Union seam: Westphalian A, United Kingdom

List of taxa
Where & when
Geology
Taphonomy & methods
Metadata & references
Taxonomic list
unclassified
Bothrodendrostrobus watsonii
Diaphorodendron vasculare
Hizemodendron serratum
questionable occurrence
Rowleya trifurcata
Psalixochlaena cylindrica (Williamson 1878)
Coenopteridales
Etapteris diupsilon
"in roof nodules only"
Etapteris scottii
Ankyropteris brongniartii
Ankyropteris corrugata
Ankyropteris westphaliensis
Stauropteris oldhamia Binney 1872
Zygopteris paradoxum
Botryopteris hirsuta
Botryopteris ramosa
Botryopteris scottii
unclassified
Stipitopteris sp. Grand'Eury 1877
Rhabdoxylon dichotomum Holden 1960
Polypodiopsida - Equisetales - Calamitaceae
Arthropitys bistriatoides
Arthropitys communis
Arthropitys hirmeri
A. hirmeri var. intermedia
Calamostachys binneyana
Calamostachys casheana
unclassified
Myeloxylon sp. Brongniart 1849
Conostoma anglogermanicum
Conostoma oblongum
Medullosa anglica Scott 1899
recombined as Pecopteromedullosa anglica
Miadesmia membranacea Bertrand 1895
Mesostrobus scottii Watson 1909
Lepidocarpon lomaxii
Sphenopteridae
Lyginopteris corsinii
Lyginopteris kubartii
Lyginopteris oldhamia (Binney 1866)
Pinopsida - Cordaitanthales
Cordaites felicis
Pinopsida - Cordaitanthales - Cordaitanthaceae
Mitrospermum compressum Williamson 1910
Coniferales
Lepidostrobus oldhamius
unclassified
Stigmaria bacupensis
Stigmaria radiculosa
Stigmaria ficoides Sternberg 1822
Pachytesta olivaeformis
Bothrodendron mundum
Cladoxylopsida
Corynepteris scottii
Equisetopsida - Sphenophyllales
Sphenophyllum plurifoliatum
Bowmanites dawsoni
Calamitopsida - Calamitales
Astromyelon williamsonii
Arthroxylon williamsonii
Myriophylloides williamsonii
unclassified
Medullosa pusilla
questionable occurrence
Anachoropteris "selena"
Anachoropteris williamsonii
Lepidodendrales - Lepidodendraceae
Lepidophylloides angulatum
Lepidophylloides equilaterale
endemic
Lepidophylloides latifolium
endemic
Lepidophylloides sewardii
endemic
Lepidophylloides thomasii
endemic
Lepidodendron hickii
Lepidodendron obovatum Sternberg 1820
Lepidophloios harcourtii
questionable occurrence
Lepidophloios fuliginosus
Lepidocarpaceae
Achlamydocarpon takhtajanii
Sigillariaceae
Mazocarpon shorense Benson 1918
Sigillaria mamillaris
Sigillaria rugosa
Sigillariopsis sulcata
unclassified
Lagenostoma lomaxii
Lagenostoma ovoides Williamson 1876
Physostoma stellatum
Physostoma elegans Williamson 1876
Lyginorachis taitiana
Heterangium lomaxii
Microspermopteris minima
Cordaitales
Amyelon radicans Williamson 1874
Lycopodiopsida - Isoetales
Paralycopodites brevifolius
questionable occurrence
see common names

Geography
Country:United Kingdom State/province:England County:Lancashire
Coordinates: 53.7° North, 2.2° West (view map)
Paleocoordinates:0.3° North, 7.6° East
Basis of coordinate:estimated from map
Geographic resolution:local area
Time
Period:Carboniferous Epoch:Pennsylvanian
Stage:Bashkirian 10 m.y. bin:Carboniferous 4
Key time interval:Westphalian A
Age range of interval:318.80000 - 317.00000 m.y. ago
Stratigraphy
Stratigraphic resolution:bed
Stratigraphy comments: "the Union seam splits into the Upper Foot or Bullion seam above and the Lower Main or Gannister seam below" (Galtier 1997)
Lithology and environment
Primary lithology: coal
Secondary lithology: coal ball
Includes fossils?Y
Taphonomy
Modes of preservation:permineralized
Collection methods and comments
Collection excludes:some macrofossils
Collection methods:surface (in situ),chemical,peel or thin section,field collection
Reason for describing collection:paleoecologic analysis
Collection method comments: "Each coal ball was sectioned and etched, and cellulose acetate peels were prepared and examined under the microscope in the field...from about two thousand coal balls, less than 400, containing diverse plant assemblages, were selected and sent to the laboratory in Montpellier. However, the peels from all coal balls examined were kept, including those from rejected coal balls that contained mainly lycopod bark. They represent a random sample of Lancashire coal balls, much more significant than any collection from museums, where biased selection always exists." (Galtier 1997)
Taxonomic list comments:One coal ball out of about 2000 contained bone fragments and a goniatite. These are not included in this list. "The large number of endemic species is regarded as misleading and may be merely related to a 'splitter' taxonomic approach. This may apply to...the four species of Lepidophylloides from the Union..." (Galtier 1997). These four species are L. equilaterale, L. latifolium, L. sewardii and L. thomasii.
Metadata
Database number:37369
Authorizer:H. Sims Enterer:J. Cassara
Modifier:J. Cassara Research group:paleobotany
Created:2004-03-14 10:55:37 Last modified:2004-03-15 20:34:39
Access level:the public Released:2004-03-14 10:55:37
Creative Commons license:CC BY
Reference information

Primary reference:
10023. J. Galtier. 1997. Coal-ball floras of the Namurian-Westphalian of Europe. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology 95:51-72 [H. Sims/J. Cassara/J. Cassara]