Stratigraphic Distribution of 

Significant Eocene Palynomorphs 

of the Mississippi Embayment

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 743-B

Work done in cooperation with the 

Kentucky Geological Survey
Stratigraphic Distribution of 

Significant Eocene Palynomorphs 

of the Mississippi Embayment

By ROBERT H. TSCHUDY

CONTRIBUTIONS TO PALEONTOLOGY

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 743-B

Work done in cooperation with the 

Kentucky Geological Survey

Palynomorph assemblages characterizing 

formations within the Wilcox, Claiborne, 

and Jackson Groups

UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1973
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

ROGERS C. B. MORTON, Secretary

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

V. E. McKelvey, Director

Library of Congress catalog-card No. 72-600318

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402 

Price 75 cents domestic postpaid, or 55 cents GPO Bookstore Stock Number 2401-00271
CONTENTS

Abstract .

Introduction___________________________

Acknowledgments. ___________________

Previous palynological work in the area_____

Methods._______________________________

Processing samples and preparing slides.

Quantitative and qualitative counts. _ _.

Fossil palynomorph localities ______________

Stratigraphy___________________________

Midway-Sabine Stage boundary _______

Sabine-Claiborne Stage boundary. _____

Page

Bl

1

2

2

3

3

3

4

7

Stratigraphy Continued

Claiborne-Jackson Stage boundary.________________

Stratigraphic ranges of selected taxa or groups of taxa_____

Conclusions _____________________--___-_-___----_--.-

The Wilcox Group.______________________________

The Claiborne Group_____________________________

The Jackson Group_____________________________

Angiosperm families represented in the Eocene pollen 

flora _________________-__------------.---------

References cited.________________-____--_____--__-----

Index.

Page

B8 

9

18

18

18

18

19

19

23

ILLUSTRATIONS

[Plates follow index]

PLATE 1. Pollen from the Wilcox Group.

2. Pollen from the Wilcox and Claiborne Groups.

3. Pollen and spores from the Claiborne and Jackson Groups.

4. Pollen and other fossils from the Claiborne and Jackson Groups.

FIGURE 1. Generalized geologic map of Mississippi embayment showing fossil localities.____ 

2. Chart showing Stratigraphic distribution and relative abundance of selected taxa.

Page

B5 

10

TABLES

TABLE 1. Summary of palynological work in the Mississippi embayment region.____________________

2. Stratigraphic columns. _____________________________________________________________

3. Eocene Stratigraphic units from which samples were obtained__________________________

4. Angiosperm families represented by pollen reported from the Mississippi embayment region.

Page

B3

7

9

19

in

CONTRIBUTIONS TO PALEONTOLOGY

STRATIGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION OF SIGNIFICANT 

EOCENE PALYNOMORPHS OF THE MISSISSIPPI EMBAYMENT

By ROBERT H. TSCHUDY

ABSTRACT

The stratigraphic occurrences are given for about 45 of the more 

significant plant microfossil types from some well-documented 

reference localities in the Mississippi embayment area of Alabama, 

Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, and Arkansas. Rocks of the Wilcox, 

Claiborne, and Jackson Groups of Eocene age can be differentiated 

on the basis of their plant microfossil content. The palynological 

change between the Wilcox and Claiborne Groups is easily recognized by the abrupt termination of several species and by the first 

occurrences of other species. The palynological change from the 

Claiborne Group to the Jackson Group is not as abrupt as that 

from the Wilcox Group to the Claiborne Group. A Claiborne-Jackson pollen transition zone, corresponding somewhat to the 

lithological transition zone, is recognized in the upper part of the 

Cockfield Formation of the Claiborne Group.

Before any inferences concerning evolutionary or climatic aspects of a fossil flora can be made, some knowledge of the modern 

counterparts of the flora whose ecological tolerances are known 

must be available.

INTRODUCTION

The stratigraphic differentiation of the Eocene by 

means of palynomorphs presented herein was derived 

from work done on the Kentucky cooperative mapping 

project. At the inception of the project, few palynological studies of Mississippi embayment rocks were 

available. In order to obtain adequate stratigraphic 

control it was therefore necessary to obtain palynological 

assemblages from type or well-documented formations 

from within this depositional basin. These reference 

assemblages were used as comparison material for 

the dating and interpretation of samples of unknown 

ages submitted by geologists working on the Kentucky 

cooperative mapping project.

Reference samples were obtained from formations 

representing the Upper Cretaceous, Paleocene, Eocene, 

Oligocene, and Miocene. In this paper, however, discussion will be restricted to Eocene reference samples.

Complete agreement on the absolute chronology of 

purported Eocene formations in the Mississippi embayment area has not been attained. For example, the 

lower part of the Wilcox Group is considered by 

Berggren (1965) to be of Paleocene age on the basis of 

planktonic Forminifera. Berggren (1965, p. 280) 

stated "The stage names Midway, Sabine and Claiborne 

commonly used in Gulf Coast stratigraphy do not correspond to the classic time-stratigraphic subdivisions in 

western Europe. The practice of placing the PaleoceneEocene boundary at the base of the Sabine Stage (also 

called Wilcox Stage by some) is discouraged." Furthermore, the terminology applied to the Eocene formations 

is not uniform throughout the area. This lack of uniformity is demonstrated in table 2. There is, however, 

general agreement concerning the subdivision of Eocene 

rocks into three groups of formations, the lower Eocene 

Wilcox Group which may be locally Paleocene and 

locally middle Eocene, the middle Eocene Claiborne 

Group, and the upper Eocene Jackson Group.

For the purposes of this report, the absolute chronology of the several formations is of secondary importance. Agreement on the absolute dates assignable to 

the formations and groups will gradually evolve. The 

intent here is to provide palynological biostratigraphic 

control from the formations embraced by the Wilcox, 

Claiborne, and Jackson Groups (as generally accepted 

by the U.S. Geological Survey). The data presented

Bl
B2 CONTRIBUTIONS TO PALEONTOLOGY

herein will serve as a preliminary basis for the identification of the various segments of Eocene rocks represented in the Mississippi embayment region.

Only the more abundant or the more significant palynomorphs are discussed. These are arranged into 45 

species or groups. The 45 species or groups represent only 

a fraction of the more than 370 taxa from these rocks 

that are at present recognized by the USGS Palynological laboratory, Denver, Colo.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I express my appreciation to those who assisted in 

this study. W. W. Olive, H. N. Halberg, E. H. Boswell, 

and B. R. Haley, all of the U.S. Geological Survey, 

assisted in obtaining reference samples from the Mississippi embayment. Mr. W. W. Fairchild of the Standard Oil Co. of Texas supplied samples from the Pendleton, Reklaw, and Sparta Formations. The Mississippi 

Geological Survey supplied core samples of the Yazoo 

Clay. Sharon Van Loenen and Kathryn Dieterich 

prepared the samples and photographed the fossils.

PREVIOUS PALYNOLOGICAL WORK 

IN THE AREA

Probably the first reference to pollen and spores from 

Mississippi embayment rocks is that of Thiessen (in 

White and Thiessen, 1913). Thiessen discussed the 

structure of thin sections of coals as seen under the 

microscope. He observed coals from near Lester, Ark., 

and lignites from Rockdale and Hoyt, Tex. Not only 

did he observe pollen and spores in thin section "The 

spores are of great variety in kind and size * * * Pollen 

grains are rather numerous, seemingly both of angiosperms and gymnosperms" (Thiessen, in White and 

Thiessen, 1913, p. 234) but he also macerated sections of coal chemically and was able to observe the 

pollen and spores in entirety, rather than sectionally 

as they appeared in the thin sections of coal. He (p. 

235) stated,

The very large number of spore exines may be best appreciated 

when sections cut by the ordinary method are subsequently treated 

with Schulze's reagent and dissolved under the microscope. In 

sections cut at right angles to the bedding, one looks at the edges of 

the spores, like filter paper standing on edge, but as the dissolution 

goes on, and by tapping gently on the cover glass, one may readily 

see them separate and fall over on the side. In this position their 

true spore or pollen nature can be readily recognized, because of the 

tetrasporic ridges or exterior sculpturing.

Thiessen did not attempt a detailed examination and 

description of the pollen and spores.

Unpublished theses by McLaughlin on the Wilcox of 

Louisiana and on the Bruhn lignite in Henry County, 

Tenn., were submitted in 1952 and 1957, respectively. 

By projecting regional dips, McLaughlin tentatively 

placed the lignite from Tennessee in the Upper Cretaceous. Through the courtesy of Dr. Elso Barghoorn of 

Harvard University, I was able to examine a copy of

the 1957 thesis. The assemblage is definitely of Eocene 

age, rather than of Cretaceous, as Fairchild and Elsik 

(1969) also have noted.

Two publications appeared in 1960. Gray (1960) discussed pollen genera from the Gosport Sand of ,the 

Claiborne Group in Alabama. She identified families 

and genera in the assemblage with modern genera and 

suggested that the flora indicated a more temperate 

environment than the earlier Eocene floras. Krutzsch 

(1960a) described the genus Thomsonipollis from the 

Wilcox near Austin, Tex., and from the lower Eocene 

of middle Europe.

Jones (1961a, 1962), on the basis of his unpublished 

Ph. D. dissertation (1961a), discussed the palynology 

of the Midway-Wilcox boundary in Arkansas and the 

environmental significance of the palynological assemblages. The Eocene flora was supposedly from the Saline 

Formation of the Wilcox Group. Fairchild and Elsik 

(1969), in their discussion of Jones' assemblage, reported "The assemblage from the Saline Formation of 

the Wilcox Group in Arkansas illustrated by Jones 

* * * also has a typically middle Eocene aspect." Recent work in this laboratory indicates that the Saline 

Formation is middle Eocene rather than early Eocene.

The first published assemblage of palynomorphs from 

the Mississippi embayment was presented by Engelhardt (1964a). He illustrated the fossil pollen and spores 

from the Cockfield Formation of Mississippi. In the 

same year (1964b), he described a new species of 

Gothanipollis from the middle Eocene of Mississippi.

In 1965, a Ph. D. thesis (Warter, 1965) described 

the pollen flora from the Tuscahoma Formation of the 

Wilcox Group from Mississippi. In the thesis, she listed 

89 species, 52 of which she assigned to modern genera. 

She also recorded the presence of four genera from the 

Normapolles Group, originally described from Europe.

Reflections of the diversity of flora in the Eocene of 

the area and of the lack of taxonomic studies are seen 

in the report by Stover, Elsik, and Fairchild (1966). 

They described 10 new genera and 13 new species of 

palynomorphs from the Gulf Coast Tertiary.

The first detailed attempts at taxonomic treatment of 

palynomorphs from this area were published by Elsik 

(1968a, b). He obtained his material from lignite in the 

Rockdale Formation of the Wilcox Group in Texas. 

His taxonomic treatment revealed a close similarity of 

his assemblage to Eocene assemblages from Europe. 

This similarity is perhaps accentuated by his practice 

of grouping specimens of similar morphology. Elsik 

(1968a, p. 266) stated "a great diversity of form and 

preservation of the angiosperm pollen justifies morphologic groupings rather than detailed speciation."

The only strictly stratigraphic evaluation of palynomorphs from this region is in the paper by Fairchild
EOCENE PALYNOMORPHS OF MISSISSIPPI EMBAYMENT B3

and Elsik (1969). They summarized the stratigraphic 

ranges of some of the more significant genera and species 

found in the Gulf Coast Eocene and compared these 

ranges with the ranges of identical genera and species 

reported by Krutzsch (1957, 1960b) and Kedves (1967). 

Fairchild and Elsik (p. 87) claimed that "nonmarine 

Lower Tertiary formations of the Gulf Coast can be 

correlated by palynology, and that many of the wellknown stratigraphically restricted European species 

do occur in the Gulf Coast in essentially the same sequence."

Palynomorphs of the Jackson Group have received 

little attention. Tschudy and Van Loenen (1970) 

illustrated plant microfossils from the Yazoo Clay of 

Mississippi, and Frederiksen (1970) submitted a thesis 

on the stratigraphy and palynology of the Jackson 

Stage of Mississippi and Alabama. Through the courtesy 

of Norman Frederiksen, I was able to obtain reproductions of his plates. His assemblage is virtually the same 

as assemblages I found in several samples from the 

lower part of the Jackson.

Published palynological work on the Eocene of the 

Mississippi embayment region is very scanty and does 

not attempt to present the floras and floral changes in 

any detail. As may be seen from the summary table 

(table 1), most of the work has been concentrated on 

parts of the Wilcox Group, and no attempt has been 

made to characterize palynologically the Wilcox, 

Claiborne, and Jackson Groups or to show the palynological changes that occur within or between these 

groups. The purpose of this report is to partly eliminate 

this hiatus in palynological data.

METHODS 

PROCESSING SAMPLES AND PREPARING SLIDES

Samples were prepared for examination by a standardized method presented by Tschudy (1970, p. F2).

QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE COUNTS

The prepared slides were examined in detail as follows: Counts were made of identifiable taxa of pollen 

and spores to obtain an estimate of the relative abundance of the species. Counts were made including spores 

and marine fossils (acritarchs and dinoflagellates) until 

a minimum of 200 identified angiosperm specimens had 

been noted. This count provided an estimate of the 

relative abundance of the more common taxa and provided a means of estimating the ratio of spores or other 

fossils to angiosperm pollen.

Some samples contain a great number of distinguishable species or distinctive forms. For these, the percentage count commonly does not record all the different 

palynomorphs present. It therefore became necessary 

to examine the slides in greater detail, recording all 

distinct palynomorphs. As a result, many taxa not

TABLE 1. Summary of palynological work in the Mississippi 

embayment region

Group Author Type of work

Jackson,___ Frederiksen (1970)_. 

Tschudy and Van 

Loenen (1970).

Claiborne __ Fairchild and Elsik 

(1969).

Engelhardt (1964a, 

b).

Gray (1960).

Wilcox.

McLaughlin(1957). 

Stover, Elsik, and 

Fairchild (1966).

Warter (1965)__. 

Elsik (1968a, b).

Jones(1961,1962).._

Jones (1961)_-__._-. 

Krutzsch (1960a)_._.

McLaughlin (1952) _. 

R. Thiessen in White 

and Thiessen

(1913).

Unpublished thesis.

Illustrated plant microfossils 

from Yazoo Clay, Mississippi.

Listed characteristic palynomorphs from lower Tertiary, gulf coast.

Illustrated pollen and spores 

from Cockfield Formation, 

of Mississippi; described a 

new species of Gothanipollis from middle Eocene 

of Mississippi.

Listed modern genera found 

in Gosport Sand, Alabama, 

and suggested that flora 

was more temperate in 

aspect than earlier Eocene 

floras.

Unpublished dissertation.

Described 10 new genera and 

13 new species from Paleocene and lower Eocene of 

Texas, Alabama, and Louisiana.

Unpublished dissertation.

Presented detailed taxonomy 

of Rockdale Formation of 

Wilcox Group from Texas.

Presented palynology of the 

Midway-Wilcox boundary 

in Arkansas and environmental significance of palynomorphs.

Unpublished dissertation.

Described Thomsonipollis 

from the Wilcox of Texas.

Unpublished thesis.

Mentioned pollen and spores 

in lower Tertiary of Arkansas and Texas.

present in the initial count were recorded. The stratigraphic ranges of some of the more significant species 

were thus more closely approximated. If, for example, 

a count of 200 is made on a slide that contains 10,000 

or more pollen grains (a common occurrence), species 

that may be consistently present in such samples may 

be overloooked if only the initial count is recorded. A 

further reason for continuing examination of slides after 

the percentage count has been made is that some longranging taxa may, on some slides, occur in abundance. 

In some slides, specimens of such taxa may make up 

more than 75 percent of the total pollen. Very little 

information of stratigraphic value would be obtained 

from such samples if the examination for rare or less 

common taxa were omitted.

After counts had been made and the less common 

taxa recorded, the data were plotted. From these 

preliminary charts, the most significant data were 

extracted and plotted on a resume chart. This chart 

(fig. 2) shows the stratigraphic range and relative 

abundance of 45 taxa or groups of taxa. This number 

represents but a fraction of the total number of units
B4 CONTRIBUTIONS TO PALEONTOLOGY

recorded. One sample yielded more than 80 different 

species. In the entire sequence from Wilcox through 

Jackson, more than 370 species were recognized. Most 

of these species are not yet recorded in the palynological 

literature. Those that have been reported have had 

little or no discussion of their stratigraphic ranges or 

their stratigraphic importance.

The taxa recorded in figure 2 are shown on plates 

1-4. The plates are provided as an additional means of 

identification of the groups considered. Furthermore, 

they provide some data concerning the morphological 

variations included in the groups. This method (fig. 2) 

of recording the stratigraphic distribution of Tertiary 

palynomorphs has been used by Krutzsch (1957, 

1960b), by Kedves (1967) and by others to present 

useful stratigraphic data before all the details of taxonomy and nomenclature have become available.

Some species and groups of species have been recorded on the graph; examples are the species Maceopolipollenites tenuipolus and the group Tricolporopollenites 

spp. of the T. baculoferus type. Some genera only have 

been considered (Thomsonipollis and Kyandopollenites). 

In one instance, only the family the Gramineae 

(grass family) is recorded.

All specimens illustrated in this report are deposited 

in the slide files of the paleobotanical collections of the 

U.S. Geological Survey, Denver, Colo.

FOSSIL PALYNOMORPH LOCALITIES

The rock samples used for obtaining palynomorph 

reference material from the Eocene of the Mississippi 

embayment are from the localities shown in figure 1. 

The formations examined, as well as the U.S. Geological 

Survey Paleobotany locality numbers, are shown on 

this map.

The detailed descriptions of localities in approximate 

stratigraphic order, oldest to youngest, are given in the 

following list.

USGS

Paleobotany 

loc.

Locality Stratigraphic unit

USGS

Paleobotany 

loc.

Locality Stratigraphic unit

D3222_____ 0.2 of a mile east of bridge 

across Tucabum River on 

Lavaca-Pennington Road 

on south side of new 

roadcut, sec. 22, T. 14 N., 

R. 1 W., Choctaw County, 

Ala. (See MacNeil, geologic map, 1946a.) Collected by W. W. Olive and 

R. H. Tschudy, U.S. Geological Survey, 1963.

D1854_____ About 1 mile northeast of 

Ackerman, Miss., in railroad cut, Illinois Central 

Railway, at Blantons Gap, 

sees. 28 and 21, T. 17 N.,

Nanafalia Formation. 

In Wilcox Group.

Wilcox Formation 

(formerly Ackerman Formation, 

type locality).

R. 11 E., Choctaw County, 

Miss. (See Vestal, 1943, p. 

30.) Collected by W. W. 

Olive, U.S. Geological Survey, 1962.

D1862 _____ From south wall of the valley 

of Potts Creek, about 75 

yards east of road bridge, 

NWM sec. 4, T. 6 S., R. 

1 W., Marshall County, 

Miss. (See Vestal, 1954, p. 

41.) Collected by W. W. 

Olive, U.S. Geological Survey, 1962.

D1846_____ Sample F-48, NW^SE^ 

sec. 12, T. 6 N., R. 13 W., 

Sabine Parish, La., elev 

165 ft. (See Andersen, 

1960, p. 74, 75, fig. 13.) 

Supplied through the courtesy of W. W. Fairchild, 

Standard Oil Co. of Texas, 

1962.

D1851_____ Sample F-129 from north 

side of Louisiana State 

Highway 6, sec. 6, T. 6 N., 

R. 11 W., Sabine Parish, 

La. Ostrea multilirata zone. 

(See Andersen, 1960, p. 

76.) Supplied through the 

courtesy of W. W. Fairchild, Standard Oil Co. of 

Texas, 1962.

D1855____. North side of roadcut 1.5 

miles west of corporate 

limit of Meridian, Miss., 

on U.S. Highway 80, sees. 

15, 22, T. 6 N., R. 15 E., 

Lauderdale County, Miss. 

(See Foster, 1940, p. 67.) 

Collected by W. W. Olive, 

U.S. Geological Survey, 

1962.

D1848_____ Sample F-71, from bed of 

Two Mile Creek, 1.5 miles 

due south of U.S. Highway 

79 bridge across Brazos 

River, Milam County, 

Tex. (Stop 2 of Houston 

Geol. Soc. Ann. Field Trip, 

1959. (See Smith, 1959.) 

Supplied through the courtesy of W. W. Fairchild, 

Standard Oil Co. of Texas, 

1962.

D1858_ _ _ _ _ Holly Springs Brick and Tile 

Co., Holly Springs, Miss., 

pit south of Highway 78, 

Poorhouse or No. 2 pit, 

SEK sec. 26, T. 3 S., R. 

3 W., Marshall County, 

Miss. (See Vestal, 1954,

Wilcox Formation 

(formerly Ackerman Formation).

Bayou Lenann Member of Pendleton 

Formation (type 

locality) of Andersen, 1960. In Wilcox Group.

Pendleton Formation 

(of Andersen, 

1960). In Wilcox 

Group.

Uppermost part, 

Hatchetigbee Formation. In Wilcox 

Group.

Marquez Shale Member (of Stenzel, 

1938) of Reklaw 

Formation. In 

Claiborne Group.

Tallahatta Formation. In Claiborne 

Group.
EOCENE PALYNOMORPHS OF MISSISSIPPI EMBAYMENT B5

99° 97° 95° 93° 91° 89° 87°

1 1 1

KANSAS

I 1 1 1 > 1 Jl \ ILLINOIS -^

37'

35

EXPLANATION

USGS PALEOBOTANY COLLECTION LOCALITIES

Eocene rocks 

May include Paleocene rocks locally

Paleocene rocks

Cretaceous rocke

USGS Paleobotany locality number

04383-A^Twb

Jackson age 

Tj, Jackson Formation

Twb, White Bluff Formation of Wilbert (1953) 

Ty, Yazoo Clay 

Tm, Moodys Branch Formation

D1848 B Trm

Claiborne age 

Tc, Cockfield Formation

Tcu, upper part

Tcm, middle part 

Tco, Cook Mountain Formation 

Ts, Sparta Sand 

Tz, Zilpha Clay 

Tt, Tallahatta Formation 

Trm, Marquez Shale Member of Stenzel

(1938) of Reklaw Formation

Wilcox age

Th, Hatchetigbee Formation

Tp, Pendleton Formation of Anderson (1960)

Tpb, Bayou Lennan Member 

Tw, Wilcox Formation (formerly Ackerman

Formation) 

Tn, Nanafalia Formation

SPECIFIC LOCALITIES MENTIONED

IN TEXT

A, Blanpied and Hazzard (1938) 

B, McLaughlin (1957) 

C, Krutzsch (1960a) 

D, Gray (1960) 

E, Jones (1961a,b) 

F, Engelhardt (1964a, b) 

G. Warter (1966) 

H, Elsik (1968a, b)

FIGURE 1. Generalized geologic map of Mississippi embayment showing fossil localities. Modified from geologic map of the United States,

1932.

490-095 O - 73 - 2
B6 CONTRIBUTIONS TO PALEONTOLOGY

uses

Paleobotany 

loc.

Locality Stratigraphic unit

USGS

Paleobotany 

loc.

Locality Stratigraphic unit

p. 67-90.) Collected by 

W. W. Olive, U.S. Geological Survey, 1962.

D1856__. 2.9 miles east of west city 

limits of Hickory, Miss., 

on U.S. Highway 80, NEM 

sec. 32, T. 6 N., R. 13 E., 

Newton County, Miss. 

(See Priddy, 1961, p. 37.) 

Collected by W. W. Olive, 

U.S. Geological Survey, 

1962.

D1852___ Sample F-130 from northeast side of Louisiana 

Highway 476, SE^ sec. 

10, T. 5 N., R. 12 W., 

south of Negreet, Sabine 

Parish, La. (See Andersen, 

1960, p. 87 and pi. 13.) 

Supplied through the courtesy of W. W. Fairchild, 

Standard Oil Co. of Texas, 

1962.

D3421_____ NWMSWMSWM sec. 23, T. 

16 S., R. 14 W., near south 

end of Calion Lake, Union 

County, Ark. Collected by 

H. N. Halberg, U.S. Geological Survey, 1964.

D4524_____ Just above iron bridge over 

Techeva Creek, SE^NEM sec. 16, T. 13 N., R. 1 

W., Yazoo County, Miss. 

(Yegua Member of Lisbon 

Formation as used by Mellen, 1940, p. 14 and fig. 1.) 

Collected by E. H. Boswell, U.S. Geological Survey, 1970.

D4525_____ NE^SWMSWM sec. 11, T. 

5 N., R. 11 E., Newton 

County, Miss, (stratigraphically about equivalent to D4526. E. H. Boswell, written commun., 

1970). Collected by E. H. 

Boswell, U.S. Geological 

Survey, 1970.

D4526_____ SEi^SWM sec. 32, T. 4 N., 

R. 13 E., y2 mile SE. of 

Rose Hill, Jasper County, 

Miss. (See DeVries, 1963, 

p. 22, fig. 6.) Collected by 

E. H. Boswell, U.S. Geological Survey, 1970.

D3224 _ _ _ South bluff of Garland Creek, 

2.6 miles east of steel 

bridge over Chickasawhay 

River, 2 miles from house 

at road fork straight east 

along log trail. 6 ft from 

top of formation,

Zilpha Clay. In 

Claiborne Group.

Sparta Sand. In 

Claiborne Group.

Cook Mountain Formation. In Claiborne Group.

Cockfield Formation. 

In Claiborne 

Group.

Middle part, Cockfield Formation. 

In Claiborne 

Group.

Middle part, Cockfield Formation. In 

Claiborne Group.

Upper part, Cockfield 

Formation. In 

Claiborne Group.

sec. 28, T. 1 N., R. 16 E., 

Clarke County, Miss. (See 

Holden and others, 1948, 

p. 60.) Collected by W. W. 

Olive and R. H. Tschudy, 

U.S. Geological Survey, 

1963.

D3228_____ NWMNW^i sec. 36, T. 6 N., 

R. 1 E., Riverside Park, 

Jackson, Hinds County, 

Miss. Lignitic clay with 

borings. Collected by W. 

W. Olive and R. H. 

Tschudy, U.S. Geological 

Survey, 1963.

D3227_____ NWMNW^i sec. 36, T. 6 N., 

R. 1 E., Riverside Park, 

Jackson, Hinds County, 

Miss., 1^2 ft below coquina 

bed. (See Moore, 1965, p. 

48.) Collected by W. W. 

Olive and R. H. Tschudy, 

U.S. Geological Survey, 

1963.

D3697-B___ SE^SWiiSEM sec. 32, T. 

12 N., R. 2 W., Yazoo 

County, Miss., 124 ft 

above base of formation. 

Core samples of Yazoo 

Clay supplied through the 

courtesy of the Mississippi 

Geological Survey, 1963.

D3699-A_ Jackson Ready-Mix Concrete Light Aggregate 

Quarry, SWMNEMNWM 

sec. 36, T. 7 N., R. 1 W., 

7 miles WSW. Madison, 

Hinds County, Miss., 30 

ft below top of formation. 

(See Priddy, 1960, p. 40, 

fig. 9.) Collected by R. H. 

Tschudy, U.S. Geological 

Survey, 1966.

D4383-A_ Steep bluff on right bank of 

Arkansas River, in E^£ 

sees. 19 and 30, T. 3 S., R. 

10 W., Jefferson County, 

Ark. (See Wilbert, 1953, 

p. 114.) Collected by B.R. 

Haley and R. H. Tschudy, 

U.S. Geological Survey, 

1969.

D4407-B_ Center of east line NWJ4 sec. 

36 T. 5 N., R. 3 E., Whitmore quadrangle, St. Francis County, Ark. Sample 

from 2 ft above marl 

(Marine fossils. B. R. 

Haley, written commun., 

Sept. 15, 1969.) Collected 

by B. R. Haley, U.S. Geological Survey, 1969-

Upper part, Cockfield 

Formation. In 

Claiborne Group.

Moodys Branch Formation (reference 

section). In Jackson Group.

Yazoo Clay (core 

hole at type locality). In Jackson 

Group.

Yazoo Clay. In Jackson Group.

Jackson Formation or 

base of White Bluff 

Formation of Jackson Group (of 

Wilbert, 1953).

Jackson Formation.
EOCENE PALYNOMORPHS OF MISSISSIPPI EMBAYMENT B7

STRATIGRAPHY TABLE 2. Stratigraphic columns J Continued

The Eocene Series in the Mississippi embayment Eocene Series:

consists, in ascending order, of the Wilcox (part) Group Jackson Formation

TTI 4-- 4.-U m -U r< j .LI T i Claiborne Group, undifferentiated

or £ ormation, the Claiborne Group, and the Jackson Wilcox Group, undifferentiated

Group or Formation. The Eocene is underlain by the Paleocene Series

Paleocene. Samples from the Clayton Formation, the E g . Tennessee

Porters Creek Clay, the Wills Point Formation, and Jackson Formation

the Naheola Formation of the Midway Group, and the Clai^SfSlTltormation

Naborton Formation of the Wilcox Group, all of the Cook Mountain Formation

Paleocene Series, have been examined palynologically Tall^sitca cityr^ita?e1 Member

and can be distinguished from rocks assigned to the Meridian Sand Member

Eocene Series by their content of pollen and spores. wilcoxeGSmp-Sand

Inasmuch as it was desirable to differentiate Eocene Flour Island Formation

rocks palynologically and to recognize stages within ofd^reastwS Formation

the Eocene, definitions of the generally accepted bound- Paleocene Series

aries and the formations of these ages had to be deter- T , ,,.... ° Northern Mississippi mined. Table 2 shows the stratigraphic columns re- (northern part)

cognized for the Eocene units in the area of study. 'Tccroup, undifferentiated

	Claiborne Group:

	Cockfield Formation 

TABLE 2. Stratigraphic columns 1 Cook Mountain Formation

Northeastern Texas Sparta Sand

Eocene Series: Zilpha Clay

Claibornp Grourr Winona Sand

Soarta Sand' Tallahatta Formation

Weches Seensand Holly SPrinSs Sand Member

o!ueen cSy Sand p . Wilcox Formation

Reklaw Formation Paleocene Series 

Carrizo Sand Wilrox Formation Northern Mississippi W 11COX r ormation (southern part)

Paleocene Series _, .

	Eocene Series:

XT , Jackson Group, undifferentiated

_ . Northern Louisiana Claiborne Group:

Eocene Series: Cockfield Formation

Jackson Group: Cook Mountain Formation

Yazoo Clay Sparta Sand

Moodys Branch Formation Zilpha Clay

Claiborne Group: Winona Sand

Cockfield Formation Tallahatta Formation

Cook Mountain Formation Wilcox Formation

Sparta Sand Paleocene Series 

Cane River Formation

 Carrizo Sand Central Mississippi Eocene and Paleocene Series: _, . Wilcox Group:* Eoce?e ?enes = Dolet Hills Formation Jackson Group :

Naborton Formation Yazo° C^.: ,, ,

Paleocene SPI-IPS Shubuta Member Faleocene benes Pachuta Marl Member

. , Cocoa Sand Member

 . Arkansas North Creek Member

Eocene Series: Moodys Branch Formation

Jackson Group, undifferentiated Claiborne GroupClaiborne Group: Cockfield Formation

Cockfield Formation Cook Mountain Formation:

Cook Mountain Formation Gordon Creek Shale Member

Sparta Sand Potterchito Sand Member

Cane River Formation Archusa Marl Member

 ,., Carrizo Sand Sparta Sand

Wilcox Group undifferentiated 3 Zilpha Clay

Paleocene Series Winona Sand

	Tallahatta Formation

Missouri Neshoba Sand Member

Eocene Series: Basic City Shale Member

Wilcox Formation Meridian Sand Member 

Paleocene Series

, . . 1 Modified from Gushing, Boswell, and Hosman (1964, table 1, p. B6).

Illinois 2 Wilcox Group (Eocene Series, undifferentiated). Wilcox Group (Paleocene

Eocene Series: Series), upper part undifferentiated; Dolet Hills and Naborton Formations lower

WllCOX Group, Undifferentiated 3 In asc^^ing order, Wilcox Group in bauxite area of Arkansas comprises Berger

Paleocene Series Formation, Saline Formation, and Detonti Sand.
B8 CONTRIBUTIONS TO PALEONTOLOGY

TABLE 2. Stratigraphic columns l Continued

Central Mississippi Continued

Wilcox Formation:

Bashi Marl Member 

Fearn Springs Member 

Paleocene Series

Western Alabama

Eocene Series:

Claiborne Group:

Tallahatta Formation

Meridian Sand Member 

Wilcox Group 

Hatchetigbee Formation: 

Bashi Marl Member 

Tuscahoma Sand

Bells Landing Marl Member 

Greggs Landing Marl Member 

Nanafalia Formation:

Grampion Hills Member 

Middle member 

Gravel Creek Sand Member 

Paleocene Series

1 Modified from Gushing, Boswell, and Hosman (1964, table 1, p. B6). 

MIDWAY-SABINE STAGE BOUNDARY

The Midway Stage, as defined by Murray (1961, p. 

367),

* * * is employed as a time-rock unit containing all deposits in the 

Gulf and Atlantic coastal province which can be demonstrated 

reasonably accurately to be equivalent to the type Midway and 

its typical sedimentary units (Clayton Formation, Porters Creek 

Clay, Naheola Formation and associated deposits). This effectively 

includes all the Tertiary deposits formed in the Gulf and Atlantic 

coastal province prior to deposition of the widespread beds containing Ostrea thirsae or Ostrya multilirata in east Texas, Louisiana, 

Mississippi and Alabama, and their equivalents.

Wilcox has been used as a time-stratigraphic or stage 

term, and also as a rock-stratigraphic term, though the 

use of the name Wilcox as a rock-stratigraphic term has 

precedence. This dual usage, which does not embrace 

rocks of the same age, has caused considerable confusion. Recognizing this situation, Murray (1955) included in the Wilcox Group similar rock units of both 

Paleocene and early Eocene age and suggested the term 

Midway Stage for formations of Paleocene age and the 

term Sabine Stage for formations of early Eocene age.

A diagrammatic representation of time and rock relations of the Midway and Sabine Stages and the Midway 

and Wilcox Groups is given by Murray (1955, p. 684).

The basal formation examined and discussed in this 

report is the Nanafalia Formation, and the uppermost 

formation of the Wilcox Group examined and discussed 

is the Hatchetigbee Formation.

SABINE-CLAIBORNE STAGE BOUNDARY

Much less nomenclatural confusion exists for the 

Claiborne sequence than for the Wilcox. The Claiborne Group as used by the U.S. Geological Survey is 

equivalent in age to the Claiborne Stage of Murray 

(1961, p. 380). The basal formations of the Claiborne 

Group examined palynologically are the Reklaw and 

Tallahatta, and the uppermost is the Cockfield. (See

discussion under "Claiborne-Jackson Stage Boundary".) 

The Claiborne Stage * * * has come to be used as a 

time-rock division of the Eocene in the coastal province 

to include a great variety of lithologic types unified by 

a common age as determined by fossil content" (Murray, 1961, p. 380).

The Claiborne Group embraces all beds that were 

deposited from the beginning of the initial invasion of 

the Claiborne Sea, and it involves several cyclic depositional units. Regressive strata consisting of argillaceous, arenaceous, and carbonaceous to lignitic beds 

terminate the sequence; marine transgressive strata 

were then deposited by the advancing Jackson Sea.

CLAIBORNE-JACKSON STAGE BOUNDARY

A detailed discussion of the Jacksonian Stage is given 

by Murray and Wilbert (1950, p. 1995).

The Jacksonian Stage as here conceived, therefore, is a time-rock 

unit which embraces all sediments deposited during the time 

occupied by the advance and retreat of the late Eocene sea in the 

Gulf and Atlantic coastal region. In this view, the earliest sediment 

which can be associated definitely with the advance of this sea, or 

can be found to have been deposited during the time the sea was 

advancing, becomes Jacksonian; the latest stratum which can be 

tied to the retreat of this sea is included likewise.

The basal formation in the Jackson Group is generally 

recognized in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and 

Louisiana as the Moodys Branch Formation. The 

Moodys Branch is distinctive and provides one of the 

better mappable units. It is definitely of marine origin, 

consisting of limestone and glauconitic sandy marl. It 

includes the transition zone (Blanpied and Hazzard, 

1938, p. 313), which consists of black carbonaceous shale 

similar to the shales of the underlying Cockfield Formation, but which contains thin partings and lenses of 

fossiliferous glauconitic marl. The transition zone was 

found to be 0-20 feet thick in wells in Washington and 

Clark Counties, Ala. The foraminiferal assemblages 

from these partings are of Jackson age. Reference to a 

transition zone between the Moodys Branch and the 

Cockfield Formations persists in the literature. "The 

lower member [of Moodys Branch Formation] is interpreted as a transitional facies from probable pro-deltaic 

deposition in the Upper Claiborne Stage, to off-shore, 

shallow marine deposition in the Lower Jacksonian" 

(DeVries, 1963, p. 24).

The Moodys Branch Formation is abundantly 

fossiliferous. The formation marks the marine transgression of the advancing Jackson Sea, however, in 

some areas this marine transgression was not abrupt. 

Evidence of marine or brackish sediments is present in 

some areas in rocks of the lignitic Cockfield, which 

underlies the Moodys Branch. The nature of the Moodys 

Branch-Cockfield contact in Sabine Parish, La., is discussed by Treadwell (1954, p. 2307); the Cockfield is
EOCENE PALYNOMORPHS OF MISSISSIPPI EMBAYMENT B9

divided by him into an upper brackish or marginal 

marine facies the Creola Member and an underlying 

deltaic limnic facies. Units belonging to the marine 

Creola Member have been measured to a depth of 47 

feet in Sabine Parish, La., where the Cockfield is about 

800 feet thick. Treadwell (1954, p. 2320) concluded

The Moodys Branch-Cockfield contact exhibits several variations 

in Sabine Parish. Nevertheless, available evidence suggests there 

was a break in most places between the deposition of these two 

formations. This interruption was small and in Sabine Parish 

should be considered diastemic.

The first samples obtained for the palynological 

characterization of the Cockfield Formation were collected from the Cockfield immediately below the Cockfield-Moodys Branch contact at the Moodys Branch 

reference locality in Riverside Park, Jackson, Miss. 

(sample D3228), and at a similar locality on Garland 

Creek, Clarke County, Miss, (sample D3224). These two 

samples yielded pollen floras that were more like the 

Jackson floras than the floras of the underlying Claiborne Group. Because the Riverside Park and the Garland Creek samples were collected immediately below 

the top of the Cockfield Formation, they were thought 

to represent the transition zone. Huff (1970, p. 26) says: 

"In the Garland Creek section in Clarke County near 

Shubuta there is a large massive lignitic sand unit 

below the Moodys Branch called the 'Transition Zone.'" 

In order to obtain a better coverage of the flora of the 

Cockfield, and to learn whether a palynological transition zone was present in the upper part of the Cockfield, I obtained and examined additional samples from 

the middle and lower parts of the Cockfield. Eocene 

stratigraphic units from which palynological reference 

samples were obtained are shown in table 3.

STRATIGRAPHIC RANGES OF SELECTED TAXA 

OR GROUPS OF TAXA

The observed stratigraphic ranges and the relative 

abundance of the more significant genera and species 

appearing in the control samples from the Wilcox, 

Claiborne, and Jackson Groups are shown in figure 2. 

The formations are shown in stratigraphic order, but 

the vertical spacing of the formations is arbitary. 

Widths of bars denote categories of frequency of occurrence of taxa which were arbitrarily selected to 

minimize minor fluctuations from sample to sample. 

Both uninterrupted and interrupted ranges of these 

units will undoubtedly be extended by data from further 

work.

Each taxon represented in figure 2 is discussed oldest 

to youngest.

Fossil pollen assemblages from the Mississippi embayment contain many hitherto undescribed species,

TABLE 3 Eocene stratigraphic units from which samples 

were obtained

Stratigraphic unit as identified 

by collector

Stratigraphic unit as recognized 

by U.S. Geological Survey

Jackson Group:

White Bluff Formation !_____

Yazoo Clay_______________

Moodys Branch Forma tion___

Claiborne Group:

Cockfield Formation.. _______

Yegua Member, Lisbon Formation 2 __ ______________

Cook Mountain Formation._ 

Sparta Sa»d_______________

Zilpha Clay._-____-_______

Tallahatta Formation _______

Marquez Shale Member 3__. 

Reklaw Formation _________

Wilcox Group:

Hatchetigbee Formation. _ _ _. 

Pendleton Formation 4 ______

Bayou Lenann Member 4 __ _ _

Pendleton Formation. _______

Ackerman Formation 5_ ______

Jackson Formation.

Yazoo Clay.

Moodys Branch Formation.

Cockfield Formation.

Cockfield Formation, lower

part.

Cook Mountain Formation. 

Sparta Sand. 

Zilpha Clay. 

Tallahatta Formation. 

Reklaw Formation. 

Do.

Hatchetigbee Formation. 

Wilcox Formation.

Do.

Do.

Do.

iQf Wilbert (1953).

2 Yegua Member of Lisbon Formation as used by Mellen (1940). U.S. Geological 

Survey has restricted the term Yegua as a formation to Texas and restored the 

term Cockfield Formation for use in Mississippi, Louisiana, and Arkansas.

3 Of Stenzel (1953). Reklaw Formation of Stenzel in Texas overlies Carrizo Sand 

and underlies Arp Member of Queen City Formation.

4 Of Murray and Thomas (1945). The term Pendleton is preoccupied.

6 Abandoned by U.S. Geological Survey. "Removal of beds designated as Holly 

Springs from Wilcox group left Ackerman formation as only unit * * * formerly 

recognized by U.S. Geological Survey in Wilcox of Mississippi * * *. It was decided 

* * * to adopt Wilcox formation for all these beds in Mississippi." (MacNeil, 1946b).

as well as species that are similar or identical to species 

already described from the Tertiary of Europe. Identification of some species with previously described forms 

is readily established, but of others difficult, owing to 

inaccessibility of types, inadequate descriptions, or 

inadequate illustrations. The genera and species and the 

names used are those that seem most appropriate at 

the present time. Comments presented below are chiefly 

concerned with stratigraphic and geographic occurrence 

and distribution.

Maceopolipollenites tenuipolus (Anderson) Leffingwell, 1971

Plate 1, figures 1, 2

Pollen of Maceopolipollenites tenuipolus is absent 

from the Cretaceous, but is common in the Paleocene of 

the Mississippi embayment. It was found as sparse 

specimens in only the stratigraphically lowermost 

reference sample (Nanafalia Formation) in the Eocene 

Wilcox Group. Several other species of Maceopolipollenites are present as very sparse specimens in the 

Wilcox Group reference samples.

Affinity. Juglandaceae.

Kyandopollenites anneratus Stover, 1966

Plate 1, figures 3, 4

Pollen of this monotypic,. easily recognized genus 

Kyandopollenites was first reported by Stover (in 

Stover and others, 1966) from the lower Eocene 

Wilcox Group. I have observed sparse specimens in the 

Nanafalia, Wilcox, and Pendleton Formations. I have
BIO CONTRIBUTIONS TO PALEONTOLOGY

FIGURE 2. Stratigraphic distributions and relative abundance of selected
EOCENE PALYNOMORPHS OF MISSISSIPPI EMBAYMENT Bll

Relative abundance of 

selected taxa, in percent

taxa from rocks of Wilcox, Claiborne, and Jackson ages.
B12 CONTRIBUTIONS TO PALEONTOLOGY

not found pollen of Kyandopollenites in the underlying 

Paleocene. 

Affinity. Not known.

Myocolpopollenites reticulatus Elsik, 1966

Plate 1, figure 5

The genus Myocolpopollenites was first described 

from specimens found in lignite of the Wilcox Group 

from Milam County, Tex. (Elsik, in Stover and others, 

1966). Fairchild and Elsik (1969) reported it sparse and 

as limited to the Wilcox. I have found specimens of this 

genus and species in only three of our reference samples. 

They are sparse in the Nanafalia Formation sample 

(D3222), but much more common in the Pendleton 

Formation (samples D1846and D1851), though present 

there in a frequency of at most 1 percent.

Affinity. Illiciaceae?

Nudopollis spp. of the N. thiergarti type

Plate 1, figures 6, 7

Two pollen types belonging to the genus Nudopollis, 

N. thiergarti and N. terminalis, are found in Eocene 

samples from the Mississippi embayment; these have 

distinct stratigraphic ranges. The Nudopollis thiergarti 

type is found frequently in Paleocene and older rocks 

and infrequently in lower Eocene rocks in which I 

have found it to be limited to the Nanafalia and 

Pendleton Formations. Fairchild and Elsik (1969) 

indicated that this pollen type became virtually extinct 

by the end of Wilcox time. The Nudopollis terminalis 

type is discussed on page B14.

Affinity. Not known.

Thomsonipollis spp.

Plate 1, figures 8, 9

The genus Thomsonipollis was first fully described 

by Krutzsch (1960a) from specimens found in the Wilcox 

Formation near Austin, Tex., and from the early 

Eocene of middle Europe. The genus, which is represented in our reference sample assemblages by at least 

two species, was found in some samples of the Paleocene 

and in all the Wilcox samples of the Eocene. Its frequency of occurrence increases in samples from the 

upper part of the Wilcox Group. This taxon is particularly useful as a stratigraphic marker inasmuch as 

it is virtually absent from samples younger than the 

Wilcox. I have found only one specimen in the Reklaw 

Formation sample and none in the samples from the 

overlying Claiborne and Jackson Groups.

Affinity. Not known.

Spinaepollis spinosus (R. Pot.) Krutzsch, 1960b

Plate 1, figures 10-12

L. E. Stover (in Stover and others, 1966) apparently 

had not seen the description of Spinaepollis when he

described the new genus and species Sernapollenites 

duratus. The two descriptions are so similar that little 

doubt exists that they represent the same taxon. 

Stover's specimens are from the early Eocene of Milam 

County, Tex. Fairchild and Elsik (1969) said that this 

species "* * * has been seen only in Wilcox sediments, 

more commonly in the upper Wilcox. The range of this 

species appears to be short in the Gulf Coast." The 

stratigraphic range of this species in Europe is from 

basal Paleocene through the Eocene. I found Spinaepollis spinosus to be limited to the Nanafalia, Wilcox, and 

Pendleton Formations and to the Reklaw Formation of 

the Claiborne Group in which I found only one specimen. 

Affinity. Not known.

Tricolporopollenites n. sp. A (psilate, large pores)

Plate 1, figures 13-17

Tricolporopollenites n. sp. A is characterized by pollen 

v/ith a relatively thick psilate exine, colpi that extend 

almost to the poles, and very large equatorial pores. 

It is best represented in sample D1854 (Wilcox Formation) in which many dicolporate grains also were found 

(pi. 1, figs. 16, 17). These dicolporate grains appear to. 

be identical, except for the number of colpi, to the 

tricolporate specimens. This species was observed in 

the two Wilcox Formation samples and in the Hatchetigbee Formation sample. It has not been seen in any 

post-Wilcox samples.

Affinity. Not known.

Triatriopollenites quietus (R. Pot.) Th. and Pf., 1953

Plate 1, figures 18-20

Pollen of Triatriopollenites quietus is characterized by 

regular, well-defined plicae extending from pore to pore 

over the poles. It is present in all Wilcox reference 

samples in a frequency of at least 5 percent, except for 

the uppermost sample (Hatchetigbee Formation). In 

sample D1854 Wilcox Formation it attains a frequency 

greater than 20 percent. It is present in the Reklaw 

Formation sample (lower part, Claiborne Group) but 

is virtually extinct above that level in the Eocene.

Affinity. Probably Myricaceae (Th. and Pf., 1953).

Tricolporopollenites spp. of the T. baculoferus type

Plate 1, figures 21-26

Several Tricolporopollenites species are probably included in this group, the T. baculoferus type, which is 

characterized by spherical to prolate pollen possessing 

pilate to clavate surface ornamentation. In some of the 

specimens, pores are extremely difficult to discern; in 

others the colporate characteristic is easily seen. Colpi 

are long (pi. 1, figs. 21-25) or short (pi. 1, fig. 26). 

Elsik (1968b) included both colpate and colporate 

forms in the species Tricolporopollenites baculoferus 

Pflug 1953.
EOCENE PALYNOMORPHS OF MISSISSIPPI EMBAYMENT B13

This group is present in the upper part of the Paleocene, but specimens become more common in the Wilcox. It is present in the Reklaw Formation (lower 

part, Claiborne Group) but is absent above this level. 

It has been found in all Wilcox samples in a frequency 

up to 10 percent.

Affinity. Not known.

Triporopollenites spp. of the T. robustus type

Plate 2, figures 1, 2

Pollen of this somewhat heterogeneous group, 

Triporopollenites spp. of the T. robustus type, is a 

principal element of all Wilcox samples. The pollen is 

triporate, rounded triangular to circular, and virtually 

psilate, and the ektexine is characteristically about 

twice as thick as the endexine. The pore areas may 

protrude in varying degree. This group is present in 

the Paleocene and also in the Reklaw Formation of the 

lower part of the Claiborne Group where it attains a 

frequency of 10 percent. Pollen of this group is virtually 

absent above this level:

Affinity. Possibly Betulaceae (Th. and Pf. 1953).

Triporopollenites n. sp. A (thin walled)

Plate 2, figures 3, 4

The pollen of Triporopollenites n. sp. A is triporate 

and smooth and has a rounded triangular to deltoid outline in polar view. The ektexine is less than l/i thick 

and the endexine is even thinner and is characteristically broken up into more or less discrete granules. 

Pores usually do not protrude to a significant degree. 

This species has virtually the same stratigraphic range 

as the species of the Triporopollenites robustus type and 

attains a frequency of 7-14 percent in most Wilcox 

samples. It is present in the underlying Midway Group, 

as well as in samples from the Wilcox Group. It is 

present also in the lower part of the Reklaw Formation 

in the Claiborne Group but is absent from younger 

samples.

Affinity. Not known.

Trivestibulopollenites spp. of the T. betuloides type

Plate 2, figures 5, 6

Pollen of Trivestibulopollenites spp. of the T. betuloides type appears to conform closest to that of 

Trivestibulopollenites betuloides Pflug 1953. The pores 

are always prominent and are provided with a vestibulum. This pollen type is present in the Paleocene and 

is fairly common in all Wilcox samples. It is also present in the Reklaw Formation sample but is absent 

from, or extremely sparse in, younger Eocene samples.

Affinity. Betulaceae.

Triatriopollenites spp. of the T. aroboratus type

Plate 2, figures 7, 8

Triatriopollenites spp. of the T. aroboratus type have 

comparatively large, thick-walled, subtriangular pollen 

grains. This type of pollen was referred to Triatriopollenites aroboratus Pflug 1953 by Elsik (1968b). 

It, however, does not fit well into the circumscriptions 

of any of Pflug's species of Triatriopollenites. This 

group in the Wilcox of the Mississippi embayment 

possesses the following characteristics: Outline, rounded 

triangular; ektexine, 1.5/1-2/1 thick, psilate; endexine,' 

equal in thickness to the ektexine or thinner, intragranulate; atrium, 5/i or more deep with granular endexine present; diameter, 35/1-50/1. Although an atrium 

is present, its development is poor, making this taxon 

somewhat transitional between Triporopollenites and 

Triatriopollenites. This group of species is never abundant and is limited to the Nanaf alia, Wilcox, and Pendleton Formations.

Affinity. Not known.

Tricolpites n. sp. A (microreticulate)

Plate 2, figures 9-12

Elsik (1968b) placed specimens of Tricolpites n. 

sp. A (microreticulate) in a species that has an extremely wide circumscription (Tricolpopollenites hians 

(Stanley) Elsik 1968). Pollen of this species will not 

be described here except for mention of the main characteristic. The colpi are without margos, and they possess 

prominent granules attached to the margins of the colpi 

which provide the apearance of torn colpi when seen 

in polar view. The irregular margins of the colpi can 

also be seen in equatorial view. Pollen of this species 

attains a frequency of 40 percent in the uppermost 

formation of the Wilcox Group, the Hatchetigbee 

Formation. It is present in very low frequency in the 

lowermost part of the Claiborne Group.

In the Wilcox and lower part of the Claiborne, specimens are small (18/i-25/i). In the uppermost Cockfield 

and the Jackson, a larger form (pi. 2, figs. 11, 12) makes 

an appearance in low frequency. This variety (or species) 

is 30/i-38/i in diameter. The larger form has not been 

found in the Wilcox.

Affinity. Possibly Platanaceae.

Aesculiidites circurnstriatus (Fairchild) Elsik, 1968b

Plate 2, figures 13-15

Originally named Tricolpites circumstriatus by W. W. 

Fairchild (in Stover and others, 1966) from specimens 

found in lignite in the Rockdale Formation of the Wilcox Group, this taxon was renamed by Elsik. In our 

reference sample material, this species was observed as 

somewhat sparse specimens in the Nanafalia, Wilcox, 

and Pendleton Formations. It was not observed in the

490-095 O - 73 - 3
B14 CONTRIBUTIONS TO PALEONTOLOGY

Paleocene, but is present in the Reklaw Formation of 

the lower part of the Claiborne Group. 

Affinity. Hippocastanaceae?

Calamuspollenites pertusus Elsik, 1966

Plate 2, figures 16, 17

Monosulcate pollen with characteristic scabrate 

(punctate) surface ornamentation has been reported 

by Elsik (in Stover and others 1966) as a rare species 

from the Wilcox Group. I have found it in the Wilcox, 

Pendleton, and Hatchetigbee Formations and in the 

Reklaw Formation (Claiborne Group). It has never 

appeared in any abundance.

Affinity. Palmae?, Magnoliaceae?

Symplocospollenites spp. (three aperturate) 

Plate 2, figures 23, 24

Symplocospollenites is a form genus for pollen that 

have four to five pores and short colpi (Potonie, 1960a). 

Krutzsch (1960b, p. 317) claimed that it is inappropriate to bring together both rotundoid and vestibuloid 

forms in the same form genus. Hence, he considered the 

genus Porocolpopollenites (type species P. vestibuloformis Pf. 1953) appropriate for the three colporate 

vestibuloid forms and Symplocospollenites (type species 

S. rotundus R. Pot. 1960) for rotundoid forms. Most of 

the specimens found in the Wilcox Group are somewhat 

spherical but possess only three pores and short colpi. 

However, some specimens have the four pores and short 

colpi characteristic of many Symplocaceae pollen. 

Both the three- and the four-pored forms are here considered together as a group.

Pollen of this group has not been found in abundance 

in any sample. It has been recorded from all but one 

reference sample from the Wilcox Group and also 

from the Reklaw and Tallahatta Formations of the 

Claiborne Group. It is present but sparse in the Paleocene.

Affinity. Symplocaceae.

Pistillipollenites mcgregorii Rouse, 1962

Plate 2, figures 21, 22

Pollen of Pistillipollenites mcgregorii is first observed 

in the Mississippi embayment region in the basal 

Wilcox Group, though elsewhere it has been reported 

from the Paleocene (Rouse and Srivastava, 1970). 

Pollen of this genus and species was found in all but one 

Wilcox sample as well as in the sample of the overlying 

Reklaw. A single specimen was found in the Zilpha 

Clay. Its presence in the Zilpha Clay may extend the 

range of Pistillipollenites into the mid-Claiborne; this 

one specimen, however, could have been redeposited. 

Further work in the Mississippi embayment undoubtedly will clarify the range of this species.

Affinity. Not known.

Carya sp. 22u-28u 

Plate 2, figures 25, 26

Although never present in abundance, small pollen 

grains of this species of Carya are present in all Wilcox 

samples. Its range extends into the Reklaw and Tallahatta Formations of the Claiborne Group. It is absent 

from the Paleocene. Pollen of this genus provides an 

excellent marker for distinguishing Eocene from Paleocene in the Mississippi embayment region.

Affinity. Carya in Juglandaceae.

Nudopollis spp. of the N. terminalis type

Plate 2, figures 18-20

The distinguishing feature of Nudopollis spp. of the 

N. terminalis type (a prominent conical intrapunctate 

atrium) makes this group readily separable from the 

Nudopollis thiergarti type (p. B12). This group of 

species is present in pre-Eocene rocks and in the lower 

Eocene part of the Wilcox Group but becomes significantly more common in the Claiborne Group. It 

apparently becomes extinct in latest Claiborne time, 

though Fairchild and Elsik (1969, p. 85) reported seeing several specimens in the upper Eocene Jackson 

Group. This group is absent from the Jackson, as indicated by our reference samples.

Affinity. Not known.

Dicolpopollis cf. D. kalewensis R. Potonie, 1960b

Plate 2, figures 27-29

Pollen of Dicolpopollis cf. D. kalewensis is present in 

appreciable numbers (10 percent) in the Hatchetigbee 

Formation of the Wilcox Group; this appearance is 

the first American record of the genus. It has previously 

been recorded from Europe (Kedves, 1968; Pflanzl, 

1956), Burma (Potonie, 1960b), and Borneo (Muller, 

1968). A very few specimens were noted in the Reklaw 

Formation sample. This easily recognized taxon with 

an apparently very short stratigraphic range potentially 

is a very useful fossil.

Affinity. Amaryllidaceae?, Palmae?, Eucryphiaceae?

Platycarya spp.

Plate 2, figures 30-34

Pollen of Platycarya spp. a distinctive type (pi. 2, 

figs. 30, 31) has a comparatively short stratigraphic 

range, according to its occurrence in the available reference material. It was recorded in the Hatchetigbee, 

Reklaw, and Zilpha Formations. It thus appears to 

be limited in this area to the transition between the 

Wilcox and Claiborne Groups. Krutzsch (1962, p. 277) 

erected the genus Plicatopollis for the larger pollen 

(pi. 2, figs. 32-34). Fairchild and Elsik (1969), however, 

included both the large and the small forms in the genus 

Platycarya. At least two species are definitely included
EOCENE PALYNOMORPHS OF MISSISSIPPI EMBAYMENT B15

here and probably two genera.

Affinity (small form). Platycarya in Juglandaceae.

Affinity (large form). Juglandaceae (Krutzsch, 

1962).

Proxapertites spp.

Plate 3, figures 1-4

Our records of Proxapertites spp. show it to be present 

in the Reklaw, Zilpha, and Sparta Formations. Pollen 

of all species included in this genus is comparatively 

large. The two halves often are seen overlying one 

another. The size and the surface sculpture, however, 

permit identification when only one half is present. 

This pollen type apparently is limited to the lower 

part of the Claiborne Group.

Affinity. Not known.

Porocolpopollenites spp. (psilate-microreticulate) 

Plate 3, figures 5, 6

Pollen of psilate-microreticulate species of Porocolpopollenites was observed consistently in all but the 

uppermost samples from the Claiborne Group. Although 

consistently present, it never attains a frequency greater 

than 1 percent. Its stratigraphic range appears to be 

confined to the Claiborne Group.

Affinity. Symplocaceae.

Anacolosidites spp.

Plate 3, figures 7-9

Pollen from the Claiborne and Jackson Groups assigned to the form genus Anacolosidites probably represents several species. This form genus is readily 

recognized by the presence of six nonequatorial pores. 

It has not been observed in any Wilcox Group samples.

Affinity. Probably Olacaceae.

Echiperiporites spp.

Plate 3, figures 13, 14

The spiny polyporate pollen grains of Echiperiporites 

spp. occur consistently, though not in high frequency, 

in the lower part of the Claiborne Group and in the 

upper part of the Jackson Group. They have not been 

observed in any Wilcox Group sample. The disjunct 

stratigraphic occurrence of these species suggests the 

possibility that their distribution may be partly facies 

controlled.

Affinity. Picrodendraceae?

Ilexpollenites spp.

Plate 3, figures 10-12

In our reference samples from the Wilcox Group, 

representatives of Ilexpollenites were not observed. 

They are present in all Claiborne and Jackson Group 

samples, attaining a frequency of about 7 percent in 

the Sparta Sand sample. This group has been reported

from the uppermost Wilcox by Fairchild and Elsik 

(1969). 

Affinity. Aquifoliaceae.

Tricolporopollenites spp. (fusoid forms)

Plate 3, figures 15-19

Pollen of the group Tricolporopollenites spp., represented by grains that have well-developed colpi and 

pores, is always seen in equatorial view. The surface 

sculpture is verrucate to microverrucate. Krutzsch 

(1957) and Kedves (1967) discussed these forms as 

"fusoide formen." The closest described form species is 

probably Tricolporopollenites pseudocingulum (R. Pot.) 

Th. and Pf. 1953. Fairchild and Elsik (1969) assigned 

specimens with the above characteristics to the modern 

genus Quercus. However, according to Erdtman (1952, 

p. 177), "The pollen grains in Fagaceae except for 

Nothofagus only belong to morphological types widely 

spread among dicotyledonous plants."

This group, represented by somewhat heterogeneous 

pollen types, is consistently present throughout the 

Claiborne and Jackson in frequencies, for the most part, 

greater than 5 percent. The presence of these forms in 

pollen assemblages is a good indication of a postWilcox age.

Affinity. Anacardiaceae? and Fagaceae?

MultiporopoIIenites spp.

Plate 3, figures 20-22

Specimens of MultiporopoIIenites spp. a polyporate 

group, first appear in pollen assemblages in samples 

from the Tallahatta Formation (lower part of Claiborne Group). Members of this pollen group, however, 

are more common in samples from the middle Claiborne. Very few were found in the Cockfield Formation 

of the uppermost Claiborne Group, and none in samples 

from the Jackson Group.

Affinity. Juglandaceae.

Carya spp. 29jt-39jt 

Plate 3, figures 25-27

Carya pollen in two size categories is present in the 

Eocene of the Mississippi embayment. The smaller 

forms, somewhat limited to the lower Eocene, have 

already been discussed (p.B14). The larger forms (29/*- 

39/z) first appear in the Tallahatta Formation and continue to be present throughout the remainder of the late 

Eocene. The stratigraphic distribution of the two forms 

is slightly overlapping both forms being present in 

the Tallahatta Formation. The frequency of occurrence of the large species of Carya increases markedly 

in the Jackson Group samples.

Affinity. Carya in Juglandaceae.
B16 CONTRIBUTIONS TO PALEONTOLOGY

Verrucatosporites spp.

Plate 3, figures 23, 24

The monolete fern spores of Verrucatosporites spp. 

have very coarse surface ornamentation, in particular 

those assigned to Verrucatosporites histiopteroides 

Krutzsch 1962, which first appear in the Tallahatta 

Formation. They are consistently present in all samples 

from the upper part of the Claiborne Group as well as 

from the Jackson Group. Fairchild and Elsik (1969, p. 

83) said that this type of polypodiaceous spore is 

* * * "restricted to Claiborne and younger sediments 

in the Gulf coast."

Affinity. Polypodiaceae.

Triatriopollenites sp. of the T. coryphaeus type (13^-18^) 

Plate 4, figures 1-3

Triatriopollenites sp. of the T. coryphaeus type (13^- 

18,u) includes small specimens of a group of triatriate 

pollen grains that first appear in the Claiborne Group 

and are present in abundance throughout the Jackson 

Group. Engelhardt (1964a) placed pollen of this type 

into Engelhardtioidites cf. E. microcoryphaeus, and 

Fairchild and Elsik (1969) assigned this type of pollen 

to the modern genus Engelhardtia. W. C. Elsik (oral 

commun., 1969) noted the presence of peltate leaf hairs 

morphologically similar to those of Engelhardtia in 

fossil pollen preparations from the Gulf Coast Tertiary. 

A modern pollen preparation in our laboratory of 

Engelhardtia chrysolepis Hance, from Kwansi, China, 

contains many peltate leaf hairs morphologically similar 

to those found in Claiborne and Jackson Group samples 

from the Mississippi embayment (pi. 4, figs. 36, 37). 

These hairs first appear in the Tallahatta Formation 

sample. Pollen grains of the Triatriopollenites coryphaeus type first appear in samples from the lower part 

of the Claiborne, and continue to be present in abundance in all samples from the Claiborne through the 

Jackson Groups. This pollen type can be separated into 

stratigraphically distinct units on the basis of size. 

The small members of this group first appear in the 

Tallahatta Formation and attain there a frequency of 

16 percent. The larger members appear in younger 

formations. (See Triatriopollenites sp. of the T. coryphaeus type (20^-30^).) The presence of this type of 

pollen in samples is very good evidence of a Claiborne 

or younger age.

Affinity. Engelhardtia-Alfaroat in Juglandaceae.

Gothanipollis spp.

Plate 4, figures 4, 5

Gothanipollis was first described by Krutzsch (1959) 

from the middle Eocene of Germany. Engelhardt 

(1964b) described a species of Gothanipollis from the 

upper part of the Cockfield Formation in Mississippi.

The stratigraphic range of this genus observed in the 

Mississippi embayment reference samples is from the 

Tallahatta Formation through the Jackson Group. The 

genus has not been observed in every Claiborne and 

Jackson reference sample. It is a comparatively infrequent taxon, never occurring in a frequency as great 

as 1 percent. In Europe, the range extends from the 

early Eocene to the late Oligocene. 

Affinity. Loranthaceae.

Tricolpopollenites spp. of the T. microhenrici type

Plate 4, figures 6, 7

Pollen of the Tricolpopollenites spp. of the T. microhenrici type, a tricolpate prolate group of species, are 

commonly laterally compressed so that they present 

an equatorial view in the fossil state. This type is 

significant because it appears to be limited to the upper 

part of the Claiborne Group, and its frequency in this 

interval is often relatively high, attaining a maximum 

frequency of 25 percent.

Affinity. Fagaceae?

Porocolpopollenites spp. (verrucate)

Plate 4, figures 8, 9

Verrucate pollen grains assignable to Porocolpopollenites, though sparse, are present in most of the samples 

from the upper part of the Claiborne Group. They have 

not been observed in samples from either the Wilcox 

or the Jackson Group.

Affinity. Symplocaceae.

Tricolpopollenites spp. of the T. henrici type

Plate 4, figures 10, 11

Pollen representing Tricolpopollenites spp. of the T. 

henrici type possesses almost the same characteristics 

as pollen of the group Tricolpopollenites cf. T. microhenrici but are significantly larger (35^-45^ polar 

daimeter). The stratigraphic range of species assignable 

to this type encompasses the upper part of the Claiborne Group and the basal formation, the Moodys 

Branch Formation, of the Jackson Group.

Affinity. Fagaceae?

Triatriopollenites sp. of the T. coryphaeus type (20^-30^)

Plate 4, figures 12, 13

See Triatriopollenites cf. T. coryphaeus, 13^-18^ 

group, p. B16. Pollen assignable to Triatriopollenites 

sp. of the T. coryphaeus type (20^30^) are larger than 

pollen of the T. coryphaeus 13^-18^ group and are 

similar morphologically to pollen of EngelhardtiaAlfaroa. The larger specimens first appear in the Sparta 

Sand, then become dominant in the uppermost Cockfield Formation and the Jackson Group. This and the 

clearly related unit of smaller size represent a pronounced floral change in the Claiborne Group that
EOCENE PALYNOMORPHS OF MISSISSIPPI EMBAYMENT B17

continues through the Jackson. These size units combined attain a frequency of 16 percent in the middle 

Claiborne; then in the uppermost Cockfield samples 

and in the Jackson Group, attain a minimal frequency 

of 27 percent and a maximum of 75 percent. 

Affinity. Engelhardtia-Alfaroa in Juglandaceae.

Cyrillaceaepollenites cf. C. megaexactus

Plate 4, figures 14-17

Cyrillaceaepollenites cf. C. megaexactus, a species 

of pollen that appears in the upper part of the Claiborne 

Group, becomes a dominant element in some Cockfield Formation samples, then disappears from assemblages at the top of the Claiborne. A few specimens were 

observed in the upper part of the Jackson Group, 

sample D4407-B. These specimens suggest that the 

range of this species probably extends throughout the 

Jackson. It is a small species, easily overlooked when 

present in low frequency.

Affinity. Cyrillaceae?

Tricolporopollenites n. sp. B (Parthenocissus type) 

Plate 4, figures 18, 19

Pollen of Tricolporopollenites n. sp. B (Parthenocissus 

type) is characterized by deep colpi with a smooth 

area adjacent to the margins and a very heavy reticulum in the intercolpal areas. This pollen type first 

appears in the Cockfield Formation in the upper part 

of the Claiborne Group and ranges into the Jackson 

Group. It is similar in gross appearance to the pollen 

of the modern genus Parthenocissus.

Affinity. Vitaceae?

Cyrillaceaepollenites of the Pollenites ventosus type

Plate 4, figures 20, 21

The pollen of Cyrillaceaepollenites of the Pollenites 

ventosus type is distinctly different from that of Cyrillaceaepollenites cf. C. megaexactus. This pollen type was 

first described and illustrated by a line drawing by 

Potonie (1931b). The drawing does not show the 

characteristics of the species and cannot be used to 

identify the fossil species. However, Potonie later 

(1934) redescribed the species Pollenites ventosus and 

provided a photograph. The photograph shows a 

grain which seems to have characteristics identical to 

those of the specimens shown in plate 4, figures 20, 21, 

and to the one figured by Englehardt (1964a) from the 

upper part of the Cockfield Formation of Mississippi. 

A similar grain was figured by Fairchild and Elsik 

(1969) and assigned to Pollenites pseudolaesius1 

Potonie 193la. The grain figured as P. pseudolaesus by 

Potonie in the 193la publication is again a line drawing 

of doubtful usefulness in establishing identity. Traverse 

(1955) figured and described a pollen grain, as Clethral,

1 Spelling as given by Fairchild and Elsik, 1969.

which is morphologically somewhat similar to the type 

under discussion.

Pollen of this type first appears in the upper part of 

the Cockfield (transition zone?) and is consistently 

present in all the overlying Jackson samples.

Affinity. Not known.

Ephedra type A of Sleeves and Barghoorn, 1959

Plate 4, figures 22, 23

Pollen belonging to the genus Ephedra is present in 

low frequency throughout the Eocene. Gray (1960) 

supplied a photograph of Ephedra type A (cf. E. 

nevadensis) pollen from the Gosport Sand, the uppermost formation of the Claiborne Group in Georgia and 

Alabama; and Fairchild and Elsik (1969) claimed that 

this type of pollen does not occur below the Claiborne. 

Pollen of Ephedra type A (distachya type) was observed 

in only one sample from the Claiborne Group (sample 

D3224 from the upper part of the Cockfield Formation) 

but was observed in all samples from the Jackson Group.

Affinity. Ephedra in Gnetaceae.

Multiporopollenites sp. of the Dorstenia type

Plate 4, figures 29, 30

Pollen of the modern genus and species Dorstenia 

contrajerva in the Moraceae as figured by Erdtman 

(1952) is a very close approximation of the small multiporate pollen grains found in the Jackson Group of 

the Mississippi embayment region. These multiporate 

grains are distinctly smaller than those mentioned for 

Multiporopollenites spp. (pi. 3, figs. 20-22) and furthermore possess aspidate pores. Pollen of this species is a 

characteristic (though not abundant) element in all 

but one sample from the Jackson Group. It has not 

been observed in any samples older than Jackson.

Affinity. Moraceae?

Graminidites spp.

Plate 4, figures 34, 35

Monoporate pollen assignable without much question 

to the Gramineae was observed in the upper samples 

of the Jackson Group only. This type of pollen is easily 

recognized and therefore probably represents the approximate time of the appearance of grass in the 

Mississippi embayment region.

Affinity. Gramineae.

Tricolporopollenites cingulum (R. Pot.) Th. and Pf. 1953

Plate 4, figures 24-28

Tricolporopollenites cingulum, a form genus and 

species, probably accommodates pollen from a heterogeneous group of plants, all of which produced tricolporate pollen characterized by small size, smooth 

to verrucate surface sculpture, and but few other distinguishing characteristics. Pollen of this species is
B18 CONTRIBUTIONS TO PALEONTOLOGY

present in all Eocene samples and is the dominant element in some. It attains a frequency of 52 percent and 

45 percent, respectively, in the Reklaw and Tallahatta 

samples. Because it is a consistent element in all samples 

it is included here but separated from the other species 

on the stratigraphic chart. 

Affinity. Not known, probably various.

Tricolpopollenites liblarensis (Thorns) Th and Pf, 1953

Plate 4, figures 31-33

Tricolpopollenites liblarensis, which is similar to 

Tricolporopottenites cingulum in pollen characteristics 

of small size, smooth to verrucate surface sculpture, 

and few other distinguishing characteristics, is, however, tricolpate rather than tricolporate. It is included 

here because it is a consistent to abundant element of 

the Eocene control samples. It attains a maximum frequency of 35 percent in the Zilpha Clay sample.

Affinity. Not known, probably various.

CONCLUSIONS

Criteria that serve to distinguish palynological assemblages in references samples from the Wilcox, 

Claiborne, and Jackson Groups have been observed 

in assemblages at many additional localities not discussed here. The floral changes observed are, in general, 

of regional extent. The criteria mentioned below and 

illustrated in figure 2 can be applied throughout the 

embayment area.

THE WILCOX GROUP

Palynological differentiation of the Wilcox Group 

from the upper part of the underlying Midway Group 

is accomplished by the recognition of several genera 

and species absent from the Midway but appearing 

first in the basal formations of the Wilcox. This palynological boundary is reinforced by the absence of some 

taxa in the Wilcox and younger rocks that are consistently present in the Midway.

Although appearing in low concentration in the basal 

Wilcox, Carya, a taxon readily recognizable by its 

pollen, makes its first appearance there. I have not seen 

this type of pollen in any sample from the Paleocene 

Porters Creek Clay, the equivalent Wills Point Formation, or Naheola Formation of the Midway Group, or 

in the Naborton Formation of the Wilcox Group. The 

palynological transition from the purported Paleocene to 

the purported Eocene is rather abrupt because a fairly 

easily recognizable palynological change is apparent. 

Several new species appear; these, however, usually 

represent only a fraction of 1 percent of the pollen in 

the total pollen counted. At the same level, many of 

the species present in purported Paleocene assemblages 

disappear. Pollen of Thomsonipollis was observed in

all Wilcox Group samples, but only one specimen (in 

the Reklaw Formation) has been observed in any 

samples above the Hatchetigbee Formation (uppermost 

Wilcox). This genus accompanied by Carya serves 

to characterize the Wilcox Group. Other genera appearing for the first time in the basal Wilcox are Kyandopollenites, Spinaepollis, Myocolpopollenites, Aesculiidtes, and Pistillipollenites.

Triatriopollenites quietus, Tricolporopottenites of the 

T. baculoferus type, Triporopollenites of the T. robustus 

type, Trivestibulopollenites of the T. betuloides type, 

Triporopollenites n. sp. (thin walled), and Tricolpites n. 

sp. A (microreticulate) are common to all Wilcox Group 

samples and occur in relatively high frequencies in 

most samples. All, however, persist into the basal Claiborne Group.

THE CLAIBORNE GROUP

The pollen assemblage from the Reklaw Formation 

is somewhat transitional, with species characteristic of 

the Wilcox Group persisting and species characteristic 

of the Claiborne Group appearing. The new taxa appearing first in the Reklaw Formation are Proxapertites, 

Anacolosidites, Ilexpollenites, Porocolpopollenites (psilate-microreticulate species), Echiperiporites, and Tricolporopottenites (fusoid forms). Those species characteristic of the Wilcox Group persist for the most part, 

in reduced frequency. Even though the Claiborne 

Group floras develop somewhat gradually, the Wilcox 

assemblages are sufficiently distinctive that little 

difficulty is experienced in distinguishing between the 

two.

The Tallahatta Formation sample provides the first 

specimens of a pollen group that becomes dominant in 

the Claiborne and persists through the Jackson 

Triatriopollenites of the T. coryphaeus type (probably 

Engelhardtia or Alfaroa). Additional Juglandaceous 

genera (Carya 29ju-39ju and Multiporopollenites) as well 

as Verrucatosporites and Gothanipollis appear first in 

the same sample.

The upper part of the Claiborne Group except for 

that represented by sample D3228 the uppermost 

Cockfield Formation sample is characterized by the 

presence of Nudopollis, Tricolporopollenites (species 

having fusoid pollen), Multiporopollenites, Tricolpopollenites of the T. microhenrici type, Cyrillaceaepollenites 

cf. C. megaexactus, and Triatriopollenites of the T. 

coryphaeus type.

THE JACKSON GROUP

The floral change from the Claiborne to the Jackson 

is distinctly transitional. The major frequency increase 

in the Triatriopollenites cf. T. coryphaeus (20ju-3(V) 

type begins in the uppermost Cockfield Formation 

samples and continues throughout the Jackson. Pollen
EOCENE PALYNOMORPHS OF MISSISSIPPI EMBAYMENT B19

representing the larger new species of Tricolpites 

(Tricolpites n. sp. A, microreticulate), Ephedra (type 

A of Steeves and Barghoorn), Cyrillaceaepollenites of 

the Pollenites ventosus type, Tricolporopolknites n. 

sp. B (Parthenocissus) type also appears first in the 

upper Cockfield Formation samples. These floral 

changes in the upper Cockfield Formation samples tend 

to support the hypothesis that the floral change from 

the Claiborne to the Jackson began prior to the deposition of the Moodys Branch Formation. (See section on 

"Claiborne-Jackson Stage Boundary".

Taxa that serve to characterize the nontransitional 

part of the Jackson Group include Multiporopollenites 

of the Dorstenia type and specimens assignable to the 

genus Nudopollis are absent from this interval. On 

strictly palynological grounds, I would place the Claiborne-Jackson boundary at the level of marked increase in frequency of the Triatriopollenites cf. T. coryphaeus type pollen, inasmuch as that level reflects a 

notable expansion of the Engelhardtia-Alfaroa forest 

and the disappearance of many of the characteristic 

older Eocene taxa.

ANGIOSPERM FAMILIES REPRESENTED IN THE 

EOCENE POLLEN FLORA

Ancillary information of some significance resulting 

from the present work is the recognition of Eocene 

pollen grains that are assignable to modern plant 

families. Climatic inferences concerning fossil floras 

depend upon the establishment of identity of the 

fossils with living counterparts whose ecological and 

climatic tolerances are known. Establishment of identity of Eocene plant microfossils with modern forms at 

the species level is extremely difficult. Identifications 

are more easily made at the generic level and still more 

easily made at the familial level.

Perhaps a more immediate application of knowledge 

concerning modern plant families represented in a fossil 

flora is in the study of the evolution and succession of 

floras in an area. The more families that can be recognized, the more complete the knowledge concerning 

the gross composition of the flora.

The only previously published direct or indirect 

references to angiosperm families represented by fossil 

pollen in the Eocene of the Mississippi embayment 

appear in papers by Gray (1960) in reference to the 

Claiborne pollen flora, by Elsik (1968a, b) in reference 

to the pollen flora in the Rockdale Formation of the 

Wilcox Group, and by Fairchild and Elsik (1969) 

in their paper on the characteristic palynomorphs of 

the Gulf Coast lower Tertiary.

A summary of the angiosperm families mentioned in 

the above papers and in the present work is given in 

table 4.

Pollen grains representing several additional angiosperm families were observed but usually in very low 

frequency. Consequently these pollen types have not 

been included in the stratigraphic discussion.

TABLE 4. Angiosperm families^ represented by pollen reported from 

the Mississippi embayment region

Family

Amaryllidaceae _ _ ___ _

Anacardiaceae _ _ _

Aquifoliaceae __ ___

Betulaceae_ _ __ __ _.

Bombacaceae _ _ _ . __

Caesalpinaceae _ _

Chenopodiaeeae-Amaranthaceae_ _

Combretaceae, _ _ . Cyrillaceae __ _ ___ _.

Eucryphiaceae _ _ _ _

Fagaceae__ __ _ _

Gramineae _ _

Hamamelidaceae _ _ _

Hippocastanaceae _

Illiciaceae _ __ __ ___

Juglandaceae

Loranthaceae _____

Magnoliaceae_ _ _ __ _ _ . Moraceae __ _ __

Myrtaceae____ _ _ _ _

Nyssaceae _ _

Olacaceae _ ______

Onagraceae _ _ __ . Palmae __ _ _

Pandanaceae _ _ _ _ _

Papilionaceae _ _ _ _

Picrodendraceae __ _

Platanaceae__ _ _ _

Restionaceae _ _

Sapindaceae _ _ __ _.

Sapotaceae

Symplocaceae _ __ .

Tiliaceae_

Ulmaceae_ _ _ __

Vitaceae_

Gray

(1960)

X

X

v

X

X

- X

X

X

X

_ X

X

X

_ X

- X

X

X

X

Elsik

(1968a, b);

Fairchild

and Elsik

(1969)

X

X

X

X

X

X?

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X?

X

X

V?

X

X

Present

work

X?

X?

X

X

X

l x

1 X

X?

X?

X

X

'X

X?

X?

X

X

X?

X? 1 x

l x

X

1 X

X? 'X

'X

X?

X? *x

1 X

'X

X

X

l x

XI

1 Observed but not mentioned in the stratigraphic discussion.

REFERENCES CITED

Andersen, H. V., 1960, Geology of Sabine Parish: Louisiana Geol.

Survey Geol. Bull. 34, 164 p. 

Berggren, W. A., 1965, Some problems of Paleocene Lower

Eocene planktonic foraminiferal correlations: Micropaleontology, v. 11, no. 3, p. 278-300.

Blanpied, B. W., and Hazzard, R. T., 1938, Correlation of Cockfield and Gosport formations, eastern Mississippi and western

Alabama: Am. Assoc. Petroleum Geologists Bull., v. 22, no. 3,

p. 309-314. 

Gushing, E. M., Boswell, E. H., and Hosman, R. L., 1964, General

geology of the Mississippi Embayment: U.S. Geol. Survey

Prof. Paper 448-B, p. B1-B28. 

DeVries, D. A., 1963, Jasper County mineral resources: Mississippi

Geol. Econ. and Topog. Survey Bull. 95, p. 10-52. 

Elsik, W. C., 1968a, Morphology and Taxonomy [pt] 1 of Palynology of a Paleocene Rockdale lignite, Milam County,

Texas: Pollen et Spores, v. 10, no. 2, p. 263-314. 

 1968b, Morphology and Taxonomy (end), [pt] 2 of Palynology of a Paleocene Rockdale lignite, Milam County, Texas:

Pollen et Spores, v. 10, no. 3, p. 599-664.
B20 CONTRIBUTIONS TO PALEONTOLOGY

Engelhardt, D. W., 1964a, Plant microfossils from the Eocene 

Cockfield Formation, Hinds County, Mississippi: Mississippi 

Geol. Econ. and Topog. Survey Bull. 104, p. 65-95.

 1964b, A new species of Gothanipollis Krutzsch from the 

Cockfield Formation (middle Eocene) of Mississippi: Pollen 

et Spores v. 6, no. 2, p. 597-600.

Erdtman, Gunnar, 1952, Pollen morphology and plant taxcnomy. 

Angiosperms (An introduction to palynology. I): Stockholm, 

Almqvist & Wiksells; Chronica Botanica Co., Waltham, 

Mass., 539 p.

Fairchild, W. W., and Elsik, W. C., 1969, Characteristic palynomorphs of the lower Tertiary in the Gulf Coast: Palaeontographica, Abt. B., v. 128, p. 81-89.

Foster, V. M., 1940, Lauderdale County mineral resources: Mississippi Geol. Survey Bull. 41, 246 p.

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of the Jackson Stage (Upper Eocene) and adjacent strata of 

Mississippi and western Alabama: Dissert. Abs. Internat., 

Sec. B, Science and Eng., v. 30, no. 9, p. 4207B.

Gray, Jane, 1960, Temperate Pollen genera in the Eocene (Claiborne) flora, Alabama: Science, v. 132, no. 3430, p. 808-810.

Holden, F. T., Hughes, U. B., Mellen, F. F., and Spooner, K. K., 

Compilers, 1948, The stratigraphy and paleontology of the 

Eocene, Oligocene and Miocene of Clarke and Wayne Counties, Mississippi [notes and plates], in Mississippi Geol. Soc. 

Guidebook, 6th Field Trip, 1948, p. 52-74 (reprinted from 

Shreveport Geol. Soc. Guidebook, llth Ann. Field Trip, 1934).

Huff, W. J., 1970, The Jackson Eocene ostracoda of Mississippi: 

Mississippi Geol. Econ. and Topog. Survey Bull. 114, 289 p.

Jones, E. L., 1961a, Plant microfossils of the laminated sediments 

of the Lower Eocene Wilcox Group in south-central Arkansas: 

Oklahoma Univ., unpub. Ph. D. Dissert., 126 p., 9 pis.; 

Dissert. Abs., v. 22, p. 845.

 1961b, Environmental significance of palynomorphs from 

lower Eocene sediments of Arkansas: Science, v. 134, no. 

3487, p. 1366.

1962, Palynology of the Midway-Wilcox boundary in southcentral Arkansas: Gulf Coast Assoc. Geol. Soc. Trans., v. 12, 

p.285-294.

Kedves, Mikl6s, 1967, Sur quelques problemes de stratigraphie 

palynologique appliquee au Tertiare Inferieur en Europe: 

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 1968, Etudes Palynologiques des couches du Tertiare Inferieur de la region Parisienne. III. Pollens inapertures a 

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 1959, Mikropalaontologische (Sporenpalaontologische) 

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 1960b, Beitrag zur Sporenpalaontologie der praoberoligozanen kontinentalen und marinen Tertiarablagerungen 

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 1946b, The Midway and Wilcox stratigraphy of Alabama

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 1957, Plant microfossils from the Bruhn Lignite: Tennessee 

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 1961, Geology of the Atlantic and Gulf coastal province of 

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INDEX

[Italic page numbers indicate major references and descriptions]

A Page

Ackerman Formation ____________ 9 

Acritarchs ____________________ 3 

Aesculiidites ____________________ 18

circumstriatus ______________ 13; pi. 2

Alfaroa ______________________ 18 

Amaryllidaceae _________________ 14, 19 

Anacardiaceae ______________ 15, 19 

Anacolosidites _________________ 15, 18

spp ____________ 15; pi. 3 

Angiosperm families represented in the

Eocene pollen flora _____ 19 

Angiosperm specimens ____________ 3 

anneratus, Kyandopollenites _________ 9; pi. 1

Aquifoliaceae ______________ 15, 19

Archusa Marl Member ____________ 7 

aroboratus, Triatriopollenites ________ 13; pi. 2

B

baculoferus, Tricolporopollenites _ 4, 12, 18; 

Bashi Marl Member __________________

Basic City Shale Member ___________

Bayou Lenann Member of Pendleton

Formation __________ 

Bells Landing Marl Member __________

Betulaceae _________________ '.

betuloides, Trivestibulopollenites __ 13, 18; 

Bombacaeae _________________________

Bruhn lignite _______________

Caesalpinaceae ______ 19 

Calamuspollenites pertusus _______ - 14; pi. 2

Cane River Formation __________ 7

Carrizo Sand __ ___________ 7 

Carya _____________________________ 14, 15, 18

sp. 22/4-28/4 _______________ 14; pi. 2

spp. 29/4-39/t ____________ 15, 18; pi. 3 

Chenopodiaceae-Amaranthaceae _ 19 

chrysolepis, Engelhardtia ______________ 16

cingulum, Tricolporopollenites ____ 17, 18; pi. 4

circumstriatus, Aesculiidites ____ 13; pi. 2

Tricolpites ________ 13

Claiborne Group _____ 1, 3, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 18 

Claiborne-Jackson Stage boundary ___ 8 

Clayton Formation ___________ 7 

Clethra ______________ 17 

Cockfield Formation of

Mississippi _____ 2, 6, 7, 8, 9, 13 

Cocoa Sand Member ______-_ 7 

Combretaceae _______________ 19

Conclusions ___________________ 18 

contrajerva, Dorstenia - ____-__ 17

Cook Mountain Formation _ 6, 7, 9 

coryphaeus, Triatriopollenites ______ 18, 19

coryphaeus 13/4-18/4, Triatriopollenites _16; pi. 4 

coryphaeus, 20/4-30/4,

Triatriopollenites 16, 18; pi. 4 

Creola Member ________________ 9

Cyrillaceae _______________ 17, 19 

CyrillaceaepoUenites megaexactus _ 17, 18; pi. 4

of the Pollenites ventosus

type ____________ 17, 19; pi. 4

D Page

Dicolpopollis kalewensis _______ - 14; pi. 2

Dinoflagellates ________________ 3

Dolet Hills Formation ____________ 7 

Dorstenia _______________________ 17, 19; pi. 4

contrajerva _________________ 17

duratus, Sernapollenites ______-__ 12

E

Echiperiporites ________________ 18

spp ______ ___________ 15; pi. 3

Engelhardtia ____________ 16, 18

chrysolepis ________________ 16

Engelhardtia-Alfaroa _______________ 16, 17, 19

Engelhardtioidites microcoryphaeus ___ 16 

Eocene Series _______________ 7

Ephedra ______________________ 17, 19

type A (distachya type) ______ 17

(nevadensis) ___________ 17

of Steeves and Barghoorn __ 17, 19; pi. 4 

Eucryphiaceae ________________ 14, 19

Fagaceae ___________________ 15, 16, 19 

Fearn Springs Member ________ 8 

Flour Island Formation _________ 7 

Fort Pillow Sand ________________ 7 

Fossil palynomorph localities __ 4

G

Gnetaceae ________ 17 

Gordon Creek Shale Member ______ 7 

Gosport Sand of the Claiborne Group _ 2 

Gothanipollis _____________________ 2, 3, 16, 18

spp __________________ 16; pi. 4

Gramineae ____________________ 4, 17, 19

Graminidites spp ______________ 17; pi. 4 

Grampion Hills Member __________ 8 

Gravel Creek Sand Member ________ 8 

Greggs Landing Marl Member _____ 8

H

Hamamelidaceae ____ 19

Hatchetigbee Formation ___ 4, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14 

henrici, Tricolpopollenites ________ 16; pi. 4

hians, Tricolpopollenites - ______ 13

Hippocastanaceae 14, 19 

histiopteroides, Verrucatosporites _____- 16

Holly Springs Sand Member 7

Ilexpollenites - 15, 18

spp __________________- 15; pi. 3

Illiciaceae __________________ 12, 19

Jackson Formation ______- 6, 7, 9, 13 

Jackson Group ___________ 1, 3, 7, 8, 12, 18 

Jackson Stage of Mississippi and

Alabama _____ 3

Page

Jacksonian Stage ____________ 8 

Juglandaceae ____________ 9, 14, 15, 16, 19

K

kalewensis, Dicolpopollis __ 14', P-- 2 

Kyandopollenites __________________ 4, 9, 12, 18

anneratus _______________ 9; pi. 1

liblarensis, Tricolpopollenites ________ 18; pi. 4

Loranthaceae ________________ 16, 19

M

Maceopolipollenites __ 9 

tenuipolus _______________ 4, 9; pi. 1

nicgregorii, PistiUipollenites _________ 14', pi. 2

Magnoliaceae _ _ 14, 19 

Marquez Shale Member ___________ 4, 9 

megaexactus, CyrillaceaepoUenites _ 17, 18; pi. 4 

Memphis Sand _____ 7 

Meridian Sand Member ___________ 7, 8 

Methods ______________________ 3 

microcoryphaeus, Engelhardtioidites ___ 16 

microhenrici, Tricolpopollenites __ 16, 18; pi. 4 

Middle member _ ______ 8 

Midway Group _________________ 8, 13, 18

Midway-Sabine Stage Boundary _____ 8 

Midway Stage ____________ 8 

Moodys Branch Formation __ 6, 7, 8, 9 

Moraceae 17, 19 

multilirata, Ostrya ___________________ 8

Multiporopollenites ______________ 18, 19

sp. of the Dorstenia type 17, 19; pi. 4

spp ___________________ 15; pi. 3

Myocolpopollenites ______________ 12, 18

reticulatus ______________________ 12; pi. 1

Myricaceae __________________ 12

Myrtaceae __-_______________ 19

N

Naborton Formation ___________ 7

Naheola Formation ______ 7 

Nanafalia Formation ________ 4, 8, 9, 12, 13 

Neshoba Sand Member ___________ 7

nevadensis, Ephedra _____ 17

Normapolles Group ______________ 2 

North Creek Member _____________ 7 

Nothoiagus ___ ______ 15

Nudopollis ________________________ 12, 18, 19

terminalis ______________ 12, 14; pi. 2 

thiergarti _______________ 12, 14; pi. 1

spp ____________ 14 

Nyssaceae ___________________ 19

O

Olacaceae 15, 19

Old Breastworks Formation 

Onagraceae 

Ostrea multilirata zone ___.

thirsae _____ 

Ostrya multilirata _______

B23
B24 INDEX

P Page

Pachuta Marl Member 7 

Paleocene Series ____ - 7

Palmae __________________ 14, 19 

Palynological work, previous 2

Pandanaceae ______ 19

Papilionaceae 19 

Parthenoeissus 17 

Pendleton Formation ______ 2, 4, 9, 12, 13, 14 

pertusus, Calamuspollenites __________ H; pi. 2

Picrodendraceae ____-_ 15, 19 

Pistillipollenites - ___ - 14, 18

mcgregorii _ 14', pi- 2 

Platanaceae ___________________ 13, 19 

Platycarya -_______ 14, 15

spp __________ H; pl. 2 

Plicatopollis _________________________ 14

Pollenites pseudolaesius - ____________ 17

pseudolaesus _____ 17

ventosus _________________________ 17, 19

Polypodiaceae _____________ _ 16 

Porocolpopollenites ____- - 14, 15, 16, 18

vestibuloformis __ 14

spp __________ 15, 16; pis. 3, 4 

Porters Creek Clay ______________ 7 

Potterchito Sand Member 7 

Preparing slides -___ 3 

Processing samples __________--- 3 

Proxapertites ________________________ 18

spp ______________________15; pl. 3 

pseudocingulum, Tricolporopollenites 15 

pseudolaesius, Pollenites -_______ 17

pseudolaesus, Pollenites - __________ 17

Qualitative counts __ 3

Quantitative counts __ 3 

Queen City Sand ___ 7 

Quercus -___________ _ _-_-_--- 15

quietus, Triatriopollenites _______- 12, 18; pl. 1

R

Reklaw Formation ______ 2, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14 

Restionaceae ________ 19

reticulatus, Myocolpopollenites _______ 12; pl. 1

Page

robustus, Triporopottenites _ 13, 18; pl. 2 

Rockdale Formation of Wilcox Group 2, 13 

rotundus, Symplocospollenites _________ 14

Ruppiaceae ___________________ 19

Sabine-Claiborne Stage boundary ____ 8 

Sabine Stage ___________________ 1, 8 

Saline Formation of Wilcox Group 2 

Sapindaceae _________________ 19

Sapotaceae ___________________ 19

Sernapollenites duratus - ______ _ 12

Shubuta Member ______________ 7

Sparta Formation ______________ 2 

Sparta Sand ___________________ 6, 7, 9 

Spinaepollis ________________ 12, 18

spinosus _________________ 12; pl. 1

spinosus, SpinaepoUis _________ 12; pl. 1 

Stratigraphic ranges of selected taxa or

groups of taxa 9 

Stratigraphy ________________ 7

Symplocaceae ______________ 14, 15, 16, 19 

Symplocospollenites ___ _ 14

rotundus _________________ 14

spp __________________ 14; pl. 2

Tallahatta Formation _________ 4, 7, 8, 9, 14 

tenuipolus, Maceopolipollenites ____ 4, 9; pl. 1

terminalis, Nudopollis _ 12, 14; Pl- 2 

thiergarti, Nudopollis - 12, 14; pl. 1 

thirsae, Ostrea ________-________ 8

Thomsonipollis 2, 3, 4, 12, 18

spp ________ 12; pl. 1 

Thymelaeaceae ________________ 19

Tiliaceae ______________________ 19

Triatriopollenites ___ _ - _ 13, 18

aroboratus ______ _ 13; pl. 2

coryphaeus _____________________ 18, 19

13/i-lS/i _______________ 16; pl. 4

20,a-30,ii ____________ 16, 18; pl. 4

quietus ___________ 12, 18; pl. 1

sp _______ 16; pl. 4 

Tricolpites eireumstriatus __________ 13

n. sp. A ____________ 13, 18, 19; pi. 2

Tricolpopollenites _____________. 

henrici _________________________

hians _____________________.

liblarensis - _____________________

microhenrici _____ _______ 16,

spp _

Tricolporopottenites ______________.

baculoferus ________________ 4, 12,

cingulum ________ ______ 17,

pseudocingulum ____________.

n. sp. A ____________________

n. sp. B ________________

(Parthenoeissus type) __ 17, 

spp ____________ 4, 12,

Triporopottenites ___________________.

robustus _________ _____ 13,

n. sp. A __________________

Triuestibulopollenites betuloides 13,

Tuscahoma Formation of Wilcox Group .

U, V

16;

18 

pl. 4

13

18; pl. 4 

18; pl. 4 

16; pl. 4 

._ 12, 18 

18; pl. 1 

18; pl. 4

15

12; pl. 1 

17; pl. 4 

19; pl. 4 

15; pi. 3 

._ 13, 18 

18; pi. 2 

13; pl. 2 

18; pi. 2 

._ 2, 8

Ulmaceae ____________________ 19 

ventosus, Pollenites __________________ 17, 19

Verrucatosporites ________________ 18

histiopteroides ________________ 16

spp _ _______ 16; pl. 3 

vestibuloformis, Porocolpopollenites ____ 14

Vitaceae ______________________ 17, 19

W

Weches Greensand _____________ 7

White Bluff Formation ___________ 9 

Wilcox Formation ____________ 4, 7, 8, 14 

Wilcox Group _________ 1, 3, 7, 8, 12, 13, 18 

Wills Point Formation ____________ 7 

Winona Sand __________________ 7

Y, Z

Yazoo Clay ________________ 2, 3, 6, 7, 9

Yegua Member, Lisbon Formation ___ 9

Zilpha Clay _________________ 6, 7, 9, 14

Zilpha Formation ______________ 14
PLATES 1-4

[Contact photographs of the plates in this report are available, at cost, from U.S. 

Geological Survey Library, Federal Center, Denver, Colorado 80225.]
PLATE 1

[Magnification X 1,000]

FIGURES 1, 2. Maceopolipollenites tenuipolus (p. B9).

1. D3222, slide 3, coordinates 103.2X15.0, diameter 17M , Nanafalia Formation.

2. D3222, slide 1, coordinates 108.4X20.5, diameter 19/u, Nanafalia Formation. 

3, 4. Kyandopollenites anneratus (p. B9).

3. D1846, slide 1, coordinates 102.4X11.8, diameter 55/u, Pendleton Formation of Andersen (1960), low focus.

4. Same specimen, high focus. 

5. Myocolpopollenites reticulatus (p. B12).

D1846, slide 9, coordinates 80.7x20.7, 53X44M , Pendleton Formation of Andersen (1960). 

6, 7. Nudopollis spp. of the N. thiergarti type (p. B12).

6. D3222, slide 2, coordinates 108.2X6.4, diameter 29/u, Nanafalia Formation.

7. D3222, slide 1, coordinates 107.4X15.2, diameter 27/u, Nanafalia Formation. 

8, 9. Thomsonipollis spp. (p. B12).

8. D1855, slide 5, coordinates 107.1X18.9, diameter 29/u, Hatchetigbee Formation.

9. D1854, slide 3, coordinates 93.2X18.0, 30x33/1, Wilcox Formation (formerly Ackerman Formation). 

10-12. Spinaepollis spinosus (p. B12).

10. D3222, slide 1, coordinates 81.6X19.0, diameter 29/u, Nanafalia Formation. Apertures obscure in this species.

11. D1848, slide 1, coordinates 107.7X2.9, diameter 27/u, Reklaw Formation.

12. D1846, slide 4, coordinates 86.1X12.8, diameter 27/u, Pendleton Formation of Andersen (1960). Note rosette

arrangement of basal part of spines. 

13-17. Tricolporopollenites n. sp. A (psilate, large pores) (p. B12).

13. D1854, slide 3, coordinates 107.7X11.3, 37X29/H, Wilcox Formation (formerly Ackerman Formation).

14. D1854, slide 3, coordinates 107.7X14.7, 39X29/U, Wilcox Formation (formerly Ackerman Formation).

15. D1854, slide 3, coordinates 87.0X13.5, 35x32/u, Wilcox Formation (formerly Ackerman Formation).

16. D1854, slide 3, coordinates 106.9 X11.8, 32 X29/u, Wilcox Formation (formerly Ackerman Formation). This specimen and figure 17 represent dicolporate variations of the same species shown in figures 13-15.

17. D1854, slide 2, coordinates 109.8X19.9, 30X27/H, Wilcox Formation (formerly Ackerman Formation). 

18-20. Triatriopollenites quietus (p. B12).

18. D3222, slide 1, coordinates 78.8X17.3, diameter 19/u, Nanafalia Formation.

19. D3222, slide 1, coordinates 88.7X15.9, diameter 19/u, Nanafalia Formation.

20. D1862, slide 5, coordinates 114.6X18.5, diameter 20/u, Wilcox Formation (formerly Ackerman Formation). 

21-26. Tricolporopollenites spp. of the T. baculoferus type (p. B12).

21. D1862, slide 6, coordinates 86.9X4.5, diameter 40/u, Wilcox Formation (formerly Ackerman Formation), 

view of specimen with long colpi.

22. D1846, slide 5, coordinates 87.2X10.8, 47x40M , Pendleton Formation of Andersen (1960). Note well-developed 

pores and colpi here and in figure 23.

23. D1862, slide 6, coordinates 81.6X21.6, 39X31/U, Wilcox Formation (formerly Ackerman Formation).

24. D1855, slide 6, coordinates 98.9X4.9, 34x30/n, Hatchetigbee Formation. Colporate condition poorly developed 

or absent in this specimen and in figure 25.

25. D3222, slide 1, coordinates 79.6X18.5, 37X32M, Nanafalia Formation.

26. D1862, slide 1, coordinates 105.8X12.5, diameter 35/n, Wilcox Formation (formerly Ackerman Formation). Not 

the short colpi in this specimen in contrast to the long colpi displayed on figure 21.
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 743-B PLATE 1

26

POLLEN FROM WILCOX GROUP
PLATE 2

[Magnification X 1,000]

FIGURES 1,2. Triporopollenites spp. of the T. robustus type (p. B13).

1. D3222, slide 1, coordinates 76.5X5.9, diameter 29/u, Nanafalia Formation. High focus.

2. Same specimen, low focus. 

3,4. Triporopollenites n. sp. A (thin walled) (p. B13).

3. D3222, slide 1, coordinates 98.5X14.0, diameter 34/u, Nanafalia Formation. Almost circular form.

4. D1846, slide 5, coordinates 93.0X6.3, diameter 40/u, Pendleton Formation of Andersen (1960). Deltoid form with

larger pores. 

5, 6. Trivestibulopollenites spp. of the T. betuloides type (p. B13).

5. D1862, slide 6, coordinates 107.3X7.4, diameter 27/u, Wilcox Formation (formerly Ackerman Formation).

6. D1862, slide 6, coordinates 82.1x12.7, 29X24/U, Wilcox Formation (formerly Ackerman Formation). Oblique

equatorial view. 

7, 8. Triatriopollenites spp. of the T. aroboratus type (p. B13).

7. D3222, slide 3, coordinates 107.8X11.0, diameter 45/u, Nanafalia Formation. Note granulate endexine in area of 

atria.

8. D3222, slide 2, coordinates 108.3 X 17.0, diameter 38^, Nanafalia Formation. 

9-12. Tricolpites n. sp. A (microreticulate) (p. B13).

9. D3222, slide 2, coordinates 109.6X20.5, diameter 19M, Nanafalia Formation.

10. D1855, slide 6, coordinates 82.0X20.7, diameter 23/u, Hatchetigbee Formation.

11. D3699-A, slide 3, coordinates 101.9X8.9, diameter 36/u, Yazoo Clay.

12. D3699-A, slide 4, coordinates 92.1X14.2, diameter 38^, Yazoo Clay. 

13-15. Aesculiidites circumstriatus (p. B13).

13. D1854, slide 4, coordinates 107.9X4.2, 22X18/U, Wilcox Formation (formerly Ackerman Formation). Colporate 

condition clearly displayed.

14. D1851, slide 2, coordinates 99.7X11.7, 23X19^, Pendleton Formation of Andersen (1960).

15. D1851, slide 1, coordinates 100.1X10.0, 25X18M, Pendleton Formation of Andersen (1960). Pores obscure in this

specimen and in figure 14. 

16,17. Calamuspollenites pertusus (p. B14).

16. D1854, slide 3, coordinates 98.5X12.4, 35X23^, Wilcox Formation (formerly Ackerman Formation).

17. D1854, slide 3, coordinates 95.9X18.3, 31X24/U, Wilcox Formation (formerly Ackerman Formation). 

18-20. Nudopollis spp. of the N. terminalis type (p. B14).

18. D1862, slide 3, coordinates 100.0X3.1, diameter 35/u, Wilcox Formation (formerly Ackerman Formation).

19. D1848, slide 2, coordinates 92.8X8.8, diameter 24M, Reklaw Formation.

20. D3222, slide 1, coordinates 79.2X20.9, diameter 30/u, Nanafalia Formation. 

21, 22. Pistillipollenites mcgregorii (p. B14).

21. D1854, slide 4, coordinates 101.7X15.4, diameter 22/u, Wilcox Formation (formerly Ackerman Formation).

22. D1854, slide 4, coordinates 79.7X10.5, diameter 26/u, Wilcox Formation (formerly Ackerman Formation). 

23, 24. Symplocospollenites spp. (three aperturate) (p. B14).

23. D1848, slide 1, coordinates 110.8X10.4, diameter 22M, Reklaw Formation.

24. D1862, slide 7, coordinates 113.0X21.5, diameter 29/u, Wilcox Formation (formerly Ackerman Formation). 

25, 26. Carya sp. 22M-28M (p. B14).

25. D1848, slide 2, coordinates 101.5x15.9, diameter 28/i, Reklaw Formation.

26. D3222, slide 1, coordinates 99.0X15.0, diameter 28M, Nanafalia Formation. 

27-29. Dicolpopollis cf. D. kalewensis (p. B14).

27. D1855, slide 6, coordinates 94.1x13.5, 28X21^, Hatchetigbee Formation.

28. D1855, slide 6, coordinates 98.0X3.5, 27X22M, Hatchetigbee Formation.

29. D1855, slide 6, coordinates 80.0X15.1, 28X20^, Hatchetigbee Formation. 

30-34. Platycarya spp. (p. B14).

30. D1855, slide 5, coordinates 91.4X21.2, diameter 19/u, Hatchetigbee Formation.

31. D1855, slide 6, coordinates 82.0X20.7, diameter 20/u, Hatchetigbee Formation.

32. D1848, slide 2, coordinates 109.5X12.9, diameter 29/u, Reklaw Formation. This and the succeeding two specimens 

can be assigned to the form genus Plicatopollis.

33. D1848, slide 2, coordinates 107.3X13.9, diameter 27/u, Reklaw Formation.

34. D1848, slide 1, coordinates 113.3X6.4, diameter 28/u, Reklaw Formation.
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 743-B PLATE 2

POLLEN FROM WILCOX AND CLAIBORNE GROUPS
PLATE 3

[Magnification X 1,000]

FIGURES 1-4. Proxapertites spp. (p. B15).

1. D1848, slide 2, coordinates 82.4 X 18.6, 46 X38ju, Reklaw Formation. This specimen as well as that represented by 

figure 4 are isolated halves. The complete fossil is represented by figures 2 and 3.

2. D1848, slide 2, coordinates 109.2X15.7, 48X40ju, Reklaw Formation.

3. D1848, slide 3, coordinates 109.3X17.7, 45X38ju, Reklaw Formation.

4. D1848, slide 2, coordinates 84.0X16.6, 48X39ju, Reklaw Formation. 

5, 6. Porocolpopollenites spp. (psilate-microreticulate). (p. B15).

5. D1852, slide 3, coordinates 98.3x18.0, diameter 32M, Sparta Sand.

6. D1852, slide 2, coordinates, 83.5X9.3, diameter 32M, Sparta Sand. 

7-9. Anacolosidites spp. (p. B15).

7. D1848, slide 2, coordinates 88.4x11-6, diameter 24ju, Reklaw Formation.

8. D3421-B, slide 1, coordinates 87.9X10.6, diameter 20ju, Cook Mountain Formation.

9. D3421-B, slide 3, coordinates 78.3X3.7, diameter 19ju, Cook Mountain Formation. 

10-12. Ilexpollenites spp. (p. B15).

10. D1852, slide 2, coordinates 87.3X2.9, 30x22ju, Sparta Sand, high focus.

11. Same specimen, low focus.

12. D1852, slide 3, coordinates 105.4X12.6, diameter 25ju, Sparta Sand. 

13,14. Echiperiporites spp. (p. B15).

13. D4383-A, slide 1, coordinates 109.7X9.0, diameter 34ju, White Bluff Formation of Wilbert (1953).

14. D4383-B, slide 2, coordinates 110.6X4.2, diameter 32ju, White Bluff Formation of Wilbert (1953). 

15-19. Tricolporopollenites spp. (fusoid forms) (p. B15).

15. D1858, slide 5, coordinates 111.6X8.0, 32X23ju, Tallahatta Formation.

16. D1858, slide 6, coordinates 91.8X11.2, 28Xl7ju, Tallahatta Formation.

17. D3227, slide 1, coordinates 110.8X17.6, 27Xl6ju, Moodys Branch Formation. The specimens represented by 

figures 17-19 are perhaps most representative of this heterogeneous group.

18. D1848, slide 1, coordinates 113.1X4.8, 26Xl5ju, Reklaw Formation. Low focus.

19. Same specimen, high focus. 

20-22. Multiporopollenites spp. (p. B15).

20. D1858, slide 5, coordinates 89.0X5.0, diameter 22ju, Tallahatta Formation.

21. D1858, slide 5, coordinates 97.9x10.6, diameter 32M, Tallahatta Formation.

22. D1858, slide 5, coordinates 87.2X5.9, diameter 33M, Tallahatta Formation. 

23, 24. Verrucatosporites spp. (p. B16).

23. D3699-A, slide 4, coordinates 101.4X16.8, 50x35ju, Yazoo Clay.

24. D3228, slide 1, coordinates 109.2X20.7, 43X31ju, Cockfield Formation. 

25-27. Carya spp. 29ju-39ju (p. B15).

25. D3697-B, slide 1, coordinates 98.1X14.6, 34x40ju, Yazoo Clay.

26. D3699-A, slide 1, coordinates 85.2X7.3, diameter 38ju, Yazoo Clay. High focus.

27. Same specimen, low focus.
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 743-B PLATE 3

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POLLEN AND SPORES FROM CLAIBORNE AND JACKSON GROUPS
PLATE 4

[Magnification X 1,000, figs. 1-35, X 500 figs. 36, 37]

FIGURES 1-3. Triatriopollenites sp. of the T. coryphaeus type (ISju-lS/u) (P- B16)

1. D1856, slide 2, coordinates 78.6X11.6, diameter 14M, Zilpha Clay.

2. D1858, slide 5, coordinates 91.5x4.8, diameter 17/u, Tallahatta Formation.

3. D1858, slide 6, coordinates 79.6x6.4, diameter 18/u, Tallahatta Formation. 

4, 5. Gothanipollis spp. (p. B16).

4. D4383-A, slide 1, coordinates 79.3X21.6, diameter 22M, White Bluff Formation of Wilbert (1953).

5. D1858, slide 3, coordinates 111.1X9.1, diameter 26/u, Tallahatta Formation. 

6, 7. Tricolpopollenites spp. of the T. microhenrici type (p. B16).

6. D1852, slide 1, coordinates 91.4x22.1, 30X16M, Sparta Sand.

7. D1852, slide 2, coordinates 87.3x8.0, 24X17/*, Sparta Sand. 

8.9. Porocolpopollenites spp. (verrucate) (p. B16).

8. D3224, slide 2, coordinates 92.3x13.6, diameter 3(V, Cockfield Formation.

9. D3224, slide 2, coordinates 101.4X6.1, diameter 23M, Cockfield Formation. 

10,11. Tricolpopollenites spp. of the T. henrici type (p. B16).

10. D1852, slide 1, coordinates 99.0x19.8, 37X30M, Sparta Sand. High focus.

11. Same specimen, low focus. 

12,13. Triatriopollenites sp. of the T. coryphaeus type (20/^-30^) (p. B16).

12. D1852, slide 2, coordinates 85.5x17.7, diameter 26M, Sparta Sand.

13. D1852, slide 3, coordinates 81.7x13.3, diameter 27M , Sparta Sand. 

14-17. Cyrillaceaepollenites cf. C. megaexactus (p. B17).

14. D4407-B, slide 2, coordinates 102.6x6.2, diameter 18/u, Jackson Formation.

15. D4524, slide 1, coordinates 91.6x8.6, diameter 17n, Cockfield Formation.

16. D4524, slide 1, coordinates 91.5x8.6, 15x14^, Cockfield Formation.

17. D1856, slide 2, coordinates 82.0x2.6, diameter 13/u, Zilpha Clay. 

18,19. Tricolporopollenites n. sp. B (Parthenocissus type) (p. B17).

18. D3228, slide 1, coordinates 84.0x17.8, 33X26M, Cockfield Formation.

19. D3228, slide 1, coordinates 84.2x6.0, 35x24M, Cockfield Formation. 

20, 21. Cyrillaceaepollenites of the Pollenites ventosus type (p. B17).

20. D3699-A, slide 3, coordinates 82.6X17.1, diameter 17M, Yazoo Clay.

21. D4383-A, slide 1, coordinates 99.1x5.0, diameter 21/x, White Bluff Formation of Wilbert (1953). 

22, 23. Ephedra type A of Steeves and Barghoorn (p. B17).

22. D4383-A, slide 1, coordinates 78.0X6.2, 48X22M, White Bluff Formation of Wilbert (1953).

23. D3699-A, slide 3, coordinates 101.2X10.6, 37X18^, Yazoo Clay. 

24-28. Tricolporopollenites cingulum (p. B17).

24. D1858, slide 5, coordinates 111.3X16.3, 2lXl4M , Tallahatta Formation.

25. D1858, slide 5, coordinates 111.3X16.3, 21 X9/u, Tallahatta Formation.

26. D1858, slide 5, coordinates 114.2x18.5, 17X11M, Tallahatta Formation.

27. D3227, slide 1, coordinates 105.8x12.4, ISXll/u, Moodys Branch Formation. Low focus.

28. Same specimen, high focus. 

29, 30. Multiporopollenites sp. of the Dorstenia type (p. B17).

29. D3699-A, slide 3, coordinates 81.4X3.4, 2lXl8M, Yazoo Clay.

30. D3699-A, slide 3, coordinates 77.7X5.1, 24X23M, Yazoo Clay. 

31-33. Tricolpopollenites liblarensis (p. B18).

31. D1854, slide 2, coordinates 112.5X8.3, 17X12/U, Wilcox Formation (formerly Ackerman Formation).

32. D1852, slide 1, coordinates 90.6X19.9, 14X8M, Sparta Sand.

33. D1856, slide 2, coordinates 80.3X1.9, 20X10M, Zilpha Clay. 

34,35. Graminidites spp. (p. B17).

34. D4407-B, slide 2, coordinates 105.7x10.6, 42X40^, Jackson Formation.

35. D4383-A, slide 1, coordinates 80.30X6.4, 37X28M, White Bluff Formation of Wilbert (1953). 

36, 37. Peltate leaf hairs of Engelhardtia.

36. D4407-B, slide 2, coordinates 86.8X5.5, 100X86^, Jackson Formation (X 500).

37. D4383-B, slide 3, coordinates 77.3X13.1, 94X86M, White Bluff Formation of Wilbert (1953) (X 500).
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 743-B PLATE 4

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POLLEN AND SPORES FROM CLAIBORNE AND JACKSON GROUPS

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