Abstract
The Early Silurian (Llandoverian) Tuscarora Formation in central Pennsylvania contains shale beds with an abundant and predominantly land-derived palynoflora. Population studies of the assemblages of spore-like bodies (monads, dyads, and tetrads), leiospheres, nonacanthomorphic acritarchs, and miscellaneous organic structures from a section near Mill Hall provide data for biological, stratigraphic, and paleoecological investigations. Three new genera and eight new palynomorph species are described: Comasphaeridium hirsutum (n. sp); Leiosphaeridia acerscabrella (n. sp.); L. exasperata (n. sp.); Dyadospora membranifera (n. sp.); Pseudodyadospora laevigata (n. gen. et n. sp.); P. rugosa (n. sp.); Stegambiquadrella contenta (n. gen. et n. sp.); and Tortotubus protuberans (n. gen. et n. sp.). Experiments show that palynomorph size and morphology are significantly affected by oxidation, and that outer membranes are durable. The simple membrane coverings of the Silurian monads, dyads, and tetrads are distinguished from fern peri-spores and from the outer exines of cavate spores. A literature search on the occurrence of sporopollenin in extant and fossil algae is presented to demonstrate the possibility that some spore-like bodies could be algal in origin.
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