Differential morphographic identity of Gondwanic palynomorphs

Authors

  • R.S. Tiwari Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany, 53, University Road, Lucknow 226007, India
  • Vijaya Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany, 53, University Road, Lucknow 226007, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54991/jop.1995.1202

Keywords:

Palynology, Morphology, Gondwana

Abstract

The exine structures, bauplan and germinal apertures are the basic characters for the morphographic of fossil spores and pollen. The apparent but unreal form-similarities of some bisaccate pollen taxa or Sporae dispersae from Gondwanaland on one hand and those in the contemporary Euromerian sequences on the other, have been sorted out in this paper. Trends of different exine structures and saccus organization have been identified in pollen. This concept has been exemplified by the fact that the pollen taxa Lunatisporites, Lueckisporites and Klausipollenites of the north possess mostly imperfect reticulate, compactly placed grana, columnar elements, rodlets, vermiculale, verrucae or similar elements mixed together, rounded or multifaceted islands of various shapes and sizes, incomplete or even isolated closely packed muri as exinal elements which make the infra-structure of the sexine in the corpus. In contrast to this trend, the major pattern of exine structure in apparently similar taxa of the Gondwanaland is different; most of the pollen groups exhibit perfectly infrareticulate structure on corpus with complete muri and distinct meshes.

Such a differential morphographic identity may lead to a more rational model of the palaeo-phytogeography based on palynofossils, because the genuine similarities and differences could be effectively used in delimiting the floral provinces. The distinctions in the mother vegetations, which have had produced pollen and spores in two region, corroborate the distinctions in the groups of palynotaxa discussed here. This paper proposes the theory of the Apparent Form Similarity (AFSIM Factor) and highlights certain lines of differentiation amongst the similar-looking but basically different spore-pollen components produced by unrelated plant groups. Some aspects of palynofloral distribution vis-à-vis climate changes through Gondwana have also been discussed.

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Published

1995-12-31

How to Cite

Tiwari, R., & Vijaya. (1995). Differential morphographic identity of Gondwanic palynomorphs. Journal of Palaeosciences, 44, 62–115. https://doi.org/10.54991/jop.1995.1202

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Section

Research Articles

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