Linking upper Silurian terrestrial and marine successions—Palynological study from Skåne, Sweden

Abstract

We have performed a palynostratigraphic study on miospore assemblages from near-shore marine Silurian sedimentary rocks of Skåne, southern Sweden. The material includes both drillcore (from Klintaborrningen 1 and Bjärsjölagårdborrningen 2) and outcrop samples from various localities in Skåne. Well-preserved spore assemblages were identified. Long ranging species with a global distribution dominate the spore assemblages, including Ambitisporites sp., Dyadospora sp., Laevolancis sp., and Tetrahedraletes sp. and complemented with key taxa including Emphanisporites neglectus, Hispanaediscus lamontii, Hispanaediscus verrucatus, Scylaspora scripta, Synorisporites libycus and Synorisporites tripapillatus. Based on biostratigraphical schemes for early land plant spores, the studied sedimentary rocks of the cores Klintaborrningen 1 and Bjärsjölagårdborrningen 2 are interpreted as late Silurian in age, spanning Ludlow to Přídolí. The spore assemblages are compared and correlated to marine fossil schemes including those of conodonts, chitinozoans, graptolites and tentaculitids. Additionally, relative abundance data of specific spore taxa have been used for correlation between the drillcores and the outcrops.

A palynological study from Sweden reveals stable terrestrial environments during Late Silurian extreme marine conditions

“…For a detailed biostratigraphic zonation scheme, see Mehlqvist et al (2014). The age assessments previously performed on marine microfossils are supported by our palynological study revealing a Ludlow age, as the spore assemblage can be equated with the Synorisporites libycus-Lophozonotriletes poecilomorphus Assemblage Zone of Richardson & McGregor (1986).…”

“…Hagström & Mehlqvist (2012) described further early (Ludlow) land plant remains from Gotland. Upper Silurian outcrop sections and bore cores from Skåne have also yielded spore assemblages (Mehlqvist et al 2012, 2014).…”

First evidence of Devonian strata in Sweden — A palynological investigation of Övedskloster drillcores 1 and 2, Skåne, Sweden

“…The drilling aimed to reach the successions of underlying strata correlative with the Bjärsölagård 2 core and to assess the thickness and fossil content of the Öved Sandstone (Anderegg et al, 1968). According to Anderegg et al (1968) this goal was not achieved as the Övedskloster drillcores did not reach depths sufficient to penetrate strata correlative with the successions represented in Bjärsjölagård 2 (Mehlqvist et al, 2012(Mehlqvist et al, , 2014. As the Ö2 drillcore penetrates a thicker succession, this core has been the focus of our study and 45 samples were processed for palynology, of which 36 were productive.…”

Morphology and histology of acanthodian fin spines from the late Silurian Ramsåsa E locality, Skåne, Swede

“…FIGURE 1. Map modified from Mehlqvist et al (2014) showing the location of the Ramsåsa area (1), and the Ramsåsa localities of Grönwall (1897) with an arrow indicating site E (2) adapted from Vergoossen (2004). 4 The optics was coupled to a 125-μm-thick LuAG scintillator and a Frelon 2k14 CCD camera (fast readout low noise) (Labiche et al, 2007).…”