Middle Miocene palynoflora of the Legnica lignite deposit complex ...

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Sirogonium Kutzing, Pleurodiscus Lagerheim,
and Zygnema Agardh (Krutzsch & Pacltová
1990, Grenfell 1995). From Poland they have
been reported from the Eocene to Pliocene
deposits (Grabowska 1996c).
Tetraporina Naumova 1939
ex Bolkhovitina 1953
(198) Tetraporina sp.
Pl. 21, fi g. 4
1953 Tetraporina quadrata, Bolkhovitina, p. 102,
pl. 16, fi g. 43.
1956 Tetrapidites psilatus Klaus; Meyer, p. 107,
pl. 25, fi g. 13.
1959 Triceratium adriaticum Agardh; Macko, pl. 25,
fi gs 1–7.
1964 Triceratium; Stuchlik, p. 81, pl. 25, fi gs 3, 4.
1996b Tetraporina quadrata Bolkhovitina; Grabowska,
p. 390, pl. 127, fi gs 5, 6.
Zygospores quadrilateral in outline, often
with concave sides, 30–50 μm in size. Wall
thin, surface psilate or with very fi ne sculpture.
Triangular forms occurred very rare.
R e m a r k s. These microfossils are related to
recent zygospores of Mougeotia Agardh from
the family Zygnemataceae (Grenfell 1995). In
Poland they are known from the Eocene to Pliocene
sediments; in other countries of Europe
from the Miocene to Quaternary (Grabowska
1996b, c). They were sporadically encountered
in the studied material, mainly in the grey
clay horizon.
Zygnemataceae are among the most common
algae in fresh waters. Most representatives of
this cosmopolitan group of algae occur in shallow,
stagnant, clean, oxygene-rich waters. They may
also occur near the margins of lakes, in fl owing
water and in moist soils or bogs (Kadłubowska
1972, van Geel & Grenfell 1996).
Familia ?ZYGNEMATACEAE
Circulisporites De Jersey 1962
(199) Circulisporites circulus (Wolff 1934)
Krutzsch & Pacltová 1990
Pl. 21, fi g. 5
1934 Sporites circulus n. sp., Wolff, p. 67, pl. 5, fi g. 28.
1962 Concentricystes rubinus, Rossignol, p. 134, pl. 2,
fi gs 5, 6.
1976 Pseudoschizaea rubina Rossignol ex Christopher
n. sp.; Christopher, p. 147, pl. 1, fi gs 1–10, 21.
1990 Circulisporites circulus (Wolff) n. comb., Krutzsch
& Pacltová, p. 376, pl. 7, fi gs 88, 89.
Microfossil circular in outline, 36 μm in
diameter, with characteristic concentric rings
on its surface.
R e m a r k s. Microfossils of this type are tentatively
placed in the Zygnemataceae, even
though they have never been collected alive
(Grenfell 1995). Similar microfossils are
described under various names, such as Chomotriletes
Naumova, Circulisporites De Jersey,
Concentricystes Rossignol, and Pseudoschizaea
Thiergart & Frantz ex Potonié emend. Christopher.
Its presence in subtropical and Mediterranean
environments suggests that this microfossil
could be an indicator of warm climate,
possibly with unfavourable seasonal fl uctuations
(Scott 1992). Similar microfossils have
been reported from the Tertiary and Quaternary
of Germany, Hungary, Egypt, India and
North America (Krutzsch & Pacltová 1990). In
the studied material only one specimen was
found in the Mużaków series.
DINOPHYCEAE
In the studied material Dinofl agellate cysts
occurred mainly in samples from the Mużaków
series of the Legnica 33/56 profi le, on depth
97.6–99.6 m. In one of them (depth 97.6 m)
72 cysts and some foraminiferal linings were
found. State of preservation of dinocysts were
various, most of them were damaged, but some
of them were even better preserved than most
of sporomorphs. Samples with dinocysts were
examined closely by P. Gedl (Gedl & Worobiec
2005). The most frequent dinocyst assemblage
found in sample No. 19 (depth 97.6 m) consists
of a majority of specimens believed to be in situ.
They were dominated by Spiniferites ramosus
(Ehrenberg) Loeblich & Loeblich (42%), and
species of Batiacasphaera: B. hirsuta Stover,
B. micropapillata Stover and B. sphaerica
Stover; together comprising 22% of the dinocyst
assemblage (Gedl & Worobiec op. cit.).
Spiniferites ramosus is a marine taxon, characteristic
for shallow waters, outer shelf and
transgressive facies (Słodkowska 2004).
FUNGI
Besides pollen grains, spores and plankton
forms some sporocarps of epiphylous fungi of
the family Microthyriaceae (Microthyriacites