1. SPECIES OF THE ACRITARCH GENUS PALAEOSTOMOCYSTIS DEFLANDRE 1937: POTENTIAL INDICATORS OF NERITIC SUBPOLAR TO POLAR ENVIRONMENTS IN ANTARCTICA DURING THE CENOZOIC.
- Author
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Warny, Sophie
- Subjects
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DINOFLAGELLATE cysts , *ACRITARCHS , *SPORES , *MARINE sediments , *PLEISTOCENE paleobotany , *PHYSIOLOGICAL oxidation ,ANTARCTIC environmental conditions - Abstract
A palynological analysis was undertaken on 16 samples from seven piston cores collected along two offshore transects near Seymour and James Ross Islands. Diverse assemblages of reworked marine microplankton (including organic-walled dinoflagellate cysts, cymatiosphaerids, leiospheres, and other acritarchs) and terrestrial palynomorphs (including pollen and spores) were recovered from glacio-marine sediments of late Pleistocene age. Among the reworked taxa, four species belonging to the acritarch genus Palaeostomocystis Deflandre 1937 comprise up to 17% of all palynomorphs. Highest abundances were recorded from sites close to the coast. The potential use of Palaeostomocystis as a proxy for early ice-sheet development on the Antarctic margins is evaluated in light of earlier studies. This evaluation suggests that the high abundances of Palaeostomocystis on the Antarctic Peninsula reflect neritic-type environments (shallow waters, bay-like areas, or marginal seas) and sub-polar to polar conditions as exist in the Bering Sea, Greenland margins, and other sub- arctic to arctic areas today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2009
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