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Palynological Analysis of Amber‐Bearing Clay from the Lower Cretaceous of Central Lebanon
Author(s) -
AZAR Dany,
DEJAX Jean,
MASURE Edwige
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
acta geologica sinica ‐ english edition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.444
H-Index - 61
eISSN - 1755-6724
pISSN - 1000-9515
DOI - 10.1111/j.1755-6724.2011.00497.x
Subject(s) - palynology , cretaceous , paleontology , geology , temperate climate , pollen , acritarch , dinoflagellate , taxon , aptian , shore , range (aeronautics) , ecological succession , oceanography , ecology , biology , materials science , composite material
An amber‐bearing lignitic layer of sandy clay from the Lower Cretaceous of Central Lebanon (Mderej‐Hammâna) yielded a well‐preserved, moderately variegated palynoflora, which origin is mixed between land plants and marine microflora. Its detailed analysis led to fulfill its inventory, to propose a paleoenvironmental reconstruction, and to draw the paleoclimate which prevailed over the region: an estuarian area under a rather humid, temperate climate; a variety of ferns grew near the shore‐side and in the inward land. A tiny piece of amber containing angiospermous pollen grains of stratigraphical interest allows a precise dating. The marine microflora, poorly diversified, includes chitinous foraminifer linings and dinoflagellate cysts, among which Early Aptian guide taxa are present; their occurrence slightly narrows the stratigraphical range indicated by some palynological taxa which are related to land plants.