Cristina Moreira Félix

Biostratigraphy and paleoecology of an unusual palynological record from the Aquidauana Formation, Late Pennsylvanian of Paraná Basin

The Aquidauana Formation is a Permo-Carboniferous sedimentary unit, widely stratigraphicaly distributed in the northwestern and northern portions of the Paraná Basin. However, little paleontological data is available from this formation, preventing accurate biostratigraphic and paleoecological interpretations. An abundant, diversified and well preserved assemblage of palynomorphs was recognized from sampling conducted in an outcrop section in Cipolândia District of Aquidauana Municipality, state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. A total of 35 indigenous palynomorph taxa was recognized, comprising 6 species of spores (related to 5 genera), 28 species of pollen grains (14 genera) and 1 species of chlorophycean algae. Monosaccate pollen grains are exceptionally dominant, representing 90.38% of the association, particularly constituted by species of the genera Cannanoropollis (30.41% of the total assemblage), Potonieisporites (28.14%) and Plicatipollenites (19.52%). This quantitative overrepresentation is not usual from Gondwana deposits, revealing a particular plant dominance of Cordaitales in the terrestrial flora. These results are interpreted as an upland ecology characterized by plants with a moisture-independent reproduction strategy, under a glacial climate influence. Certain species of pollen allow assignment of this assemblage to the Crucisaccites monoletus Zone (Late Pennsylvanian), which had been recognized only in the middle portion of the Itararé Group at the northeastern margin of the basin.

Acritarcos (grupo acritarcha evitt 1963): conceitos gerais, aplicações e importância na análise estratigráfica do intervalo pennsilvaniano e permiano da Bacia do Paraná

Despite their uncertain biological affinity, the palynomorphs known as acritarchs are commonly used for biostratigraphic and paleoenvironmental interpretation, particularly of Cambrian to Devonian deposits. This paper presents an updated review of the morphology, classification and stratigraphic distribution of organic- walled microfossils included in this group, as well as their application in Geosciences. Brazilian records from Paleozoic intracratonic basins, especially from Pennsylvanian and Permian deposits of the Parana Basin, are discussed. The main results of the analysis of this interval in the basin are (i) many of the taxa identified as acritarchs are related to species of prasinophyceae and zygnemataceae algae, and (ii) the record of intervals with abundant association of specimens assigned to the genera Micrhystridium and Veryhachium, which corroborates previous interpretations of a Permian stratigraphic marker of marine nature at the top of the Palermo Formation and base of the Irati Formation. The taxonomic review supports the idea of a worldwide decrease in diversity of these taxa during the Pennsylvanian and Permian interval (phytoplankton blackout), especially considering richness at the generic level, which was much lower than that observed in pre-Carboniferous deposits in Brazil and in other parts of the world.