Late Carboniferous Megaspore

[Eloise]

Hi everyone,

 

I've been working on a project about fossilised megaspores found in a Namurian (Late Carboniferous) coal seam in the UK. There are very few papers and photographs of megaspores so classification is a challenge! I have a couple of my unidentified specimens here that have been extracted from the coal, and was wondering if anyone could help me out? Light microscope images are attatched. 

 

The maximum diameter of the compressed spore is 1125 µm for Species A, and 1225 µm for Species B.

 

I believe that the depositional environment was a Late Carboniferous swamp forest, dominated by arborescent lycopsids.

 

All the best, 

Eloise 

 

 

Edited May 8, 2022 by Eloise
spelling errors

[Ludwigia]

Oooo! That's definitely a question for specialists. Now I'm really curious to see who responds here.

[Eloise]

11 minutes ago, Ludwigia said:

Oooo! That's definitely a question for specialists. Now I'm really curious to see who responds here.

Me too!

[mr.cheese]

I have followed your thread and will now sit back and wait to learn something! Looks fascinating by the way!

[Ludwigia]

@paleoflor ? @Plantguy ?

[paleoflor]

Not really my cup of tea, as I mainly collect plant macrofossils. The various publications of S.J. Dijkstra might be of help here, though.

 

Attached herewith a photo of Triletes grannulispinosus as figured on Plate I of S.J. Dijkstra and P. Piérart (1957) Lower Carboniferous megaspores from the Moscow Basin.

[paleoflor]

From Van Wijhe et al. (1974) The Westphalian of the Netherlands with special reference to miospore assemblages

[paleoflor]

Went through a couple more of Dijkstra's publications. Think you'll need data on the internal structure of your megaspores, in order to differentiate different genera that have "frills" which look superficially similar...

[Plantguy]

Out of my element as well. This article might offer some help on some Namurian but I dont have access to it...maybe you will have better luck thru your school library function locating the pub/Research paper

Namurian (Arnsbergian/Chokierian) megaspore assemblages from northeast England

Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology

Volume 94, Issues 3–4, December 1996, Pages 211-230

N.Turner^aE.Spinner^b a

British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham NG12 5GG, UK^b

Centre for Palynological Studies, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S1 3JD, UK

Received 4 July 1995, Accepted 16 April 1996, Available online 15 June 1998.

 

Abstract

Megaspore assemblages are reported for the first time from clastic sediments of late Arnsbergian/Chokierian age in northern England. Palaeoecological reconstruction using the megaspores and selected miospores indicates lycopod-dominated floral communities inhabiting wet and lowland forests bordering a braidplain environment. Conifers, plants of upland forests, are present sporadically. One new species, Cryptoletes? rugulatus Turner et Spinner, sp. nov., is described. The stratigraphic ranges of Velumousspora owensii, Setosiporites pseudoreticulatus and Lagenicula subpilosa are revised; they extend upward to the late Arnsbergian/Chokierian. Velumousspora owensii has potential as a biostratigraphic marker taxon for early Chokierian or older strata. The record of the genus Tuberculatisporites represents its oldest occurrence. Previously it has only been observed in late Namurian/Westphalian assemblages. Comparisons suggest that there are significant differences between Brigantian/Pendleian and Arnsbergian megaspore assemblages.

 

 

Regards, Chris 

[paleoflor]

@Eloise Have you made any progress with the identification of your megaspores?