Pennsylvanian climatic changes as evidenced by palynomorph extinctions

Conference · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1992 · Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs; (United States)

OSTI ID:5818048

Kosanke, R M; Cecil, C B ^[1]

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1. Geological Survey, Denver, CO (United States) Geological Survey, Reston, VA (United States)

The extinction of Torispora securis, Thymospora pseudothiessenii, and Lycospora spp. in Ohio occurs between the Mahoning and Mason coal beds, near the base of the Upper Pennsylvanian Conemaugh Group. Species of Lycospora are related to arborescent lycopsids and the other taxa to marattiaceous ferns. These extinctions appear to be associated with a climatic change from wet tropical to dry tropical. Additional samples from western Pennsylvania of the Upper Freeport, Mahoning, and Brush Creek coal beds indicate that a similar extinction occurs between the Mahoning and Brush Creek coal beds. The Brush Creek coal bed splits into two beds, the Lower and Upper Brush Creek coals beds, in part of western Pennsylvania. No specimens of Lycospora, Torispora securis, or Thymospoa pseudothiessenii were identified from the Lower Brush Creek coal bed. However, the palynomorph content of the Lower Brush Creek coal bed is not similar to that of the Mason coal bed of Ohio but rather is related to the Upper Brush Creek coal bed. Palynomorph studies of strata from the Paradox Formation (Desmoinesian) of the Hermosa Group of the Paradox basin of Utah revealed that Lycospora spp. is consistently present in the upper part of the Paradox Formation, from Cycle 3 downward. Lycospora has not been identified from Cycles 2 or 1, suggesting that the extinction occurs between Cycles 3 and 2 close to the Middle-Upper Pennsylvanian boundary. Bilateral-monolete taxa such as Thymospora pseudothiessenii, Torispora securis, and Laevigatosporites spp. have not been identified from samples from Cycles 1 through 5 that have been examined in this investigation.

• OSTI ID: 5818048
• Report Number(s): CONF-921058--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs; (United States) Journal Volume: 24:7
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
011000* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
58 GEOSCIENCES
580000 -- Geosciences
BIOLOGICAL EXTINCTION
BOUNDARY CONDITIONS
CARBONIFEROUS PERIOD
CLIMATIC CHANGE
COAL DEPOSITS
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
FERNS
FOSSILS
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
MINERAL RESOURCES
NORTH AMERICA
OHIO
PALEOCLIMATOLOGY
PALEONTOLOGY
PALEOZOIC ERA
PENNSYLVANIA
PLANTS
RESOURCES
USA
UTAH