Late Triassic plant microfossils from Miers Bluff Formation of Livingston Island, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica

• Published in: Antarctic Science
• Main Authors: Shu, Ouyang, Xi-Guang, Deng, Yan-Bin, Shen, Xiang-Shen, Zheng, Xiao-Han, Liu
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 2000
• Subjects: Geology; Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics; Oceanography; South Shetland Islands; New Zealand; Livingston Island; Miers; Johnsons; Miers Bluff; Johnsons Dock; Antarc*; Antarctic Science; Antarctica
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0954102000000274; https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0954102000000274

A moderately diverse assemblage of plant microfossils has been recovered from the Johnsons Dock Member of the Miers Bluff Formation, Livingston Island, including spores, pollen, acritarchs, wood fragments and cuticles. Containing a total of c . 45 of miospore taxa, the palynoflora is dominated by non-striate bisaccate pollen, but spores of pteridophytes and pollen of gymnosperms are proportionate in diversity. The palynoflora is similar in composition to those indicative of subzones C + D of the Alisporites Zone of Antarctica, and the upper Craterisporites rotundus Zone and the lower Polycingulatisporites crenulatus Zone of Australia as well as the upper Polycingulatisporites crenulatus Zone and Foveosporites moretonensis Zone of New Zealand, suggesting a Late Triassic (possibly Norian–Rhaetian) age. This determination is supported by the sporadic occurrence of Aratrisporites and Classopollis in the palynoflora as well as by the absence of striate bisaccate grains.