A review of the use of non-pollen palynomorphs in palaeoecology with examples from Australia

Abstract

Records of the past climate and vegetation of Australia are frequently constructed using data generated from the analysis of pollen and pteridophyte spores alone, or in association with sedimentology. We demonstrate that the organic residue prepared for pollen analysis yields other organic-walled microfossils that can be used to provide additional and independent palaeoenvironmental information. These non-pollen palynomorphs (NPP) include microscopic remains of algae, cyanobacteria, fungi, insects, other invertebrates and cormophytes. Our study of the NPP from two Late Quaternary lake records from western Victoria, Australia, provided additional information on water quality, salinity, depth, temperature and nutrient levels to the general environmental interpretation derived from pollen data. From a review of the ecological preferences of taxa, and comparison of the NPP results with pollen and spore curves from the lake records, ecological indicator values were derived. The study confirms the utility of NPP in enhancing environmental reconstructions in Australia, and encourages their routine examination in palynological studies.

Humans rather than climate the primary cause of Pleistocene megafaunal extinction in Australia

“…They are ascospores with a sigmoid germinal aperture extending the entire length of the cell. Cells are 12–28 μm × 9–15 μm and are present as two types; end cells show one flattened and one round end, middle cells show two flattened ends53 (Supplementary Fig. 2).…”

The fungal sporeAnnella capitataSrivastava from the Jurassic (Late Toarcian–Late Bajocian) Cañadón Asfalto Formation of Patagonia, Argentina

“…Many authors mention that the fungi occur in significant quantities and diversities in peat deposits (Schof 1946;Van Geel 1978, Cook et al 2011Hower et al 2013;O'Keefe et al 2013). Although A. capitata is more frequent in coal seams in the Cañad on Asfalto Formation, it is also present in samples from other facies, such as proximal prodelta sediments (e.g., MPEF-PALIN123, Olivera et al 2013).…”

Environmental significance of abundant and diverse hornwort spores in a potential submerged Paleoindian site in the Gulf of Mexico

“…In this study, Breil (1970) found that these two genera were strictly found in association with moist rotten stumps or logs, on moist soil, in moist quartzitic sand (but rarely on limestone), in ditches, along streams and riverbanks and commonly on wet floodplains and in freshwater swamps. While conducting a palynological analysis of non-pollen palynomorphs of Australia, Cook et al (2011) noted that Anthoceros spores are generally found in moist shady environments during warm and wet time intervals conducive to swamp development.…”