Author	Davey, R.J.
Year	1994
Journal	Cahiers de MicropalÚontologie N.S., 1994, Volume 9, No.2: 5-19. CNRS Editions
Title	Preliminary study of the lower Cretaceous and middle Jurassic palynology of the Gelendzhik region, Caucasus, Russia. 8th International Palynological Congress, Aix-en-Provence, 13-16th September 1992

Abstract Davey, R.J., 1994; Preliminary study of the lower Cretaceous and middle Jurassic palynology of the Gelendzhik region, Caucasus, Russia. 8th International Palynological Congress, Aix-en-Provence, 13-16th September 1992. Cahiers de MicropalÚontologie N.S., 1994, Volume 9, No.2: 5-19. CNRS Editions Abstract Sedimentary samples, collected from road cuttings in the Caucasus of Russia, have been analysed by quantitative palynology. Palynomorph recovery was generally good with high diversity, marine microplankton (mainly dinocysts) and miospore associations occurring in subequal proportions. Dating was precise and indicates that dinocysts can be used for accurate age dating in the Caucasus region. Stratigraphically the samples were of three ages: Early Cretaceous, early Aptian; Early Cretaceous, early Hauterivian; and Middle Jurassic, middle Callovian. Only the younger set of samples are discussed in detail. The ranges of the age diagnostic species present in the lower Aptian samples are discussed and the associations compared with those of closest affinities in published material which are from southern England. It is concluded that deposition took place in a marine Tethyan basin during the world-wide early Aptian transgression. Although deposition was mainly open water marine, it was strongly influenced by terrestrial run-off from the richly vegetated neighbouring landmass(es). The palynofloras in the lower Hauterivian and middle Callovian samples are discussed in less detail.