Palynology

Elaterocolpites castelainii

Mohamed K Zobaa, PhD

Department of Geology
Faculty of Science, Benha University, EGYPT
[email protected]
What is Palynology?
The branch of science concerned with the study of fossil and living palynomorphs

The term Palynology was coined by Hyde and Williams (1944)

What are Palynomorphs?

 Palynomorphs include microscopic plant and animal structures composed of
sporopollenin, chitin, or related compounds that are highly resistant to most
forms of decay other than oxidation

 Palynomorphs are abundant in most sediments and sedimentary rocks, and are
resistant to the routine pollen-extraction procedures including strong acids,
bases, acetolysis, and density separation

 Most palynomorphs are between 5–500 µm in size

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Common palynomorph categories:

Acritarchs
Chitinozoans
Scolecodonts
Microscopic Algae and Algal Parts
Cryptospores
Embryophyte Spores
Pollen
Dinoflagellates
Chitinous Fungal Spores and Other Fungal Bodies
Microforaminiferal Inner Tests
Megaspores

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 1. Acritarchs
Stratigraphic range: Proterozoic–present

 The name Acritarchs means “of uncertain origin” and was coined
by Evitt (1963)

 Acritarchs include any small organic-walled microfossil which

cannot be assigned to a natural group

 They are believed to have algal affinities, probably the cysts of

planktonic eukaryotic algae

 Size range: <10 µm to >1000 µm (mostly between 15–80 µm)

 They show variable sculptures (ornamentation); some are spiny,

others are smooth

 They are mostly marine, but also found in brackish- and fresh-water
settings
Micrhystridium spp.
 They are valuable Proterozoic and Paleozoic biostratigraphic and
paleoenvironmental tools 4
 Data from: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/GeolSci/micropal/acritarch.html

Basic morphologic groups of Acritarchs

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 Priscotheca complanata Leiofusa bernesgae Veryhachium lairdi

Age: Lower Ordovician Age: Silurian Age: Silurian

Size: 40 µm excluding processes Size: 10 µm excluding processes Size: 12 µm excluding processes
Form: Diacromorphic Form: Netromorphic Form: Polygonomorphic

Data from: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/GeolSci/micropal/acritarch.html

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 2. Chitinozoans
Stratigraphic range: late Cambrian–latest Devonian

 Chitinozoans are large (50–2000 µm) flask-shaped,

pseudochitinous palynomorphs that appear dark, almost opaque
when viewed using a light microscope

 They are found only in marine rocks and are important Paleozoic
stratigraphic markers

 They are of uncertain affinity, but theories have been proposed

as follows:

- Kozlowski (1963) suggested they were the eggs of annelid worms

which is supported by: 1) the co-occurrence of chitinozoans with
scolecodonts and 2) their similar trends of abundance

- Jenkins (1970) recognized an affinity between chitinozoa and

graptolites based on circumstances like chemical similarity,
frequent association, and close agreement in stratigraphic limits
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Morphology…

 Chitinozoans are flask-shaped sacs or vesicles

 They have variable surface ornamentation

 The main chamber may have a neck with a

marked flexure between the two.

 It is thought that at least some chitinozoans

were linked together at the appendages to
form colonial chains.

From: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/GeolSci/micropal/acritarch.html

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Examples of some chitinozoans from the Utica and Haynesville shale-gas source
rocks, USA (Elgmati et al., 2011)

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 3. Dinoflagellates
Stratigraphic range: Late Triassic–present

 Dinoflagellates are unicellular aquatic protists (mostly

marine, but also found in brackish- and fresh-water
settings)

 Their name is derived from the Greek dinos "whirling"

and Latin flagellum "whip"

 They are motile and can be heterotrophic, parasitic, or

photosynthetic (autotrophic)
Oligosphaeridium perforatum
 Their most abundant fossil assemblages are from neritic
to upper bathyal environments (http://www.nhm.ac.uk/research-
curation/research/projects/duxbury/dat
abase/detail.dsml?SpeciesID=62&search
=Show+specimen+details)
 They are useful biostratigraphic and paleoenvironmental
tools

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 Oligosphaeridium perforatum Oligosphaeridium perforatum
(movie through the image stack) (extended focus animation)

(http://www.nhm.ac.uk/research-curation/research/projects/duxbury/database/detail.dsml?SpeciesID=62&search=Show+specimen+details)
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Morphology…

 Dinoflagellates generally have two

flagella:

- Transverse flagellum (mostly

contained in a groove-like structure
around the equator of the organism
called the cingulum. It provides
forward motion and spin to the
dinoflagellate)

- Longitudinal flagellum (trailing

behind providing little propulsive
force, mainly acting as a rudder)
Common morphological features of a
 Dinoflagellates may be armored, dinoflagellate cyst
with a rigid outer cell covering (theca), (http://www.ucl.ac.uk/GeolSci/micropal/dinoflagellate.html)
or unarmored

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Red tide caused by a bloom of the dinoflagellate Lingulodinium polyedrum along
the coast of La Jolla, San Diego County, USA
(http://www.cdph.ca.gov/HealthInfo/environhealth/water/Pages/Redtide.aspx)

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 Apectodinium homomorphum Lingulodinium machaerophorum

Thanetian (Palaeocene)–Bartonian (Eocene) Eocene–Recent

(http://www.ucl.ac.uk/GeolSci/micropal/dinoflagellate.html) 14
 Florentinia abjuncta

(http://www.nhm.ac.uk/research-curation/research/projects/duxbury/database/detail.dsml?SpeciesID=45&search=Show+specimen+details)

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 4. Embryophyte Spores
Stratigraphic range: Late Ordovician–present

 Embryophyte Spores are microscopic unicellular

reproductive cells of certain vascular plants (those with
special conducting tissues called xylem)

 These spores are extremely resistant and are easily

transported by wind and water Trilete spore
(Trilobosporites laevigatus El Beialy 1994)

 They are useful biostratigraphic tools particularly in

fresh-water environments, evaporitic deposits, and where
marine and fresh-water facies interdigitate

 They show variable surface sculpture (ornamentation)

Monolete spore
(From Zobaa et al., 2009)
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Alternation of generations in some vascular plants

(http://www.geo.arizona.edu/palynology/ppfspor.html)

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Schematic drawings illustrate the basic morphologic features of a trilete spore (Modified from Singh, 1964)

Basic morphology of a monolete spore

(http://www.ucl.ac.uk/GeolSci/micropal/spore.html)

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Leptolepidites psarosus Crybelosporites pannuceus Deltoidospora mesozoica

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 5. Pollen
Stratigraphic range: latest Devonian–present

 Pollen grains are the containers of the male

gametophyte generation of seed plants (both
angiosperms and gymnosperms)

 They are produced in the male organs of the

flowers (anthers)

 Pollen production is a strategy by which seed

plants became free from dependence on
standing water for fertilization
Afropollis jardinus
 Pollination occurs by transferring pollen
grains from the anthers to the female organs
by wind or animals

 Pollen are good biostratigraphic and

paleoenvironmental tools
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 Reproduction in flowering plants
(http://www.geo.arizona.edu/palynology/polkey.html)
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 Basic morphology of some pollen types
(http://www.ucl.ac.uk/GeolSci/micropal/spore.html)
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Tricolporopollenites kruschii Cupuliferoipollenites sp. Caryapollenites veripites

(Zobaa et al., 2011)

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 Pinus echinata Pinus sp.

(http://www.geo.arizona.edu/palynology/pid00005.html) (http://jolisfukyu.tokai-sc.jaea.go.jp/fukyu/mirai-en/2007/2_5.html)

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 References
Elgmati, M., Zobaa, M., Zhang, H., Bai, B., and Oboh-Ikuenobe, F. , 2011, Palynofacies analysis and submicron
pore modeling of shale-gas plays, SPE North American Unconventional Gas Conference and Exhibition, The
Woodlands, Texas, USA. SPE 144267, 10 p.

Evitt, W. R., 1963, A discussion and proposals concerning fossil dinoflagellates, hystrichospheres, and
acritarchs, Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 49(2–3):158–164; 298–302

Hyde, H. A., and Williams, D. W., 1944, Right word, Pollen Analysis Circular 8:6

Singh, C. 1964, Microflora of the Lower Cretaceous Mannville Group, East-Central Alberta, Alberta Res.
Council, Bull. 15; 1–239

Traverse, A., 2007, Paleopalynology, second ed. Springer, Dordrecht

Zobaa, M. K., Oboh-Ikuenobe, F. E. and Rogers, J. D., 2009, Possible palynologic evidence of hurricanes in the
New Orleans area during the past 4,500 years. AASP‒The Palynological Society, 42nd Annual Meeting,
Kingsport, Tennessee, Abstract Volume, p. 39

Zobaa, M. K., Zavada, M. S., Whitelaw, M. J., Shunk, A. J. and Oboh-Ikuenobe, F. E., 2011, Palynology and
palynofacies analyses of the Gray Fossil Site, eastern Tennessee: Their role in understanding the basin-fill
history, Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, V. 308; 433−444

http://www.geo.arizona.edu/palynology/

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/research-curation/research/projects/duxbury/database/

http://www.ucl.ac.uk/GeolSci/micropal/welcome.html
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