Prydz Bay Unit III (Eocene of Antarctica)

Where: Prydz Bay, Antarctica (69.0° S, 75.0° E: paleocoordinates 68.2° S, 69.6° E)

• coordinate estimated from map

When: Marine dinocyst other zone, Late/Upper Eocene (37.2 - 33.9 Ma)

• The proposed Late Eocene age of sediments between 142.5 and 240.36 mbsf at Site 1166 is primarily based on marine dinocyst and acritarch species (see discussion in Macphail and Truswell 2004a).

Environment/lithology: delta plain; silty, sandy lithology not reported

• During the period represented by Units II and III, the East Antarctic ice sheet extended from the mountain front down to sea level and onto the continental shelf. Unit III probably represents glacial outwash sands deposited on an alluvial plain or delta (Whitehead et al. 2006).

•The sedimentary record at Site 1166 shows that the sequence spans the transition from preglacial to glacial conditions.

• Unit III (156.62–267.17 mbsf), which consists of massive and deformed sands with a silty clay matrix in its lower parts, is rich in organic matter and includes pieces of wood.

Size class: microfossils

Preservation: original sporopollenin

Collection methods: chemical,

• The material that forms the basis of the present study comes from ODP Site 1166 in Prydz Bay, drilled during Leg 188 of the Ocean Drilling Program.

Primary reference: E. M. Truswell and M. K. Macphail. 2009. Polar forests on the edge of extinction: what does the fossil spore and pollen evidence from East Antarctica say?. Australian Systematic Botany (22)57-106 [C. Jaramillo/C. Jaramillo]more details

Purpose of describing collection: paleoecologic analysis

PaleoDB collection 168824: authorized by Carlos Jaramillo, entered by Carlos Jaramillo on 30.04.2015

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

unclassified
  -
Equisetopsida
 Pinidae - Pinidae
Balmeiopsis limbata Archangelsky 1979
Araucariacites sp. Cookson and Couper 1953
Dilwynites granulatus Harris 1965
Lycopodiopsida
 Lycopodiales -
Retitriletes spp. Pierce 1961 clubmoss
 Selaginellales -
Foveosporites cf. canalis Balme 1957 clubmoss
 Selaginellales - Selaginellaceae
Neoraistrickia cf. taylorii Playford and Dettmann 1965 spikemoss
Neoraistrickia cf. suratensis McKellar 1974 spikemoss
Pteridopsida
  -
Cyathidites minor Couper 1953
C. minor–australis
Polypodiopsida
  - Gleicheniaceae
Gleicheniidites spp. Dettmann 1963
Clavifera triplex Bolkhovitina 1966
 Polypodiales - Polypodiidae
Polypodiisporites spp. Potonié 1931
 Gleicheniales - Polypodiidae
Dictyophyllidites cf. arcuatus Pocknall and Mildenhall 1984
 Schizaeales - Polypodiidae
  - Polypodiaceae
Laevigatosporites ovatus Wilson and Webster 1946
L. ovatus–major
Trichotomosulcites spp. Couper 1953
Trichotomosulcites–Podosporites
  - Osmundaceae
  - Blechnaceae
Ginkgoopsida
 Caytoniales -
Vitreisporites pallidus Nilsson 1958
Extinct
Australopollis obscurus
  -
Angiospermae
 Sapindales - Sapindaceae
 Fagales -
Nothofagidites emarcidus
N. emarcidus complex
Nothofagidites lachlaniae Pocknall and Mildenhall 1984
N. lachlaniae complex
Nothofagidites brachyspinulosus Harris 1965
N. brachyspinulosus complex
Nothofagidites asperus Cookson 1958
N. asperus complex
Nothofagidites flemingii Potonie 1960
N. flemingii complex
Dicotyledoneae
 Ericales - Ericaceae
Ericipites spp. Wodehouse 1933 heather
 Myrtales -
Myrtaceidites parvus Cookson and Pike 1960
M. parvus/mesonesus
Angiospermae
 Gunnerales -
 Proteales - Proteaceae
Propylipollis "sp. A" Martin and Harris 1975
Propylipollis?
Propylipollis "sp. B" Martin and Harris 1975
Propylipollis?
Propylipollis "sp. C" Martin and Harris 1975
Propylipollis?
Propylipollis "sp. D" Martin and Harris 1975
Propylipollis?
Propylipollis "sp. E" Martin and Harris 1975
Propylipollis?
Propylipollis cf. tenuiexinus Dettmann and Jarzen 1996
Proteacidites spp. Cookson and Couper 1953
Banksieaeidites spp. Cookson 1950
Banksieaeidites/Granodiporites
 Proteales -
Peninsulapollis gillii Dettmann and Jarzen 1988
Extinct clade
Peninsulapollis truswelliae Dettmann and Jarzen 1988
Extinct clade
 Mesangiosperms - Arecaceae
Arecipites spp. Nichols et al. 1973 palm
 Mesangiosperms - Liliaceae
Liliacidites spp. Couper 1953
 Poales - Poaceae
Graminidites spp. Potonie 1960 bamboo
 Mesangiosperms -
 Coniferales - Podocarpaceae
Microcachryidites antarcticus Couper 1953 podocarp
Dacrydiumites florinii Cookson and Pike 1953 podocarp
Phyllocladidites mawsonii Cookson 1947 podocarp
Dacrycarpites australiensis Cookson and Pike 1953 podocarp
Podocarpidites spp. Cookson 1947 podocarp
Pinopsida
 Pinales - Taxodiaceae
Cupressacites spp. Bolkhovitina 1956
Magnoliopsida
  -
Forcipites cf. stipulatus Dettmann and Jarzen 1988
Extinct clade
Forcipites sabulosus Dettmann and Jarzen 1988
Rhoipites "sp. A" Wodehouse 1933
Rhoipites "sp. E" Wodehouse 1933
Malvacipollis spp. Harris 1965
Haloragacidites harrisii Mildenhall and Harris 1971
Gambierina cf. edwardsii
Extinct clade
Gambierina rudata
Extinct clade
Bryopsida
  -
 Life -
Quintiniapollis spp. Mildenhall and Pocknall 1989