Diverse assemblages of Mid Devonian megaspores from Libya

[en] A restudy of Devonian palynological assemblages of samples from the A1-69 borehole, drilled in the Ghadamis Basin, western Libya, North Africa has led to the discovery of numerous well-preserved megaspores amongst abundant miospores, rare acritarchs and rare chitinozoans. Thirteen samples from base to top, 1496 ft (456 m) up to 965 ft (294 m), contain the richest Devonian megaspore assemblages from northwestern Gondwana. The section is dated by a rich diverse miospore assemblage indicating the presence of the upper part of the AD pre-Lem Biozone up to the lower part of the TCo Oppel Zone, ranging from a latest Eifelian or earliest Givetian age up to a latest Givetian or an earliest Frasnian age. Seventeen megaspore taxa have been identiﬁed. Among them, two new species (Biharisporites lugardonii and Lagenicula milleri) and four new varieties (Corystisporites acutispinosus var. acutispinosus and var. bullatus, Heliotriletes longispinosus var. longispinosus and var. radiatus) are described. One new possible megaspore species is also described: Verruciretusispora labiosa sp. nov. One core sample (1293 ft, 394 m) contains several specimens of very large megaspores (ca. 1 mm), the largest known from Devonian localities (except for one specimen observed in the Givetian from Belgium). Among the 17 megaspore taxa from Libya, 6 are present on the Euramerican Continent. This observation is in accordance with previous palynological conclusions that favour the absence of palaeogeographic barriers between the Euramerican and Gondwanan continents that are suggested to be grouped together in a “Pre-Pangea” land mass.

Disciplines :

Earth sciences & physical geography

Author, co-author :

Steemans, Philippe ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de géologie > Paléobotanique - Paléopalynologie - Micropaléontologie (PPM)

Breuer, Pierre

Petus, Elodie ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de géologie > Paléobotanique - Paléopalynologie - Micropaléontologie (PPM)

Prestianni, Cyrille ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de géologie > Paléobotanique - Paléopalynologie - Micropaléontologie (PPM)

Ville de Goyet, Frédéric de

Gerrienne, Philippe ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de géologie > Paléobotanique - Paléopalynologie - Micropaléontologie (PPM)

Language :

English

Title :

Diverse assemblages of Mid Devonian megaspores from Libya

Publication date :

May 2011

Journal title :

Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology

ISSN :

0034-6667

eISSN :

1879-0615

Publisher :

Elsevier Science, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Volume :

165

Pages :

154-174

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Available on ORBi :

since 31 May 2011

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