Scanning electron microscope and light microscope investigations of pollen from an atypical mid-Eocene coal facies in Stolzenbach mine (PreußenElektra) near Borken (Kassel, Lower Hesse, Germany)
- Author(s)
- Christa-Ch. Hofmann, Hans-Joachim Gregor
- Abstract
Light microscope (LM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) investigations of palynomorphs from a mid-Eocene coal lens at the Stolzenbach brown-coal mine (“Borken brown coal field”) yielded a remarkable microflora assemblage, with 76 pollen and spore taxa, dominated by monolete fern spores. Numerous pollen and pollen clumps of Myrtaceae and Salicaceae might represent in-situ growth of these families, which were associated with pollen of Aralia-type, Eotrigonobalanus spp., Flueggea-type, Nyssa-type, three Pentapollenites taxa, and Spinaepollis spinosus, plus many others. Ericaceae such as Erica-type, Kalmia-type, and Rhododendron-type pollen are described from here for the first time; the last represents the earliest known occurrence of the genus. Additionally, five tropical south Asian Sapotaceae taxa (Mimusopeae- and Isonandreae tribes), and one tropical South American bombacoid Eriotheca-type occur. Several previously undescribed pollen taxa for the Eocene have been found; some are amongst the oldest examples of these pollen taxa: the Nuphar-type pollen represents the earliest occurrence in Europe and, whilst the Acalypha-type and Trochodendron-type are the oldest pollen occurrences in general, the Viburnum-type, affiliable to V. clemesiae probably represents a tropical south Asian lineage.
- Organisation(s)
- Department of Palaeontology
- External organisation(s)
- Naturmuseum Augsburg
- Journal
- Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology
- Volume
- 252
- Pages
- 41-63
- No. of pages
- 23
- ISSN
- 0034-6667
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.revpalbo.2018.02.004
- Publication date
- 02-2018
- Peer reviewed
- Yes
- Austrian Fields of Science 2012
- 105117 Palaeobotany
- Keywords
- ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics, Palaeontology
- Portal url
- https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/4c8a3faf-bab7-4c4b-b991-5d97726be3bb