Late Cretaceous Palynomorphs from Northeastern Arizona

Abstract

The coal-bearing Dakota Sandstone at Coal Canyon, Arizona, in the western portion of the Black Mesa basin, yielded abundant, diverse, and generally well-preserved spores, pollen, and microplankton, including ten new species and two new genera. The palynomorph assemblage is characterized by high frequencies of fern spores, especially striate schizaeaceous spores, and simple tricolpate and tricolporate angiosperm pollen. Gymnosperm pollen grains are comparatively uncommon. On palynologic evidence, the age of the Dakota Sandstone within the study area is interpreted as early Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian).