Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-nr4z6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-09T10:43:01.592Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

A new approach to palynostratigraphy of the middle–late Famennian Gafo Formation, southern sector of the Pulo do Lobo Domain, SW Iberia (Portugal and Spain)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 May 2022

Márcia Mendes*
Affiliation:
Laboratório Nacional de Energia e Geologia (LNEG), Rua da Amieira, Ap. 1089, 4466-901 São Mamede de Infesta, Portugal
Zélia Pereira
Affiliation:
Laboratório Nacional de Energia e Geologia (LNEG), Rua da Amieira, Ap. 1089, 4466-901 São Mamede de Infesta, Portugal
Nuno Vaz
Affiliation:
Departamento de Geologia, Escola de Ciências da Vida e do Ambiente, Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Quinta de Prados, 5000-801Vila Real, Portugal Centro de Geociências de Universidade de Coimbra, Rua Sílvio Lima, 3030-790Coimbra, Portugal
Alejandro Díez-Montes
Affiliation:
Instituto Geológico y Minero de España, Plaza de la Constitución, 1, 37001-Salamanca, Spain
João X. Matos
Affiliation:
Laboratório Nacional de Energia e Geologia (LNEG), Bairro da Val d´Oca. Ap. 14, 7601-909Aljustrel, Portugal
Luis Albardeiro
Affiliation:
Laboratório Nacional de Energia e Geologia (LNEG), Bairro da Val d´Oca. Ap. 14, 7601-909Aljustrel, Portugal
Paulo Fernandes
Affiliation:
Centre for Marine and Environmental Research, Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139Faro, Portugal
Raul Jorge
Affiliation:
Instituto Dom Luiz (IDL), Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, Edifício C6, Piso 4, 1749-016, Lisboa, Portugal
David Chew
Affiliation:
Department of Geology, School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
*
Author for correspondence: Márcia Mendes, Email: marcia.mendes@lneg.pt

Abstract

New palynological results from the Gafo Formation (southern sector of the Pulo do Lobo Domain, South Portuguese Zone) are integrated with recently studied sections and drillholes from the Portuguese and Spanish sectors. A total of 44 samples were studied, 27 of which were positive for palynomorph taxonomy. This research revealed well preserved palynological assemblages, including 73 spore species allocated to 28 genera, four acritarch genera, three prasinophyte algae genera plus common chitinozoan remains. Some additional forms were retained under open nomenclature. From this, the first complete age determination for the Gafo Formation in Portugal and Spain was achieved, indicating a middle Famennian (Grandispora gracilis–Grandispora famenensis, GF Biozone) to a late Famennian (Grandispora echinata, VH Biozone) age. A greywacke sample from the same Gafo Formation was dated by U–Pb zircon geochronology and a maximum depositional age of 369 ± 2.5 Ma was obtained. A correlation between these palynological and U–Pb zircon data and the palynoflora assemblages of previous authors was made, as well as with the ages of felsic volcanic rocks found intercalated in the Gafo Formation, confirming the complex stratigraphy of Pulo do Lobo Domain. The results are consistent with stratigraphic mapping and structural interpretations, allowing a middle–late Famennian age (GF and VH Biozone) to be assigned to the Gafo Formation sedimentary rocks. This work has also contributed to a reinterpretation of Gafo Formation depositional facies correlatives (e.g. the Santa Barbara Group in Spain) as being the same lithological unit.

Type
Original Article
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Askew, AJ and Russell, E (2019) A new Middle Devonian chitinozoan assemblage from northern Iberia. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology 268, 7287.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Becker, G, Bless, MJM, Streel, M and Thorez, J (1974) Palynology and ostracode distribution in the Upper Devonian and basal Dinantian of Belgium and their dependence on sedimentary facies. Mededelingen Rijks Geologische Dienst: Nieuwe serie 25, 9–99.Google Scholar
Carvalho, D, Correia, M and Inverno, C (1976) Contribuição para o conhecimento geológico do Grupo Ferreira-Ficalho suas relacões com a Faixa Piritosa e o Grupo do Pulo do Lobo. Memórias e notícias, Museu Laboratório Mineralógico Faculdade Ciencias 82, 145–69.Google Scholar
Clayton, G, Owens, B, Al-Hajri, S and Filatoff, J (2000) Latest Devonian and Early Carboniferous miospore assemblages from Saudi Arabia. In Stratigraphic Palynology of the Paleozoic of Saudi Arabia (eds Al–Hajri, SA and Owens, B), pp. 146–53. GeoArabia, Special Publication no.1.Google Scholar
Clayton, G, Wicander, R and Pereira, Z (2002) Palynological evidence concerning the relative positions of northern Gondwana and southern Laurussia in latest Devonian and Mississippian times. Special Papers in Palaeontology 67, 4556.Google Scholar
Clendening, JA, Eames, LE and Wood, GD (1980) Retusotriletes phillipsii n. sp., a Potential Upper Devonian guide palynomorph. Palynology 4, 15–21.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cunha, TA and Oliveira, JT (1989) Upper Devonian palynomorphs from the represa and phyllite–quartzite formations, Mina De Sao Domingos Region, southeast Portugal: tectonostratigraphic implications. Bulletin de la Societe beige de Geologic 98(3/4), 295–309.Google Scholar
Díez-Montes, A, Matos, JX, Dias, R, Huerta Carmona, JJ, Albardeiro, L, Oliveira, JT, Morais, I, Fernandes, P, Inverno, C, Machado, S, Ressurreição, R, Pereira, Z, Mendes, M, Solá, R, Salgueiro, R, Matilla, AS, Valdés, MC, Gonçalves, P, Santos, S and López López, MT (2020a) Notícia Explicativa e Carta Geológica da Zona Sul Portuguesa, esc. 1:400.000. Memoria Técnica y Mapa Geológico de la Zona Surportuguesa, esc. 1:400.000. Programa Interreg V-A España-Portugal. Observatorio transfronterizo para la valorización geo-económica de la Faja Pirítica Ibérica (0052_GEO_FPI_5_E). Instituto Geológico y Minero de España, Laboratório Nacional de Energia e geología, Junta de Andalucía, 55 pp.Google Scholar
Díez-Montes, A, Matos, JX, Valverde-Vaquero, P, Solá, R, Albardeiro, L, Salgueiro, R and Morais, I (2020b) Estudio isotópico de rocas ígneas de la Faja Pirítica Ibérica mediante la realización de edades U-Pb en circones. Programa Interreg V-A España-Portugal 2014–2020: Observatorio transfronterizo para la valorización geo-económica de la Faja Pirítica Ibérica (0052_GEO_FPI_5_E). Instituto Geológico y Minero de España, Laboratório Nacional de Energia e Geologia.Google Scholar
Donaire, T, Sáez, R and Pascual, E (2002) Rhyolitic globular peperites from the Aznalcóllar mining district (Iberian Pyrite Belt, Spain): physical and chemical controls. Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research 114(1–2), 119–28.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Giese, Y, Reitz, E and Walter, R (1988) Contributions to the stratigraphy of the Pulo do Lobo succession in Southwest Spain. Comunicações Serviços Geológicos de Portugal 74, 7984.Google Scholar
Grahn, Y, Melo, J and Loboziak, S (2006) Integrated Middle and Late Devonian miospore and chitinozoan zonation of the Parnaíba Basin, Brazil: an update. Revista Brasileira de Paleontologia 9, 283–94.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hacquebard, PA (1957) Plant spores in coalfrom the Horton group (Mississippian) of Nova Scotia. Micropaleontology 3, 301–24.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Higgs, KT, Avkhimovitch, VI, Loboziak, S, Maziane-Serraj, N, Stempien-Salek, M and Streel, M (2000) Systematic study and stratigraphic correlation of the Grandispora complex in the Famennian of northwest and eastern Europe. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology 112, 207–28.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Higgs, KT, Prestianni, C, Streel, M and Thorez, J (2013) High resolution miospore stratigraphy of the Upper Famennian of eastern Belgium and correlation with the conodont zonation. Geologica Belgica 16, 8494.Google Scholar
Korn, D (1997) The Paleozoic ammonoids of the South Portuguese Zone. Memórias do Instituto Geológico Mineiro Portugal 33, 1131.Google Scholar
Loboziak, S (2000) Middle to Early Late Devonian miospore biostratigraphy of Saudi Arabia. In Stratigraphic Palynology of the Paleozoic of Saudi Arabia (eds Al–Hajri, EA and Owens, B), pp. 146–53. GeoArabia Special Publication no. 1.Google Scholar
Loboziak, S and Melo, J (2002) Devonian miospore successions of Western Gondwana: update and correlation with Southern Euramerican miospore zones. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology 121, 133–48.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Loboziak, S and Streel, M (1981) Miospores in Givetian to Lower Frasnian sediments dated by conodonts from the Boulonnais, France. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology 29, 285–99.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Loboziak, S and Streel, M (1989) Middle-Upper Devonian Miospores from the Ghadamis Basin (Tunisia-Libya): Systematics and Stratigraphy. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology 58, 173–96.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mange, MA and Maurer, HFW (1992) Heavy Minerals in Colour. London: Chapman and Hall, 147 p.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Matas, J, Martín Parra, LM, Rubio Pascual, FJ, Roldán, FJ and Martín-Serrano, Á (2015) Mapa Geológico y Memoria de la Hoja nº 75/74 (Sevilla-Puebla de Guzmán). Mapa Geológico de España E. 1:200.000. Madrid: Instituto Geológico y Minero de España, 179 p.Google Scholar
Matos, JX, Pereira, Z, Solá, R, Represas, P and Dias, R (2018) A Região Nw Da Zona Sul Portuguesa, um contributo dos programas regionais do LNEG de cartografia geológica e prospeção mineral. Vulcânica II, 51–52.Google Scholar
McGregor, DC (1973) Lower and Middle Devonian spores of eastern Gaspe, Canada. I. Systematics. Palaeontographica Abteilung B Band 142(1–3), 1–77.Google Scholar
McGregor, DC and Camfield, M (1982) Middle Devonian miospores from the Cape de Bray, Weatherall and Hecla Bay formations of northern Melville Island, Canadian Arctic. Geological Survey of Canada, Bulletin 348, 1–105.Google Scholar
Moreau-Benoit, A (1980) Les spores du Dévonien de Libye. Paris: Cahiers de Micropaléontologie, vol. 1, 3–53.Google Scholar
Oliveira, JT (1990) Stratigraphy and syn-sedimentary tectonism in the South Portuguese Zone. In Pre-Mesozoic Geology of Iberia (eds Dallmeyer, RD and Martinez Garcia, E), pp. 334–47. New York: Springer-Verlag.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Oliveira, JT, Cunha, TA, Streel, M and Vanguestaine, M (1986) Dating the Horta da Torre Formation, a new lithostratigraphic unit of the Ferreira-Ficalho Group, South Portuguese Zone: geological consequences. Comunicações Serviços Geológicos de Portugal 72(1–2), 12935, 363–68.Google Scholar
Oliveira, JT, Horn, M and Paproth, E (1979) Preliminary note on the stratigraphy of the Baixo Alentejo Flysch Group, Carboniferous of Portugal and on the palaeogeographic development compared to corresponding units in Northwest Germany. Comunicações Serviços Geológicos Portugal 65, 151–68.Google Scholar
Oliveira, JT, Quesada, C, Pereira, Z, Matos, JX, Solá, JX, Solá, RA, Rosa, D, Albardeiro, L, Díez-Montes, A, Morais, I, Inverno, C, Rosa, C and Relvas, J (2019) South Portuguese Terrane: A Continental Affinity Exotic Unit. In The Geology of Iberia: A Geodynamic Approach. Volume 2: The Variscan Cycle (eds Quesada, C and Oliveira, JT), 34 p. New York: Springer.Google Scholar
Oliveira, JT, Relvas, J, Pereira, Z, Matos, JX, Rosa, C, Rosa, D, Munhá, JM, Fernandes, P, Jorge, R and Pinto, A (2013) Geologia da Zona Sul Portuguesa, com ênfase na estratigrafia e na vulcanologia física, geoquímica e mineralizações da Faixa Piritosa. In Geologia Pré-mesozóica de Portugal, Geologia de Portugal Vol. I (eds Dias, R, Araújo, A, Terrinha, P and Kullberg, JC), pp. 673–767. Amadora: Laboratório Nacional de Energia e Geología.Google Scholar
Oliveira, JT, Relvas, J, Pereira, Z, Matos, J, Rosa, C, Rosa, D, Munhá, JM, Jorge, R and Pinto, A (2006) O Complexo Vulcano-Sedimentar da Faixa Piritosa: estratigrafia, vulcanismo, mineralizações associadas e evolução tectono-estratigráfica no contexto da Zona Sul Portuguesa. In Geologia de Portugal no contexto da Ibéria (eds Dias, R, Araújo, A, Terrinha, P and Kullberg, JC), pp. 207–43. Évora: Universidad Évora.Google Scholar
Oliveira, TO (1982) Carta Geológica de Portugal, escala 1_200000. Notícia Explicativa da Folha 8. Serviços Geológicos de Portugal.Google Scholar
Paton, C, Hellstrom, J, Paul, B, Woodhead, J and Hergt, J (2011) Iolite: Freeware for the visualisation and processing of mass spectrometric data. Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry 26, 2508–18.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Paris, F (1996) Chitinozoan biostratigraphy and palaeoecology. In Palynology: Principles and Applications, Volume 2 (eds J Jansonius and DC McGregor), pp. 531–52. American Association of Stratigraphic Palynologists Foundation.Google Scholar
Paris, F and Verniers, J (2005) Chitinozoa microfossils. In Encyclopedia of Geologia (eds Selley, R, Plimer, I and Cocks, R), pp. 428440. Amsterdam: Elsevier.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Paris, F, Winchester-Seeto, T, Boumendiel, K and Hrahn, Y (2000) Toward a global biozonation of Devoniamn chitinozoans. Courier Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg 220, 3955.Google Scholar
Pereira, MF, Gutíerrez-Alonso, G, Murphy, JB, Drost, K, Gama, C and Silva, JB (2017) Birth and demise of the Rheic Ocean magmatic arc(s): Combined U–Pb and Hf isotope analyses in detrital zircon from SW Iberia siliciclastic strata. Lithos 278–281, 383–99.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pereira, Z, Fernandes, P, Matos, JX, Oliveira, JT and Jorge, R (2018) Stratigraphy of the Northern Pulo do Lobo Domain, SW Iberia Variscides: a palynological contribution. Geobios 51, 491506.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pereira, Z, Fernandes, P, Matos, JX, Oliveira, JT and Jorge, R (2019) Reply to ‘Comment on Stratigraphy of the Northern Pulo do Lobo Domain, SW Iberia Variscides: A palynological contribution by Zélia Pereira et al. (2018)’. Geobios 51, 491506.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pereira, Z, Fernandes, P and Oliveira, JT (2006a) Palinoestratigrafia do Domínio Pulo do Lobo, Zona Sul Portuguesa. VII Congresso Nacional de Geologia, Universidad Évora, pp. 649–52.Google Scholar
Pereira, Z, Fernandes, P and Oliveira, JT (2006b) Upper Devonian palynostratigraphy and organic matter maturation of the Pulo do Lobo Domain, South Portuguese Zone, Portugal. Comunicações Geológicas 93, 2338.Google Scholar
Pereira, Z, Matos, JX, Batista, MJ, Sóla, R, Salgueiro, R, Oliveira, D, Oliveira, JT, Inverno, C and Rosa, C (2014) Caracterização geológica, estratigráfica e litogeoquímica das unidades geológicas da zona do Algaré, Antiforma do Rosário e da mineralização de sulfuretos maciços da Semblana. Rel. Proj. IPB Vectors, LNEG/Lundin Mining, 150 p.Google Scholar
Pereira, Z, Matos, JX, Fernandes, P and Oliveira, JT (2008) Palynostratigraphy and systematic palynology of the Devonian and Carboniferous successions of the South Portuguese Zone Portugal. Memórias do Instituto Nacional de Engenharia, Tecnologia e Inovação 34, 1176.Google Scholar
Pereira, Z, Matos, JX, Solá, AR, Batista, MJ, Salgueiro, R, Rosa, C, Albardeiro, L, Mendes, M, Morais, I, de Oliveira, D, Pacheco, N, Araújo, V, Castelo Branco, JM, Neto, R, Lains Amaral, J, Inverno, C, Oliveira, JT (2021) Geology of the recently discovered massive and stockwork sulphide mineralization at Semblana, Rosa Magra and Monte Branco, Neves–Corvo mine region, Iberian Pyrite Belt, Portugal. Geological Magazine 158, 1253–68.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Petrus, JA and Kamber, BS (2012) VizualAge: a novel approach to laser ablation ICP-MS U-Pb geochronology data reduction. Geostandards and Geoanalytical Research 36, 247–70.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pfefferkorn, HW (1968) Geologie des Gebietes zwischen Serpa und Mértola (Baixo Alentejo, Portugal). PhD thesis. University of Münster, 143p. Published thesis.Google Scholar
Playford, G (1983) The Devonian miospore genus Geminospora Balme, 1962: a reappraisal based upon topotypic G. lemurata (type species). Association of Australasian Palaeontologists, Memoir 1, 311–25.Google Scholar
Pointon, MA, Chew, DM, Ovtcharova, M, Sevastopulo, GD and Crowley, QG (2012) New high-precision U-Pb dates from western European Carboniferous tuffs; implications for time scale calibration, the periodicity of late Carboniferous cycles and stratigraphical correlation. Journal of the Geological Society 169, 713–21.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Quesada, C, Braid, JA, Fernandes, P, Ferreira, P, Jorge, RS, Matos, JX, Murphy, JB, Oliveira, JT, Pedro, J and Pereira, Z (2019) SW Iberia Variscan Suture Zone: oceanic affinity units. In The Geology of Iberia: A Geodynamic Approach (eds Quesada, C and Oliveira, JT), pp. 131–71. New York: Springer.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rodríguez González, RM (1999) Informe palinológico. Project: Investigación geológica y cartografía básica en la Faja Pirítica y áreas aledañas. Junta de Andalucía (JA) - Instituto Geológico y Minero de España (IGME). Report in 1:200 000 Sevilla-Puebla de Guzmán 75/74, Memoria del Mapa Geológico de España.Google Scholar
Rosa, CJP, McPhie, J and Relvas, JMRS (2009) The felsic volcanic centres of Neves Corvo and Lousal massive sulfide deposits in the Iberian Pyrite Belt. In: Smart Science for Exploration and Mining (ed. Williams, PJ), pp. 484–6. Townsville: Economic Geology Research Unit, James Cook University.Google Scholar
Rosa, DRN, Finch, AA, Andersen, T and Inverno, C (2008) U-Pb geochronology of felsic volcanic rocks hosted in the Gafo Formation, South Portuguese Zone: the relationship with Iberian Pyrite Belt magmatism. Mineralogical Magazine 72, 1103–18.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Silva, JB (1989) Estrutura de uma geotransversal da Faixa Piritosa Vale do Guadiana, Estudo de tectónica pelicular em regime de deformação não coaxial. Tese Doutoramento Faculdade Ciencias Universidade Lisboa, Lisboa, 294 p.Google Scholar
Silva, JB (1998) Enquadramento Geodinâmico da Faixa Piritosa na Zona Sul Portuguesa. In: Livro Guia das Excursãos, V Congresso Nacional de Geologia (eds Oliveira, JT and Dias, RP), pp. 79–89. Lisbon: IGM.Google Scholar
Silva, JB, Oliveira, JT and Ribeiro, A (1990) South Portuguese Zone. Structural outline. In Pre-Mesozoic Geology of Iberia (eds Dallmeyer, RD and Martinez Garcia, E), pp. 348–62. New York: Springer Verlag.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Silva, JB, Pereira, MF and Chichorro, M (2013) Estruturas das áreas internas da Zona Sul Portuguesa, no contexto do Orógeno Varisco. In: Geologia de Portugal Ibéria (eds R Dias, A Araújo, P Terrinha and JC Kullberg), pp. 767–86. Lisbon: Escolar Editora.Google Scholar
Solá, R, Albardeiro, L, Salgueiro, R, Morais, I, Díez-Montes, A and Matos, JX (2019) Idades U-Pb em rochas vulcano-sedimentares da Zona Sul Portuguesa: resultados preliminares dos programas de cartografia regional do Projeto GEO-FPI. CIG. Congresso Ibérico de Geoquímica, Évora, 4 p.Google Scholar
Stockmans, F and Willièrre, Y (1962) Hystrichosphères du Dévonien belge (sondage de L’Asile d’aliénés à Tournai). Bulletin de la Société belge de géologie, de paléontologie et d’hydrologie 71, 41–77.Google Scholar
Streel, M (1967) Associations de spores du Dévonien inferieur belge et leur signification stratigraphique. Annales de la Société géologique de Belgique 90, 11–53.Google Scholar
Streel, M (1974) Similitudes des assemblages de spores d’Europe, d’Afrique du Nord et d’Amérique du Nord au Dévonien terminal. Sciences Géologiques Bulletin 27(1), 25–38.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Streel, M (2009) Upper Devonian miospore and conodont zone correlation in Western Europe. In Devonian Change: Case Studies in Palaeogeography and Palaeoecology (ed. Königshof, P), pp. 163–76. Geological Society of London, Special Publication no. 314.Google Scholar
Streel, M, Higgs, K, Loboziak, S, Riegel, W and Steemans, Ph (1987) Spore stratigraphy and correlation with faunas and floras in the type marine Devonian of the Ardenne-Rhenish regions. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology 50, 211–29.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vermeesch, P (2012) On the visualisation of detrital age distributions. Chemical Geology 312–3, 190–4.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wiedenbeck, M, Allé, P, Corfu, F, Griffin, WL, Meier, M, Oberli, F, von Quadt, A, Roddick, JC and Spiegel, W (1995) Three natural zircon standards for U-Th-Pb, Lu-Hf, trace element and REE analyses. Geostandards Newsletter 19, 1–23.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wood, GD, Gabriel, AM and Lawson, JC (1996) Palynological techniques-processing and microscopy. In Palynology: Principles and Applications (eds J Jansonius and DC McGregor), 29–50. American Association of Stratigraphic Palynologists.Google Scholar
Supplementary material: File

Mendes et al. supplementary material

Mendes et al. supplementary material 1

Download Mendes et al. supplementary material(File)
File 20.8 KB
Supplementary material: File

Mendes et al. supplementary material

Mendes et al. supplementary material 2

Download Mendes et al. supplementary material(File)
File 86.3 KB
Supplementary material: File

Mendes et al. supplementary material

Mendes et al. supplementary material 3

Download Mendes et al. supplementary material(File)
File 13.4 KB