PALYNOLOGICAL ZONATION OF MID-PALAEOZOIC. NW SPAIN 



121 



Ath -Angochitina ihadeui Early Goraian - Late Ludfordia 



Cb - Cyathochilina sp . B Late Llandovery 



Me -Margachitinn elegans Mid Pridoli 



Uu - Urnochitina urna Pridoli - Earliest Lochkovian 



Spore 

 Zonation 



Loc, 



Pri. 



Ludf. 



MN 

 (na) 



'(a) 

 EC 



9 





Chitinozoan 

 Zonation 



Pri. 



? 

 Ludf, 



Llan. 



^ ^ ^ ' ^ ■ 



LV7b 

 ^ LV 7a 

 ~LV6 



"^3 1. a 



~ -^ ? 



LV 14 



fe 



LV 13 



LV 12 



s. 



LV 11 



2 



LV 3 



LV2 



I LV 1 



S' 5 = " 

 g 2 !^ 5 



g « > g ? 

 5 5 a g 8 



53 k CS, Ji «, 



s, e--^ 



5 .2 '^ 00 S 



5 g^ 



? S 



b 2 a 



i a 



5- S- 



? i; 



£. '^ ■ 



1. i^ a t 3 



a. c g 



5 S- 



c.c:= = g i; = Ci. 



C i; 11, k 



~ 5 ^ = "I ~ 



II 



S c. s 



^Agglomerate 

 gj] Sandstone 



■ Shale 



□ Sandstone & Shale 

 [3 Doloinites 

 g Limestones 

 [7]Quartzites 

 B Sandstone 



■ oolites 



I I Red Sandstones 

 ".•Phosphaiic nodules /clasts 





s 



SO 



1^ 



k 



^ 



5 



5 

 U 



to 



fc) u (J o <J 'j: 







to 



c 



c 



S 





1 



u' 











LV 18- 

















































LV 17- 























4 



» 



1 



1 







1 



1 













LV 16- 















• 





< 



» 







1 



1 





• 



1 



1 



• 











LV 15- 

















































LV 14- 

















































LV 13- 





• 







• 





• 







r-. 







1 



1 





• 



1 



• 



• 



• 



• 



• 



• 



LV 12- 



























1 



1 







1 















LV 11- 



























1 



1 





1 



1 



• 



• 











LV 10- 



C^- 







c^- 



• 











• 







1 



1 



• 



1 

















LV9 - 



• 





• 









• 











• 

























LV 8b- 























• 



























LV 8a- 

















































LV 8 - 



1 



1 



• 



• 





1 



• 



1 



o- « 



• • 





























LV 7b- 



1 



1 





c^- 



1 



1 



o- 



1 

































LV7a- 



1 



1 





1 



1 



1 



• 



































LV 6 - 



1 



1 



• 



1 



1 







































LV 5b- 

















































LV 5a- 

















































LV 4 - 

















































LV 3 - 

















































LV 2 - 

















































LV 1 - 

















































LV 18 

 LV 17 

 LV 16 

 LV 15 

 LV 14 

 LV_^3 

 LV 12" 

 LV 11 

 LVJO 

 LV 9 

 LV8b 

 LV 8a 

 LV8_ 

 LV7b 

 LV 7a 

 LV6 

 LV5B" 

 LV 5a 

 LV4 

 LV3 

 LV2 

 LV 1 



Key Cantabrian 

 chitinozoan taxa 



MN 



(na) 



EC 



RS 



9 



Me 



-Uu 



.Cb 



Lochkovian 

 ^?_ „ 



Pridoli 



Ludfordia n 



Fig. 4 Selected spore distribution at La Vid. Chitinozoan zonation after Verniers et al. (1995): su: superba, ele: elegans, ko: kosovensis. 



Comnaspora subomata (Cramer and Diez) comb, nov.; Cramer & 

 Diez 1975: pi. 1, fig. 7, (PL 8, fig. 7). 



Reference section. San Pedro Formation, Geras, Province of 

 Leon, Cordillera Cantabrica, NW Spain. The base of the zone is 

 between samples Ger 5 and 6, and the base of sample 6 is c.16.2 m 

 above the base of the section. The zone is about 22 m thick in the 

 Geras section. 



Definition. The base of the zone is based on the first appearance 

 of C. hemiesferica (Cramer & Diez). In the lower part of the zone 

 Chelinospora sanpetrensis (Rodriguez), Comnaspora reticulata sp. 

 nov. and £OT/7/ianKponYesip/enJe/!5( Richardson &Ioannides, 1973) 

 persist. This biozone represents the interval between the appearance 

 of the nominal species and the first occurrence of Scylospora elegans 

 and Iberoespora cantabrica (EC) Biozone. 



Accessory species. Coronaspora subomata (occurs errafically 

 within the zone), Chelinospora canistrata sp. nov. Concentrico- 

 sisporites agradabilis (Rodriguez) Rodriguez, 1 983 . All the accessory 

 spores have been found in three of the four sections. 



Remarks. Chelinospora hemiesferica (Cramer & Diez) shows 

 considerable variation and a morphological series can be traced in 

 these sections. C. hemiesferica (Silurian, Pfidoli) has narrow genicu- 

 late muri and higher in the zone is accompanied by C. ci. hemiesferica 

 with broader muri, and then C. lavidensis and C. media, which both 

 have wide lumina and occur along with typical Lower Devonian 

 (Lochkovian) species Chelinospora cassicida Richardson & Lister. 

 So far the variant C. cf. hemiesferica has been found in three of the 



four sections: Geras (EC Biozone), La Peral (H, and EC Biozones), 

 and La Vid (upper EC (Aneiirospora Sub-Biozone), lower MN Sub- 

 Biozone). 



Age. Lower and Middle Pffdoli. The chitinozoan Urnachitina 

 lima occurs in the basal sample (LPIO) of the hemiesferica Biozone 

 in the La Peral section, U. urna has a range from Pfidoli to lowermost 

 Lochkovian. 



Scylaspora elegans - Iberoespora cantabrica (EC) 

 Spore Assemblage Biozone (Figs 2-5) 



Nominal species 



Scylaspora elegans sp. nov. (PI. 5, figs 2-4, PI. 6, fig. 8). 

 Iberoespora cantabrica Cramer &Diez 1975: pl. 2, figs 24, 26-28 

 (PI. 6, fig. 4; PI. 7, fig. 4). 



Reference section for base of biozone. La Vid section, 

 Cantabrian Mountains, Province of Leon, NW Spain. The lowest 

 occurrence of Scylaspora elegans was found in sample LV 1 0, r. 1 02 

 m above the base of the section. 



Definition. The base of the zone is defined by the incoming of 

 one, or both, of the nominal species. Usually Iberoespora cantabrica 

 occurs stratigraphically above S. elegans. The first appearance of 

 Aneiirospora spp., lacking proximal papillae, defines a sub-biozone 

 in the upper part of the zone. 



Accessory species. Retusotrdetes bipelUs Rodriguez, 1978c, 

 Cxmhosporites sp. B, and several Chelinospora morphs (variants) 



