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Environmental Variation, Palynofloras, and Paleoecological Interpretation
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 26 July 2017
Extract
In this discussion, I wish to outline the basic methods of analyzing the paleoenvironmental occurrence of palynomorphs and how this occurrence can be used in paleoecologic interpretation. (Unless otherwise stated, environment as used in this discussion means sedimentary environment.) Palynomorphs have advantages and disadvantages relative to using megafloral remains for the same purpose. Advantages of palynomorphs include their occurrence in large numbers extractable from small volumes of sediment; the usefulness of these large populations for statistical analysis; their occurrence in strata lacking megafossils; and the occurrence of palynomorphs of plants whose preservation potential as megafossils is poor (e.g., fungi, herbaceous plants, algae). Disadvantages of palynomorphs include potential for long-distance transport and reworking; uncertain affinities of many palynomorphs; and bias against zoophilous plants or plants whose pollen contains little sporopollenin (e.g., Populus). Palynomorphs do provide a complementary view of the vegetation which can be of great value if properly used, and whose potential should not be ignored. The best possible analysis would combine megafloral and palynological data at the same level of resolution. Variation of palynology with depositional environment, furthermore, can provide information on individual evolution, community evolution, biostratigraphy, and local variability within depositional environments as well as paleoecology.
- Type
- Research Article
- Information
- The Paleontological Society Special Publications , Volume 3: Methods and Applications of Plant Paleoecology , 1988 , pp. 126 - 146
- Copyright
- Copyright © 1987 Paleontological Society
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