO of A. alcicornu is here earlier compared to the Danish sections where this species first occurs in the basal part of the Xenicodinium lubricum dinoflagellate cyst Zonule (Hansen 1977).…”

“…The tropical to subtropical -or Tethyan -province is characterized by Andalusiella, Cerodinium, Lejeunecysta, and Senegalinium (the Malloy suite of Lentin and Williams, 1980). These assemblages are recognized in Campanian to Danian deposits in the Mediterranean region (Rauscher and Doubinger 1982;Schrank 1987;Brinkhuis and Zachariasse 1988;Soncini 1990), Senegal (Jan du Cheˆne 1988), equatorial areas (Oloto 1989;Oboh-Ikuenobe et al 1998;Masure et al 1998;Yepes 2001;Willumsen et al 2004b), southeastern USA (Firth 1987(Firth , 1993Moshkovitz and Habib 1993;, Caribbean region (Helenes and Somoza 1999) and Mexico (Helenes and Te´llez-Duarte 2002). The temperate province is characterized by species of Alterbidinium, Chatangiella (smaller forms), Isabelidinium, Spinidinium, and Trithyrodinium (the Williams suite of Lentin and Williams 1980).…”

“…They include assemblages from Colombia and Venezuela (Yepes 2001), Coˆte d'IvoireGhana Transform Margin (Masure et al 1998;ObohIkuenobe et al 1998) and Nigeria (Willumsen et al 2004b). From the Southern Hemisphere we included: Australia (Helby et al 1987;Brinkhuis et al 2003;Williams et al 2004), New Zealand (Wilson 1987;Willumsen 2000Willumsen , 2002Willumsen , 2004Willumsen , 2006Willumsen et al 2004a), Brasilia (Sarkis et al 2002), and the Antarctic Peninsula (Askin 1988).…”