Preliminary Palynology of the Karoo Equivalent Tanga Beds, Coastal Tanzania: Insights on Preservation, Age and Depositional Environments

Abstract

The major challenge to the current understanding of the stratigraphy of the Tanga Basin is scarcity of biostratigraphy age-control data. A number of palynomorphs retrieved from core samples of the Tanga Beds and analysed for palynology are here presented. These include bisaccate pollen grains belonging to the Alisporites-Falcisporites complex, making about 55% average of the total assemblage. The rest of the assemblage comprises of other palynomorphs (pollen and spores) and phytoclasts. The miospores documented from the studied samples have poor to fairly good preservation; the organic residues (non-pollen palynomorphs) are excellently preserved. Based on palynologic evidences, and the presence of fossil glossopteris plant leaves, Late Permian to Early Triassic age is assigned to the samples collected from the Tanga Beds.

Keywords: Karoo, Bio-stratigraphy, Palynology, Age-control, Tanga Beds.