AN EARLY CRETACEOUS (HAUTERIVIAN) SPORE-POLLEN ASSEMBLAGE FROM SOUTHERN CHILE

A single sample from the Springhill Group of well 2 at La Posesion in the Manantiales oilfield, southern Chile at 1752 in yielded a rich spore-pollen assemblage. The sample is from the base of approximately 32 in of medium- to coarse-grained sandstone with streaks of brown-gray clay and occasional carbonaccous streaks. Forty-nine species of pollen and spores in 36 genera are documented. On the basis of the occurrences of Aequitriradites plicatus, Appendicisporites jansonii, Contignisporites multimuratus, Cyclusphaera sp. A, Muricingulisporis annulatus, and Ornamentifera echinata, the age of the sample is considered to be Early Cretaceous (Hauterivian). The absence of marine palynomorphs indicates that the horizon sampled was deposited in a non-marine setting, close to araucarian and fern vegetation. The spore genus Sphagnites Cookson 1953 is emended, and the species Sphagnum antiquasporites Wilson & Webster 1946 is transferred to Sphagnites.