Palynology of Aptian and upper Albian (Lower Cretaceous) amber-bearing outcrops of the southern margin of the Basque-Cantabrian basin (northern Spain)

Abstract

The Lower Cretaceous deposits of the southern margin of the Basque-Cantabrian basin (northern Spain) are characterised by continental deposits interbedded with amber-bearing marine-influenced facies. These facies crop out in various localities and have yielded well-preserved palynological assemblages. The palynoflora is dominated by gymnosperm pollen grains, and shows relatively diversified spore content but scarce dinoflagellate cysts. The palynofloral evidence and regional geological setting indicate that the studied successions are dated as Aptian (Montoria-La Mina outcrop) and late Albian (Peñacerrada 1 and 2 and Salinillas de Buradón outcrops, and the Pancorbo site). Angiosperm pollen does not constitute a significant part of the Aptian assemblages but becomes diversified and numerically abundant in those dated as late Albian. Although broadly similar to contemporaneous palynofloras from eastern Spain, the Aptian assemblages of Montoria-La Mina do not yield tricolpate angiosperm pollen. Conversely, the inferred late Albian assemblages show a high content in polyaperturate angiosperm pollen grains, as occurs in other localities in Portugal, Western Europe and North America. The studied palynoflora shows significant differences from published assemblages located further north, in western France and Canada.