A late Paleocene non-marine microflora from the interbasaltic coals of the Faeroe Islands, North Atlantic

Abstract

Coals interbedded between basalts on Suduroy, Faeroe Islands contain a non-marine microflora charac­terized by the common presence of a Momipites-Caryapollenites complex, low numbers of bisaccate pollen and the absence of pollen of the Normapolles group. The assemblage is related to North American microfloras as shown by such species as Phaseoliidites stanleyi and Pesavis tagluensis. Based on the concurrent range of several species, the evolutionary level of pollen of Juglandaceae-like plants, and the quantitative composition of the assemblage, a late Paleocene age is probable. This dating is in accordance with a new magnetostratigraphic correlation herein proposed. The climate was humid and warm temper­ate. The coals are partly lacustrine. Replacement of "Alnus"- to "Sphagnum"-types probably shows a reduction of nutrients by regional leaching.