Palynology and age of the Early Oligocene units in Çardak–Tokça Basin, Southwest Anatolia: Paleoecological implications

Abstract

In this study, the lignite bearing sediments of Çardak–Tokça basin exposed in southwest Anatolia, were palynologically examined. A well preserved and diverse palynomorph assemblage indicating an Early Oligocene age was recovered from the Hayrettin and Tokça formations. The palynomorph assemblage is dominated by Pinus, Sparganiaceae, Juglandaceae and diverse tricolpate and tricolporate pollen. In addition a few species of marine dinoflagellate cysts were encountered as well. The Early Oligocene age is based primarily on the presence of stratigraphic markers such as: Boehlensipollis hohli, Slowakipollis hippophaëoides, Aglaoreidia cyclops, Dicolpopollis kockeli, Compositoipollenites rhizophorus ssp. burghasungensis, Mediocolpopollis compactus ssp. ellenhausensis, Pentapollenites pentangulus, Subtriporopollenites simplex and Intratriporopollenites instructus. Palynological data indicate a humid subtropical climatic conditions during the deposition of the Çardak–Tokça sediments. Ecological analysis of the palynomorph assemblage identifies several paleo-associations of montana, lowland and slope, swamp and water-edge and freshwater aquatic elements. In this study, Çardak–Tokça, Çankırı–Çorum, Thrace and southwest Anatolian molasse basins (Kale–Tavas and Denizli) were correlated in accordance with their palynostratigraphic content and the results show that the deposition took place during the Early Oligocene in the Çardak–Tokça basin. This basin is older than Thrace basin and southwest Anatolian molasse basins (Kale–Tavas and Denizli molasse) which were deposited during the Late Oligocene–Early Miocene.