Palynology and biostratigraphy of the Escucha Formation in the Early Cretaceous Oliete Sub-basin, Teruel, Spain

Resumen

Palynomorph assemblages of a Lower Cretaceous organic matter-rich sedimentary succession (Oliete Sub-basin, Iberian Ranges, Province of Teruel, Spain) from a complex coastal sedimentary environment are described. Detailed stratigraphic analyses were performed and correlations established in order to precisely record the stratigraphic location of the studied palynological samples. The studied sections contained abundant, well-diversified miospore assemblages. One level (M1) contained an interesting assemblage of dinoflagellate cysts. More than 130 taxa were identified including biostratigraphically significant biomarkers. On the one hand, the presence of Appendicisporites concentricus, Cicatricosisporites crassistriatus, C. mohrioides, C. patapscoensis, C. subrotundus and Phlebopterisporites globosus, as well as several angiosperm pollen types (Afropollis, Asteropollis, Clavatipollenites, Liliacidites, Brenneripollis- Pennipollis and Stellatopollis, occurring with rare and poorly diversified tricolpate forms), suggests an Upper Aptian age for the studied material. On the other, the dinoflagellates Cyclonephelium compactum, Criboperidinium aceras, Apteodinium vectense and Surculosphaeridium? longifurcatum indicate an Upper Aptian�Lower Albian age for the oldest level studied. These new biostratigraphic data assign an older age to the latest synrift unit (Escucha Formation) of the Iberian Basin.