Plant miospores from the Dinantian of Foulden, Berwickshire, Scotland

Abstract

ABSTRACTPlant miospore assemblages obtained from eight beds of the Foulden sequence, ranging from Bed 1 to Bed 17, are basically similar to each other in stratigraphical significance. The presence of Convolutispora circumvallata, Crassispora trychera and Schopfltes claviger and the absence of Lycospora pusilla suggest assignment to the Schopfites claviger-Auroraspora macra (CM) Biozone. This indicates the Courceyan Stage of the British Dinantian and the late Tournaisian (Tn3) of the Belgian Series. Comparable miospore assemblages have been described from Cementstone Group localities elsewhere in Berwickshire, East Lothian, Ayrshire and northern England. Preservation, and lack of marine palynomorphs and scolecodonts, suggest non-marine deposition. The presence of vitrinite fragments and megaspores as well as miospore tetrads suggests little transport before deposition.