Upper Llandovery–Wenlock (Silurian) palynology of the Pentland Hills inliers, Midland Valley of Scotland

Abstract

SynopsisThe results of a palynological study on late Llandovery-Wenlock (mid Silurian )

Microfossils from the lower Mesoproterozoic Kaltasy Formation, East European Platform

“…Remarks: This form is similar to Moyeria species described from the Paleozoic deposits (Molyneux et al, 2008;Le Hèrissè et al, 2013) and interpreted as euglenid pellicles.…”

Palynology and palynofacies analysis of a Silurian (Llandovery–Wenlock) marine succession from the Precordillera of western Argentina: Palaeobiogeographical and palaeoenvironmental significance

“…The phytoplankton (acritarchs and chlorophytes) of the Quebrada Ancha section analysed herein shows significant similarities with coeval assemblages, mainly from Baltica, Avalonia and Laurentia (e.g., and references therein; Gelsthorpe, 2004;Molyneux et al, 2008), despite being separated by the Rheic Ocean, corresponding to different palaeolatitudes. The wide distribution of the species has been mainly attributed to the maximum post-glacial flooding and the new water masses exchanged (Delabroye et al, 2011a).…”

“…Lithuania (Jankauskas and Gritytë, 2004); 3. Scotland (White et al, 1991;Molyneux et al, 2008); 4. Wales ; 5.…”

Pellicle ultrastructure demonstrates that Moyeria is a fossil euglenid

“…Moyeria has rarely been reported as a dominant member of any acritarch assemblage, which may be a reflection of its non-marine provenance in assemblages that are recovered from proximal marine settings. There is one exception, however, found in a study of upper Llandovery to Wenlock palynology of the Pentland Hills Inliers, Midland Valley, Scotland (Molyneux et al 2008). Here, in the upper part of the Reservoir Formation, Moyeria cabottii and Tylotopalla spp.…”

“…form a distinctive assemblage in which they constitute 26 to 74% of the total acritarchs. Molyneux et al (2008) noted that Moyeria was possibly of continental origin, based on its occurrence in terrestrial sequences elsewhere in the Silurian of the Midland Valley (Wellman and Richardson 1993), and that its presence might be indicative of changing environmental conditions within their section, but they stopped short of considering Moyeria to be a definitive indicator of freshwater provenance. Gray and Boucot (1989) argued for a terrestrial (freshwater) origin to Moyeria, noting that it is most common in nearshore and non-marine settings.…”