A revised stratigraphy for the Palaeocene Agatdalen flora (Nuussuaq Peninsula, western Greenland): correlating fossiliferous outcrops, macrofossils, and palynological samples from phosphoritic nodules
- Author(s)
- Fridgeir Grimsson, Gunver Krarup Pedersen, Guido Grimm, Reinhard Zetter
- Abstract
The Cretaceous and Palaeogene floras of western Greenland that were initially described as part of
the classical work “Flora fossilis arctica” by Oswald Heer in the 19th century are currently under revision. The
Nuussuaq Basin has repeatedly been investigated by geologists and marine invertebrate palaeontologists. These
studies provide a modern stratigraphic framework and a basis for revisions of various Cretaceous to Eocene
floras from this region, and the correlation of fossil material to stratigraphic units and formal formations. This
paper is the first in a series of papers that (i) correlate macrofossil (museum) material and fossil-rich localities
with the modern lithostratigraphic framework, (ii) describe new pollen, spores, and other marine/freshwater
palynomorphs, and (iii) revise the macrofossil remains from the Agatdalen area (particularly the Danian Agatdal
Formation). Since the work of B. Eske Koch in the 1960s and 70s, questions emerged about the correlation of
plant fossiliferous outcrops and whether the so-called Agatdalen flora, referred to the Agatdal Formation, originates
from a single sedimentary unit or not. In this paper, we summarise the stratigraphy of the Agatdalen area
and correlate the fossil plant-bearing outcrops described by Koch to the current lithostratigraphy. We establish
which plant fossils belong to the Agatdal Formation and re-assign a great number of other plant fossils to their
correct formations. New palynological material is briefly described and correlated to the macrofossil localities
and the Agatdal Formation. Previous accounts on the macrofossils (leaves, fruits, seeds) are briefly discussed
and directions for future revisions are outlined.- Organisation(s)
- Department of Palaeontology
- External organisation(s)
- Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS)
- Journal
- Acta Palaeobotanica
- Volume
- 56
- Pages
- 307-327
- No. of pages
- 21
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1515/acpa-2016-0009
- Publication date
- 2016
- Peer reviewed
- Yes
- Austrian Fields of Science 2012
- 105117 Palaeobotany
- Keywords
- ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Agricultural and Biological Sciences(all), Earth and Planetary Sciences(all)
- Sustainable Development Goals
- SDG 14 - Life Below Water
- Portal url
- https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/a-revised-stratigraphy-for-the-palaeocene-agatdalen-flora-nuussuaq-peninsula-western-greenland-correlating-fossiliferous-outcrops-macrofossils-and-palynological-samples-from-phosphoritic-nodules(fee5858f-2933-46f5-920e-4fd2e0d510e3).html