Preliminary reports on middle Miocene – early Pleistocene dinoflagellate cysts from the Western Niger Delta, Nigeria
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Date
2011
Authors
Durugbo, E. U.
Ogundipe, O.T.
Ulu, O. K.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Ozean Publication
Abstract
Few published records of dinoflagellate cysts from the Middle Miocene – Early Pleistocene of the Niger Delta exist. Dinoflagellate cysts events could contribute to a wider use of palynological schemes. Their use in combination with pollen and spores will produce meaningful biostratigraphical schemes which will be useful where the other microfossils are scarce. Appreciable numbers of well preserved organic walled dinoflagellate cysts comprising 53 genera and 93 species were recovered from the analysis of 104, 100, 96 and 89 ditch cuttings of wells BA, BB, BC and BD from part of the Western Niger Delta. The ages ranged from Middle Miocene to Early Pleistocene (c.a 15.0Ma – 1.3Ma) based on the behaviour of pollen and spore marker species and confirmed with foraminiferal data. The samples were characterized by common records of peridiniaceans, especially in the Middle –Late Miocene. These occurred in association with common gonyaulacaceans such as Nematosphaeropsis labyrinthus, N. lemniscata, Sumatradinium spp., Lingulodinium machaerophorum, Operculodinium centrocarpum, Spiniferites ramosus, Spiniferites mirabilis, Hystrichokolpoma rigaudiae, Polysphaeridium zoharyi, Achomosphaera ramulifera, Achomosphaera andalousiensis, Tuberculodinium vancampoae, Impagidinium spp., Homotryblium spp., and spot occurrences of the older forms Dinogymnium eucalense, Muderongia spp., Odontochitina cf. costata, Wallodinium spp., Paleocystodinium golzowenze, Glaphyrocysta spp., and the acritarch Ascostomocystis potane indicating reworking. The occurrence of Achomosphaera andalousiensis is documented for the first time in the Niger Delta and its LDO close to the 11.6Ma promises to be notable event.
Description
Keywords
Miocene-Pleistocene , Peridiniaceans , Gonyaulacealens , Western Niger Delta , Nigeria
Citation
Durugbo, E. U., Ogundipe, O. T. and Ulu, O. K. (2011). Preliminary reports on middle Miocene – early Pleistocene dinoflagellate cysts from the Western Niger Delta, Nigeria Ozean Journal of Applied Sciences 4(4): 373 - 394