Publication: The palynological record across the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary in differing palaeogeographical settings from the
southern Pyrenees, Spain
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Publication Date
2004
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Geological Society of London
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Abstract
North American and Pacific spore-pollen records show a major extinction event at the
Cretaceous Tertiary (K-T) boundary, and abrupt changes are similarly found in many marine
organisms world-wide. In contrast, records from the Old World reveal little evidence of
terrestrial vegetational change across the boundary. In order to improve the characterization of
changes across the K-T boundary, palynological assemblages from two sections in the southern
Pyrenees have been evaluated. The abundance and diversity of trilete fern spores are high in
Maastrichtian samples and show a statistically significant decrease during the Danian. The 'fern
spike' of low-diversity spores found elsewhere is not recorded in the Pyrenean region. Minor
replacements of taxa across the K-T boundary are also noted, as well as an increase in
inaperturate gymnosperm pollen in the Danian. Comparing our two examined sections with one
another reveals important differences in angiosperm pollen composition.