3.3 IT'

Palynology of Selected Goal

Beds in the Proposed Pennsylvanian

System Stratotype in West Virginia / s jL' tJ

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 131
Palynology of Selected Coal

Beds in the Proposed Pennsylvanian

System Stratotype in West Virginia

By ROBERT M. KOSANKE

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 1318

A description of palynomorph assemblages, 

range zones, and coal correlations of 

selected coals from the proposed 

Pennsylvanian System stratotype of 

West Virginia and adjacent States

UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON: 1984
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

WILLIAM P. CLARK, Secretary

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Dallas L. Peck, Director

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data

Kosanke, Robert M. (Robert Max) 

Palynology of selected coal beds in the proposed Pennsylvanian System stratotype in West Virginia.

(Geological Survey professional paper ; 1318) 

Bibliography: 44 p.

Supt. of Docs, no.: I 19.16:1318

1. Palynology West Virginia. 2. Paleobotany Pennsylvanian. 3. Coal Geology West Virginia. I. Title. II. Series.

QE993.K633 1984 561'.13'09754 83-600376

For sale by the Branch of Distribution, U.S. Geological Survey 

604 South Pickett Street, Alexandria, VA 22304
CONTENTS

Abstract 1

Introduction 1

Previous work 3

Acknowledgments 5

Sample methods, preparation, and localities 5

Palynomorph assemblages from the proposed Pennsylvanian

stratotype section of West Virginia 7

Upper Mississippian and Lower Pennsylvanian Series 7

Bluestone and Pocahontas Formations 7

New River Formation 7

Palynomorph assemblages Continued

Middle Pennsylvanian Series 8 

Kanawha Formation 8 

Charleston Sandstone 15 

Upper Pennsylvanian Series 31 

Conemaugh and Monongahela Formations 31 

Palynomorph assemblages from part of the Pottsville Formation of Ohio and the Lee Formation of eastern Kentucky 35 

Summary 39 

References cited 42

ILLUSTRATIONS

FIGURE 1. Location map for outcrop and mine samples, and proposed Pennsylvanian System stratotype

Diagram of Upper Mississippian and Lower Pennsylvanian stratigraphic units - 

Diagram of Middle and Upper Pennsylvanian stratigraphic units 

Chart of abundance of dominant and accessory genera 

Stratigraphic section at Bluefield, West Virginia 

Stratigraphic section near Garwood, West Virginia 

Generalized section of Pottsville Formation, Ohio 

London dock section, Kentucky, and a generalized section for Sawyer quadrangle, Kentucky 

Diagram showing occurrence of selected taxa 

3

3

4

8

9

35

40

41

TABLES

TABLES 1-19. Percentage of palynomorphs in West Virginia coals:

1. Sewell coal 10

2. Lower Douglas(?) coal 11

3. Gilbert!?) coal 12

4. Cedar Grove coal 13

5. Winifrede coal 14

6. Stockton coal 16

7. Little No. 5 Block coal, series 552 18

8. Little No. 5 Block coal, series 434 20

9. Lower No. 5 Block coal, series 553 22

10. Lower No. 5 Block coal, series 435 23

11. Lower No. 5 Block coal, series 446 24

12. Upper No. 5 Blockf?) coal, series 447 26

13. Upper No. 5 Block coal, series 554 27

14. Upper No. 5 Block coal, series 572 28

15. Upper No. 5 Block coal, series 436 30

16. Upper No. 5 Block coal, lower bench 32

17. Upper No. 5 Block coal, upper bench 33

18. No. 6 Block coal 34

19. Pittsburgh No. 8 coal 34 

20-22. Percentage of palynomorphs in Ohio coals:

20. Sharon No. 1 coal 36

21. Anthony coal 37

22. Quakertown No. 2 coal 38

in
PALYNOLOGY OF SELECTED COAL BEDS IN THE PROPOSED 

PENNSYLVANIAN SYSTEM STRATOTYPE IN WEST VIRGINIA

By ROBERT M. KOSANKE

ABSTRACT

The usefulness of Pennsylvania!! palynomorphs, spores, and pollen 

grains, as an aid in coal-correlation investigations in the Appalachians, has been known for many years. However, much of this 

and subsequent information was scattered in the literature or was not 

from the proposed stratotype area of West Virginia Investigation of 

coals from sections of the proposed Pennsylvanian System stratotype 

provided the opportunity to examine changes in palynomorph content through a number of coals from the New River Formation to the 

basal part of the Monongahela Formation.

The rank of most coals of the Pocahontas and New River Formations of West Virginia does not permit extraction of palynomorphs 

with current laboratory maceration techniques. Because of this, the 

data of some possibly equivalent lower rank Pennsylvanian coals 

from adjacent parts of southern Ohio and eastern Kentucky have 

been included. The coals examined from the Kanawha Formation, 

Charleston Sandstone, and Monongahela Formations of West 

Virginia have yielded abundant and well-preserved palynomorphs. 

Attention has been focused on the Charleston Sandstone, which is a 

massive, complex unit lacking marine fossils and composed primarily 

of sandstone. The coal is a significant resource in Pennsylvanian 

rocks, and the correlation of coals is an important consideration in the 

area of the stratotype in West Virginia and in adjacent States.

As a result of this preliminary examination, the approximate range 

zones of some important taxa have been established. These range 

zones together with abundance data are used to correlate the coals. 

The range zones of some important taxa from Lower to Upper Pennsylvanian coals are: Densosporites irregularis Hacquebard and Barss, 

Stenozonotriletes lycosporoides (Butterworth and Williams) Smith 

and Butterworth, Schulzospora raw. Kosanke, Laevigatosporites 

spp., Radiizonates spp., Torispora securis Balme, Zosterosporites 

triangularis Kosanke, Thymospora pseudothiessenii (Kosanke) 

Wilson and Venkatachala, Schopfites dimorphus Kosanke, and 

Thymospora thiessenii (Kosanke) Wilson and Venkatachala Some of 

the range zones are relatively short and extremely useful for correlation studies. For example, in the Charleston Sandstone, T. pseudothiessenii (Kosanke) Wilson and Venkatachala is present in the Upper 

No. 5 Block coal (upper bench) and the No. 6 Block coal, whereas 

Schopfites dimorphus Kosanke is restricted to the No. 6 Block coal. 

Thymospora thiessenii (Kosanke) Wilson and Venkatachala is not 

restricted to the Pittsburgh No. 8 coal, but it is the only coal known in 

which this taxon is so dominant (more than 70 percent of the 

palynomorph assemblage).

This preliminary report has provided a framework for the correlation of a selected number of coals occurring in Ohio and eastern Kentucky with those of the proposed Pennsylvanian System stratotype

of West Virginia In other studies, additional samples from the 

stratotype would be examined for ultimate correlation with rocks of 

Pennsylvania and in adjacent States and elsewhere.

INTRODUCTION

The need for a stratotype section of Pennsylvanian 

rocks has been indicated by boundary and correlation 

problems. Theoretically, an ideal stratotype section 

would contain a complete depositional sequence of rocks 

from oldest to youngest. This requirement was met in 

West Virginia despite the fact that the alternation of 

marine and nonmarine deposition does not extend 

throughout the stratotype section. The presence of 

widespread coals in the stratotype section suggested 

that palynomorphs have an important role to play in 

defining the stratotype. Many of the coals in West 

Virginia are exposed in the rocks of the proposed Pennsylvanian System stratotype (fig. 1). Pennsylvanian 

rocks of the proposed stratotype section start with the 

Lower Pennsylvanian Series near Bluefield, W. Va., at 

the position of the Bramwell Member of the Bluestone 

Formation, and continue north-northwest through the 

Middle and Upper Pennsylvanian Series into the 

Dunkard Basin of northwestern West Virginia, southeastern Ohio, and southwestern Pennsylvania.

Although coal is abundant in West Virginia, not all of 

the coal is amenable to maceration because it is of high 

rank. Palynomorphs are altered by coalification from 

translucent to opaque entities in high-rank coal, so they 

have little value for palynological studies. Palynomorphs in coals in the Pocahontas Formation and the 

lower half of the New River Formation generally appear 

to be in this category.

Figure 2 illustrates some of the Lower Pennsylvanian 

strata from the stratotype examined for palynomorphs. 

Lower Pennsylvanian strata that may be in part equivalent to the lower part of the stratotype section occur in 

adjacent southeastern Ohio and eastern Kentucky. Coal
PALYNOLOGY OF COAL BEDS IN THE PROPOSED PENNSYLVANIAN STRATOTYPE, WEST VIRGINIA

in these two areas is of lower rank and is readily 

amenable to maceration, so that excellent assemblages 

of palynomorphs were recovered. I decided to include

some of these data to correlate with the stratotype section. These data are discussed subsequently under 

palynomorph assemblages from Ohio and Kentucky.

, 061395? 

D6034X | 06113 X 

06115

EXPLANATION

X OUTCROP

o ROADCUTSAMPLE

^ MINE SAMPLE

LIST OF QUADRANGLES

Location of figure 1

OHIO

1 BYER

2 MINFORD 

WEST VIRGINIA

3 POCATALICO

4 QUICK

5 MAMMOTH

6 BELLE

7 CEDAR GROVE

8 MONTGOMERY

9 GAULEY BRIDGE

10 FAYETTEVILLE

11 CRUMPLER

12 BRAMWELL 

KENTUCKY

13 SAWYER

FIGURE 1. Outcrop and mine samples used in this investigation, located in quadrangles in West Virginia, southern Ohio, and southeastern 

Kentucky. USGS Paleobotanical locality D numbers appear adjacent to sample symbols. Shaded area in index map indicates approximate 

area of the proposed Pennsylvanian System stratotype.
INTRODUCTION

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Nuttall Sandstone Member

Sewell coal (431 A-E)

Pocahontas No. 8 coal

Pocahontas No. 1 coal (517-B)

(518 A-B)

Bramwell Member (517-A)

(518C-D)

FIGURE 2. Upper Mississippian and Lower Pennsylvania!! 

stratigraphic units from the stratotype in West Virginia 

that were collected and examined for palynomorphs. Maceration numbers are shown in parentheses, and irregular 

contact line between the Pocahontas and Bluestone Formations depicts intertonguing of these formations.

The coal and other samples selected for examination 

and study from the proposed Pennsylvanian System 

stratotype in West Virginia are indicated on figures 1, 2, 

and 3. These samples are from the Bramwell Member of 

the Bluestone Formation, and the Pocahontas, New 

River, Kanawha, Charleston, and Monongahela Formations. Tables 1 through 22 and figure 4 summarize the 

results of palynological investigations conducted thus 

far on selected coals and samples from the Pennsylvanian System stratotype section.

PREVIOUS WORK

A number of people have contributed to our knowledge of the occurrence of Pennsylvanian age palynomorphs, spores, and pollen grains from West Virginia, 

including Thiessen and others (1923, 1924, 1941, 1947), 

Cross (1947), Cross and Schemel (1952), and Clendening 

(1962, 1965, 1967. 1968, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1974). In addition, theses at both the masters and doctorate level

from the University of West Virginia have investigated 

the palynomorph content of various coals of West 

Virginia.

Thiessen and his associates conducted fundamental 

studies of Appalachian and other coals, with much of 

their effort directed toward quantitative coal petrology. 

The coal thin-section method of study was employed by 

Thiessen, and according to Schopf and Oftedahl (1976), 

the Thiessen coal thin-section slide collection consists of 

more than 19,000 slides from 682 different localities in 

the United States and elsewhere, with nearly one-third 

of these localities occurring within the Appalachian 

Basin. Observations reported by Thiessen on the occurrence and distribution of spores found in coal thin sections during his petrology studies were the first recognition in the United States of the potential value of these 

fossils for coal-correlation investigations. Some of the 

observations by Thiessen were cited by Kosanke (1943).

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Pittsburgh No. 8 (428) coal

No. 6 Block (603) coal

Upper No. 5 Block coal (573, 554-A, 574. 554-B 

572,436, 554-0,447?) 

Lower No. 5 Block (446?, 553, 435) coal

Little No. 5 Block (552, 434) coal 

Stockton A (571) coal

Stockton (566) coal 

Winifrede (121) coal 

Cedar Grove (122) coal 

Gilbert (?) (433) coal

Lower Douglas (?) (432) coal

FIGURE 3. Middle and Upper Pennsylvanian stratigraphic units 

that were collected and examined for palynomorphs. All are from 

stratotype except the Winifrede and Cedar Grove coals, which 

are from their respective type localities in West Virginia Maceration numbers are shown in parentheses.
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SAMPLE METHODS, PREPARATION, AND LOCALITIES

Cross (1947) and later Cross and Schemel (1952) began a 

reconnaissance of coals of West Virginia. Schemel 

(1957) completed a Ph. D. dissertation on West Virginia 

coal, Clendening published a series of papers that were 

largely concerned with palynomorphs from strata of the 

Dunkard Group, and the dates of these publications 

have been cited.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

A number of people assisted in the collection of 

samples used in this investigation, for which I am most 

grateful. K. J. Englund, H. H. Arndt, and T. W. Henry 

helped with the collection of samples from the proposed 

Pennsylvanian System stratotype in West Virginia. 

D. C. Alvord provided samples of the Cedar Grove and 

Winifrede coals from their respective type localities in 

West Virginia. H. R. Collins and C. L. Rice provided 

samples from Ohio, and the late Don E. Wolcott 

assisted in the collection of samples from Kentucky. 

Mark A. Mercer and John R. Scholten assisted with the 

preparation of samples, and Scholten prepared many of 

the original illustrations. This help is gratefully 

acknowledged. Appreciation is extended to G. K. 

Guennel of Marathon Oil company, who reviewed the 

manuscript.

SAMPLE METHODS, PREPARATION, 

AND LOCALITIES

The aim of the sampling method was to obtain a 

representative sample whenever possible for the coal 

units and other lithologies. For example, ribbon samples 

were cut from diamond-drill cores with a carborundum 

saw, and column samples were taken from mine and outcrop exposures of coal. The usual maximum vertical 

thickness of samples was set at 30.48 cm. Roof rock, 

partings, and seat rock were sampled separately. For a 

discussion of this type of sampling, see Kosanke (1977) 

and Schopf (1960).

The coal samples were prepared according to procedures described by Kosanke (1950, 1973), the only 

modification being the use of HNO3 (90 percent concentration) for high-rank coal in place of HNO3 (70 percent 

concentration). Precise preparation methods used for 

each maceration are recorded in maceration books of the 

Denver Palynological Laboratories, U.S. Geological 

Survey.

One hundred thirty-four samples of roof rock, coal, 

partings, seat rock, and shale samples were collected. 

One hundred three samples were from the proposed 

Pennsylvanian System stratotype section in West 

Virginia, 14 samples were from southern Ohio, and 17 

samples were from eastern Kentucky.

All samples were assigned laboratory maceration 

numbers and all productive samples were also assigned 

USGS paleobotanical locality numbers (D numbers). 

The stratigraphic nomenclature used in this paper 

follows that of Englund and others (1979).

The following samples from West Virginia, Ohio, and 

Kentucky were studied in this investigation:

Bramwell Member, Bluestone Formation, shale from 

along State Route 102 at Bluestone, W. Va, maceration 517-A.

Pocahontas Formation, shale along State Route 102 at 

Bluestone, W. Va., D6001, maceration 517-B.

Pocahontas Formation, shale along State Route 10 

near Garwood, W. Va., D6002 (518-B), macerations 

518-A-B.

Upper member or tongue of Bluestone Formation, shale 

along State Route 10 near Garwood, W. Va, 

macerations 518-C-D.

Sewell coal, New River Formation, roof shale, coal, 

and seat rock from Royal Coal Company No. 5 

mine, 2.3 km northeast of Fayetteville, W. Va, 

along the west side of new River Gorge, north of 

Marr Branch in Fayetteville quadrangle, D6026, 

macerations 431-A-E.

Sewell coal, near New River Bridge along State Route 

82 at junction with Royal Coal Company No. 5 

mine road, Fayette County, W. Va, macerations 

543-A-D. Maceration 543-D was productive and 

assigned to D6051.

Lower Douglas (?) coal, Kanawha Formation, roof shale 

and coal along U.S. Route 19, 0.6 km northwest of 

Lansing, W. Va, D6032, macerations 432-A-C.

Gilbert(?) coal, Kanawha Formation, coal and seat 

rock along Cane Branch Road 0.3 km south of Cane 

Branch, Gauley Bridge quadrangle, Fayette County, W. Va, D6033, macerations 433-A-C.

Cedar Grove coal, Kanawha Formation, coal and seat 

rock from type locality 609.6 m northwest of 

highway on Kellys Creek, Cedar Grove, W. Va, 

D6034, macerations 122-A-C.

Winifrede coal, Kanawha Formation, coal and parting 

from type locality 3698.7 m north of south line and 

4541.5 m from east line, Belle quadrangle, West 

Virginia, D6035, macerations 121-A-E.

Stockton coal, Kanawha Formation, coal and parting 

from Valley Camp Coal Company about 548.6 m 

north of Mammoth, Kanawha County, W. Va This 

locality is near the 12-A mine, D6036, macerations 

566-A-G.

Stockton A coal, Kanawha Formation, coal and shale 

from about 548.6 m northwest of Mammoth, 

Kanawha County, W. Va, D6050, macerations 

571-A-C.
PALYNOLOGY OF COAL BEDS IN THE PROPOSED PENNSYLVANIAN STRATOTYPE, WEST VIRGINIA

Little No. 5 Block coal, Charleston Sandstone, 

roof shale, coal, and seat-rock samples located on 

divide between Lake Branch and Twomile Creek 

about 9 km east of Carbondale, Fayette County, 

W. Va., D6038, macerations 552-A-G.

Little No. 5 Block coal, Charleston Sandstone, coal 

and parting from 2.4 km north-northeast of 

Boomer, Fayette County, W. Va, D6037, macerations 434-A-G.

Lower No. 5 Block coal, Charleston Sandstone, roof 

shale, coal, and seat rock from 18.2 m above Little 

No. 5 Block coal in the highwall of the Harewood 

No. 5 Block strip mine, north of first hollow up 

Blake Branch, 1126.5 m east of Carbondale and 

3.8 km north of Boomer, Fayette County, W. Va., 

D6110, macerations 553-A-E.

Lower No. 5 Block coal, Charleston Sandstone, coal 

and seat rock from Semet-Solvay strip mine near 

crest of mountain north of Blake Branch and south 

of Twomile Creek, 2.4 km east of Smithers, Fayette 

County, W. Va., D6111, macerations 435-A-E.

Lower(?) No. 5 Block coal, Charleston Sandstone, 

roof shale, coal, and partings from Cannelton strip 

mine, 2.4 km north of Marting, Fayette County, 

W. Va., D6039, macerations 446-A-K.

Upper(?) No. 5 Block coal, Charleston Sandstone, 

coal and parting from Union Carbide 7C mine approximately 0.9 km northeast of Sanderson, 

Kanawha County, W. Va., D6040, macerations 

447-A-E.

Upper No. 5 Block coal above Lower No. 5 Block 

coal, Charleston Sandstone, coal located on divide 

between Lake Branch and Twomile Creek about 

9 km east of Carbondale, Fayette County, W. Va., 

D6041, macerations 554-A-D.

Upper No. 5 Block coal, Charleston Sandstone, 

units 94-96, T. W. Henry's Mammoth West section 

(H-2), first hollow up west side of Left Fork of 

Kellys Creek, west and above Valley Camp Coal 

Company No. 12-A mine, 643.7 m northwest of 

Mammoth, Kanawha County, W. Va., D6112, 

macerations 572-A-F.

Upper No. 5 Block coal, Charleston Sandstone, 

roof rock, coal, and seat rock from about 0.01 km 

southwest of maceration series 435 and 20 m above 

the series 435 samples, Fayette County, W. Va, 

D6042, macerations 436-A-C.

Upper No. 5 Block coal (lower bench), coal located 

by pipeline 305.6 m northwest of head of Lynch 

Fork of Smithers Creek, 2.4 km northwest of 

Marting, and 563.2 m east of Kanawha-Fayette 

County line, Fayette County, W. Va., D6113, 

macerations 574-A-C.

Upper No. 5 Block coal (upper bench), coal from 

highwall of Cannelton Coal Company No. 5 Block 

strip mine, 482.8 m west and near the head of Jim 

Hollow, 2.7 km northwest of Marting, and 563.2 m 

east of the Kanawha-Fayette County line, Fayette 

County, W. Va., D6114, macerations 573-A-D.

No. 6 Block coal, Charleston Sandstone, one block 

of coal from highwall of Cannelton Coal Company 

strip mine, about 27.4 m above No. 5 Block coal 

(15.2 m above Cannelton No. 6 Block), 4.4 km 

northwest of Cannelton, and 482.8 m east of 

Kanawha-Fayette County line, West Virginia, 

D6115, maceration 603.

Pittsburgh No. 8 coal, Monongahela Formation, 

coal from 1.6 km south of Tupper Creek Road along 

Interstate 77, Pocatalico quadrangle, West 

Virginia, D6043, macerations 428-A-C.

The following samples from southern Ohio and 

eastern Kentucky have been examined:

Sharon No. 1 coal, Pottsville Formation, roof shale, 

coal, and seat rock from strip pit, 0.4 km northwest 

of Leo, Byer quadrangle, Jackson County, Ohio, 

D6027, macerations 469-A-F.

Sharon No. 1 coal, Pottsville Formation, coal 

sample from Cardinal Coal Company mine, west 

center sec. 23, Byer quadrangle, Jackson County, 

Ohio, D6028, maceration 542.

Anthony coal, Pottsville Formation, coal from 

Baltimore and Ohio railroad cut at Gepharts Station, NW sec. 31, Bloom Township, Minford quadrangle, Scioto County, Ohio, D6029, maceration 

540.

Quakertown No. 2 coal, Pottsville Formation, roof 

shale, coal, and seat rock from strip pit 2.4 km 

southeast of Leo, Byer quadrangle, Jackson County, Ohio, D6030, macerations 468-A-D.

Quakertown No. 2 coal, Pottsville Formation, coal 

from Stewart Coal Company mine, sec. 23, Harrison Township, Byer quadrangle, Vinton County, 

Ohio, D6031, macerations 541-A-B.

Unnamed coal, Lee Formation, weathered coal blossom 

located 6 m above Pennington Formation, 1783 m 

FWL X 4724 m FNL, Sawyer quadrangle, Kentucky, D5119, maceration 134.

Hudson coal, Lee Formation, roof shale, coal, and 

seat rock located 30.4 m above Pennington Formation, 1828.8 m FWL X 4693.9 m FNL, Sawyer 

quadrangle, Kentucky, D5120, macerations 

129-A-D.

Unnamed coal, Lee Formation, coal located 36.5 m 

above Pennington Formation, 1828.8 m FWL X 

4617 m FNL, Sawyer quadrangle, Kentucky, 

D5121, maceration 130.
PALYNOMORPH ASSEMBLAGES FROM PENNSYLVANIAN STRATOTYPE

Stearns \Vz coal, Lee Formation, roof rock and 

coal located 44.2 m above Pennington Formation, 

1859.2 m FWL X 4572 m FNL, Sawyer 

quadrangle, Kentucky, D5122, macerations

131-A-C.

Beaver Creek coal, Lee Formation, coal and seat 

rock located 60.9 m above Pennington Formation 

and below the Rockcastle Conglomerate Member of 

the Lee, 1981.2 m FWL X 4511 m FNL, Sawyer 

quadrangle, Kentucky, D5123, macerations

132-A-B.

Barren Fork coal, Lee Formation, coal and seat 

rock located 94.5 m above Pennington Formation 

and above the Rockcastle Conglomerate Member of 

the Lee, 2499.3 m FWL X 4541.5 m FNL, Sawyer 

quadrangle, Kentucky, D5124, macerations

133-A-F.

PALYNOMORPH ASSEMBLAGES FROM

THE PROPOSED PENNSYLVANIAN

STRATOTYPE SECTION OF

WEST VIRGINIA

UPPER MISSISSIPPIAN AND LOWER 

PENNSYLVANIAN SERIES

BLUESTONE AND POCAHONTAS FORMATIONS

Figure 5, modified from Englund and others (1977), illustrates a section along State Route 102 at Bluestone, 

W. Va., from which two samples were collected and 

assigned to the maceration series 517. Maceration 

517-A is from the Bramwell Member as shown on figure 5, whereas maceration 517-B is from the lower part 

of the Pocahontas Formation. Maceration 517-A did 

not yield palynomorphs, perhaps because the Bramwell 

Member is largely of marine origin. Neuropteris 

pocahontas White, however, occurs in the upper part of 

the Bramwell Member at this locality. Maceration 

517-B was productive, and although the color of the 

palynomorphs indicates considerable thermal alteration, even so, a few were identified from a single slide as 

follows:

Ahrensisporites sp.

Densosporites irregularis Hacquebard and Barss 

(five specimens)

D. sp.

Dictyotriletes (?) sp.

Granulatisporites sp.

Lycospora spp. (seven specimens)

Four additional samples of the Bluestone and

Pocahontas Formations were collected along State

Route 10 near Garwood, W. Va., as shown on figure 6.

These samples were assigned to the 518 maceration

series as 518-A-D. Samples 518-C-D from the upper 

tongue of the Bluestone Formation were barren of 

palynomorphs. Samples 518-A-B are from the 

Pocahontas Formation; 518-A was barren of palynomorphs, but 518-B contained poorly preserved specimens of Densosporites and Lycospora.

NEW RIVER FORMATION

The Sewell coal occurs approximately in the middle of 

the New River Formation (fig. 2). This coal averages 

about 0.9 m in thickness and is primarily a low-volatile 

coal; a few analyses have reported as much as 34 percent volatile matter, placing such samples in the highvolatile range and presumably making them more 

amenable to maceration. Two sets of samples of the 

Sewell coal were collected.

The first set of samples was collected from the Royal 

Coal Company No. 5 mine, 2.5 km northeast of Fayetteville, W. Va., along the west side of the New River 

gorge, north of Marr Branch, Fayette County, Fayetteville quadrangle. These samples (macerations 431-A-E) 

did not respond to normal maceration procedures even 

though they were weathered. However, the use of HNO3 

(90 percent concentration) produced results, which are 

shown in table 1. Although palynomorphs were 

reasonably abundant, no statistical counts were made 

because of the uncertainty of species identification in a 

number of instances. The palynomorphs recovered from 

these samples of the Sewell coal (431-A-E) are translucent despite a brownish hue. Sixteen genera have been 

identified from these samples, and in addition, two 

specimens observed in maceration series 431-C were 

questionably assigned to Laevigatosporites. Lycospora 

appears to be dominant in all of the samples of maceration 431-A-E, followed by Densosporites.

The other set of samples of the Sewell coal (macerations 543-A-D) was collected near the New River 

Bridge along State Route 82, at the junction with the 

Royal Coal Company No. 5 mine road. The Sewell coal is 

0.9 m thick and somewhat weathered at this locality. 

Even though 90 percent HNO3 was used on these 

samples, they did not yield palynomorphs. This suggests that either the samples were not as deeply 

weathered as those of series 431 (weathering of coals 

often assists the maceration process) or they were of 

higher rank. The seat-rock sample (maceration 543-D) 

does contain abundant and reasonably well preserved 

spores and pollen grains, and despite a brownish color 

they are translucent. This assemblage is limited in 

diversity; only the following taxa were identified:

Calamospora sp. 

Cirratriradites sp.
PALYNOLOGY OF COAL BEDS IN THE PROPOSED PENNSYLVANIAN STRATOTYPE, WEST VIRGINIA

Crassispora kosankei (Potonie and Kremp)

Bharadwaj 

Granulatisporites sp. 

Lophotriletes sp. 

Lycospora granulata Kosanke 

Lycospora pellucida (Wicher) Schopf, Wilson,

and Bentall L. pseudoannulata Kosanke1 

L. spp. 

Punctatisporites sp.

Wanless (1939) correlated the Sewell coal of West 

Virginia with the Sharon No. 1 coal of Ohio. Although 

the assemblage of palynomorphs recovered from the 

Sewell coal is limited, nothing so far identified from the 

Sewell coal is in conflict with the assemblage of 

palynomorphs recovered from the Sharon No. 1 coal of

1 Lycospora pellucida (Wicher) Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall andL. pseudoannulata Kosanke, 

for purposes of this report, are regarded as a single entity. Unquestionably, the holotype 

specimens of these two species are distinct taxa It is also certain that consistency in identification is made difficult by preservational factors and by different preparation treatments 

required to free palynomorphs from high-rank coals. Because of this and the fact that separation of these two taxa does not play an important part in this investigation, the two are recorded as one entity.

Ohio. Wanless (1939) correlated the Sewell and Sharon 

No. 1 coal with the Barren Fork coal of eastern Kentucky. The Barren Fork coal, which occurs above the 

Rockcastle Conglomerate Member, is definitely 

younger than the Sewell and Sharon coals; and this will 

be discussed subsequently under palynomorph assemblages from Ohio and eastern Kentucky.

MIDDLE PENNSYLVANIAN SERIES 

KANAWHA FORMATION

A number of coals from the Kanawha Formation the 

Lower Douglas(?), the Gilbert(?), the Cedar Grove, the 

Winifrede, and the Stockton were examined. Their 

position within the Kanawha Formation is shown on 

figure 3.

The Lower Douglas(?) coal was collected near the base 

of the Kanawha Formation (macerations 432-A-C). The 

collecting site is east of the New River Bridge just 

northwest of Lansing, Fayette County, W. Va. Metamorphism has greatly altered the appearance of many

MISSISSIPPIAN

Bluestone Formation

(part) 

(type area)

PENNSYLVANIAN

Pocahontas Formation

(part) 

(type area)

Red 

member

517-A 517-B

30 METERS

EXPLANATION

SANDSTONE

SILTSTONE 

OR MUDSTONE

SHALE OR 

CLAYSTONE

SHALE, 

CARBONACEOUS

CD

CD

SHALE, SILTY

LIMESTONE

LIMESTONE CONCRETIONS 

OR NODULES

SEAT ROCK

FIGURE 5. Stratigraphic section along State Route 102 at Bluefield, W. Va (modified from Englund and others, 1977). Maceration numbers 

517-A-B mark position of samples taken. Fault shown with arrows to indicate direction of movement.
IV

V I'illh

ltl

IM

1 "i1 iHill Pi

i 11' 

Bluestone

Formation

(part)

(part) Formation Pocahontas 

Mississippian Upper 

Series

Series Pennsylvanian Lower 

HdHOHONAlVd S3OViaH3SSV WOHd NVINVAlASNNSd 3dAimVHJS 
10 PALYNOLOGY OF COAL BEDS IN THE PROPOSED PENNSYLVANIAN STRATOTYPE, WEST VIRGINIA

palynomorphs resulting in the color intensification of 

individual ornamentation elements. The dark-brown 

color of the elements is especially well shown, for example, in the muri of Dictyotriletes or the grana of 

Crassispora, Two-thirds of the assemblage of macerations 432-B-C is assignable to Lycospora, as shown in 

table 2. Densosporites annulatus (Loose) Schopf, 

Wilson, and Bentall is abundant and restricted to the 

top of the coal. The dominant genera of the Lower 

Douglas(?) coal (macerations 432-B-C) are as follows:

Densosporites 

Granulatisporites 

Laevigatosporites 

Lycospora

15.5 percent

3.9

6.3 

66.6 

90.3 percent

Accessory taxa include Dictyotriletes castaneaeformis 

(Horst) Sullivan and Stenozonotriletes bracteolus 

(Butterworth and Williams) Smith and Butterworth.

The Gilbert(?) coal, macerations 433-A-C, was collected 49 m above the base of the Kanawha Formation 

along Cane Branch road south of Cane Branch, Fayette

County, W. Va. The coal is 44.4 cm thick (see table 3). 

The color of the palynomorphs in the Gilbert coal is 

much more normal than in the Lower Douglas(?) coal, 

but the assemblage is small and fewer specimens were 

recovered from the coal samples. The seat-rock sample 

(433-C) is almost barren. The following genera are most 

abundant in the Gilbert(?) coal (433-A-B):

Densosporites

Laevigatosporites

Lycospora

10.0 percent

4.8 

65.6 

86.4 percent

Accessory taxa include Procoronaspora sp., Stenozonotriletes bracteolus (Butterworth and Williams) Smith 

and Butterworth, and Schulzospora rara Kosanke. The 

presence of Schulzospora rara is considered significant 

because this taxon is consistently present in Upper 

Mississippian and Lower Permsylvanian coals although 

not abundant in the upper part of its range zone. In 

eastern Kentucky this taxon is present to near the Corbin Sandstone Member of the Lee Formation; in Europe 

it is reported present to the Westphalian A-B boundary

TABLE 1. Palynomorphs from the Sewell coal bed in West Virginia

[Maceration series 431; USGS Paleobotanical loc. No. D6026: X indicates presence of taxon]

Taxon 431-A 431-B 431-C 431-D 431-E

Calamospora sp XX X

Cirratriradites sp X

Crassispora kosankei (Potonie and Kremp) Bharadwaj X X

Cristatisporites sp X

Densosporites annulatus (Loose) Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall X

D. sinuosus Kosanke X X X X X

D. spp XX 

Granulatisporites pallidus Kosanke XX

G. tuberculatus Hoffmeister, Staplin, and Malloy X

G. cf. G. verrucosus (Wilson and Coe) Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall X X

? Laevigatosporites sp X

Leiotriletes sp X

Lophotriletes sp X

Lycospora granulata Kosanke sp X XX

L. pellucida (Wicher) Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall L. pseudoannulata Kosanke X X 

L. spp X X X X X

Punctatisporites sp X

Raistrickia sp X

Reinschospora speciosa (Loose) Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall XXX

Reticulatisporites sp X

Savitrisporites nux (Butterworth and Williams) Smith and Butterworth X X

Schulzospora rara Kosanke X ?

Spencerisporites sp X

Monosaccate X____X____ _____--____ 

DESCRIPTION OF MATERIAL IN MACERATIONS

431-A, 8.9 cm roof shale. 431-D, 35.5 cm coal (weathered). 

431-B, 35.5 cm coal (weathered). 431-E, 8.9 cm seat rock. 

431-C, 35.5 cm coal (weathered).
PALYNOMORPH ASSEMBLAGES FROM PENNSYLVANIAN STRATOTYPE 11

by Smith and Butterworth (1967), and by Clay ton and 

others (1977). Gillespie and Pfefferkorn (1979), based on 

their studies of plant megafossils, placed the 

Westphalian A-B boundary just above the Sewell coal 

bed in the New River Formation, somewhat below the 

Gilbert coal. Procoronaspora sp. and Stenozonotriletes 

bracteolus are not abundant, and only a few specimens 

have been identified. The top of their stratigraphic 

range in Europe is reported by Smith and Butterworth 

(1967) to be in the upper half of the Namurian; definite 

information about its range in the United States is lacking. Additional samples from this part of the proposed 

Pennsylvanian System stratotype should be investigated in order to provide a better understanding of 

these taxa.

The Cedar Grove coal from the type locality in the 

Cedar Grove quadrangle is not a part of the proposed 

Pennsylvanian System stratotype. The Cedar Grove 

coal occurs about in the middle of the Kanawha Formation (fig. 3, samples of macerations 122-A-D). Three 

coal samples were collected (table 4). Densosporites is 

the dominant taxon in the coal samples (122-A-C) as

TABLE 2. Palynomorphs from the Lower Douglas(?) coal bed in West Virginia

[Maceration series 432; USGS Paleobotanical loc. No. D6032; 750 specimens counted; X, present but not observed in count]

Taxon 432-A 432-B 

(percent)

432-C

Ahrensisporites guerickei (Horst) Potonie and Kremp 0.8 X

Calamospora hartungiana Schopf in Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall 0.8

C. parva Guennel 1.2 1.6

C. sp 2.4 1.6

Convolutispora florida Hoffmeister, Staplin, and Malloy .8

Crassispora kosankei (Potonie and Kremp) Bharadwaj 1.2 2.4

Cristatisporites sp .4

Densosporites annulatus (Loose) Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall 9.2 37.6

D. spp 2.0

Dictyotriletes castaneaeformis (Horst) Sullivan 1.2

D. bireticulatus (Ibrahim) Potonie and Kremp .4

Endosporites sp .8

Florinites sp X

Granulatisporites pallidus Kosanke 4.4 .8 1.6

G. verrucosus (Wilson and Coe) Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall 5.6 .8 1.6

G. spp 8.4 .8 2.4

Knoxisporites triradiatus Hoffmeister, Staplin, and Malloy 1.6

Laevigatosporites desmoinensis (Wilson and Coe) Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall .8

L. latus Kosanke X .8

L. ovalis Kosanke 4.0 4.0 6.4

L. sp .4

Lophotriletes cf. L. gibbosus (Ibrahim) Potonie and Kremp 1.2

Lycospora granulata Kosanke .4 .8

Lycospora micropapillata (Wilson and Coe) Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall .4 1.6 8.8

L. pellucida (Wicher) Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall-L. pseudoannulata Kosanke 22.4 12.8 25.6

L. spp 27.2 34.4 38.4

Raistrickiaprisca Kosanke X

R. spp .4 1.6 .8

Savitrisporites nux (Butterworth and Williams) Smith and Butterworth X

Stenozonotriletes bracteolus (Butterworth and Williams) Smith and Butterworth .4

Triquitrites sp .4

Wilsonites sp .8

Monosaccate 3.2 1.6 5.6

Unassigned 1.6 ___ ___

Total 100.0 100.0 100.0

DESCRIPTION OF MATERIAL IN MACERATIONS

432-A, 7.6 cm roof rock. '

432-B, 7.6 cm coal.

432-C, 10.8 cm coal-bone.
12 PALYNOLOGY OF COAL BEDS IN THE PROPOSED PENNSYLVANIAN STRATOTYPE, WEST VIRGINIA

shown in the summary of most abundant taxa:

Densosporites 

Granulatisporites 

Laevigatosporites 

Lycospora

40.5 percent

6.0 

25.3 

20.2

92.0 percent

Laevigatosporites is second in abundance to Densosporites with 25.3 percent of the assemblage. This is 

significantly higher than the 5 percent recorded for 

Laevigatosporites in the Gilbert(?) coal below. The 

presence of L. ovalis accounts for much of the increase 

in abundance of the genus. Although Densosporites is 

the dominant taxon, especially in 122-B, many of the 

specimens are poorly preserved and identification to the 

species level is impossible. Poor preservation is also 

noted for Lycospora, which accounts for 20.2 percent of 

the assemblage. Accessory taxa of the Gilbert(?) coal, 

Procoronaspora, Stenozonotriletes, and Schulzospora 

are not present in these samples of the Cedar Grove coal 

from the type locality. Acanthotriletes cf. A. echinatus 

(Knox) Potonie and Kremp, Punctatisporites obesus 

(Loose) Potonie and Kremp, and P. sinuatus (Artiiz) 

Neves are present in limited numbers.

The Winifrede coal, in the upper half of the Kanawha 

Formation (fig. 3), was collected from the type locality 

in the Belle quadrangle and assigned to maceration 121 

(table 5). This locality is considered to be outside the 

geographic area of the stratotype. Laevigatosporites is 

clearly the dominant taxon for the first time stratigraphically, with one-half the assemblage assigned to 

this genus in coal samples 121-A-B and D-E as 

follows:

Densosporites 

Granulatisporites 

Laevigatosporites 

Lycospora

9.0 percent 

12.3 

51.6 

11.7

84.6 percent

Laevigatosporites globosus Schemel is an important 

member of the assemblage inasmuch as it represents 

24.2 percent of the population of the coal samples. In 

the clay parting (No. 121-C), L. globosus Schemel 

represents 65.6 percent of the assemblage. This taxon is 

an important member of many younger Pennsylvanian 

coal assemblages in the United States. Seven species of 

Laevigatosporites are present in this set of samples of

TABLE 3. Palynomorphs from the Gilbert^?) coal bed in West Virginia 

[Maceration series 433; USGS Paleobotanical loc. No. D6033; 500 specimens counted; X, present but not observed in count]

Taxon 433-A 433-B 

(percent)

433-C

Calamospora cf. C. liquida Kosanke X 2.4

C. parva Guennel X 1.6 

C. sp 

Densosporites annulatus (Loose) Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall 28.8 .8

D. triangularis Kosanke X

D. sp 2.4

Granulatisporites pallidus Kosanke X 1.6

G. sp .8 2.4

Laevigatosporites desmoinensis (Wilson and Coe) Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall 1.6

L. latus Kosanke 1.6

L. ovalis Kosanke 5.6 .8

Lophotriletes sp 3.2

Lycospora granulata Kosanke .8 2.4

L. pellucida (Wicher) Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall-L. pseudoannulata Kosanke 23.2 19.2 X

L. spp 30.4 53.6 X

Procoronaspora sp .8 2.4

Punctatisporites spp 3.2 4.0 X

Raistrickia sp X

Schulzospora rara Kosanke 2.4 1.6

Stenozonotriletes bracteolus (Butterworth and Williams) Smith and Butterworth X

Monosaccate .8 1.6 

Total 100.0 100.0 100.0

DESCRIPTION OF MATERIAL IN MACERATIONS

433-A, 22,2 cm coal.

433-B, 22.2 cm coal.

433-C, 7.6 cm seat rock.
PALYNOMORPH ASSEMBLAGES FROM PENNSYLVANIAN STRATOTYPE 13

the Winifrede coal (table 5). The primary differences between the Winifrede and Cedar Grove coals, from their 

respective type localities, are the presence of L. 

globosus Schemel and the dominance of Laevigatosporites in the Winifrede coal (see tables 4 and 5). 

The Stockton coal, in the upper part of the Kanawha

Formation (fig. 3), contains a parting similar to the 

Winifrede coal; this is shown in tables 5 and 6. Samples 

of the Stockton coal were collected from the Valley 

Camp Coal Company mine located north of Mammoth, 

W. Va., and assigned to macerations 566-A-G. Two important genera, Radiizonates and Torispora, are present

TABLE 4. Palynomorphs from the type locality of the Cedar Grove coal bed in West Virginia

[Maceration series 122; USGS Paleobotanical loc. No. D6035; 1,000 specimens counted; X, present but not observed in count]

Taxon

C or\

F. Sp _____ __________________________ 

P <?n

Total 

122-A

1

C

ft 4

.4

9 ft

 .4

q o

I

/?

.4

 2.0

Q a

o c

2

0

one

_________ 2.0

O Q

1 Q Q

 8.4

9 8

1 9

 .4

 100.0

122-B 122-C 

(percent!

1.2 

0.4

.4

2.4

1.6 

1.6

76.8 

.4

.4

.8 

3.6

.8 

3.2 

X 

.4 

.4 

2.0

2.4 

X

.4 

.8

100.0

1.2

X

.4

X 

.4 

1.2 

4.4 

.4 

3.2

29.2 

1.6

.8 

2.0 

4.8

1.2 

X

2.4 

18.0 

6.4 

9.6 

10.4 

.4

.8 

X 

.8 

X

X 

X

.4

100.0

122-D

0.4 

.4

.8

.8 

.4

4.4 

.4 

X 

.8 

.8

1.6 

.4 

9.2

.8 

9.6

6.0 

12.0 

44.0

.4 

2.0

.8 

X

.4 

3.6

100.0

DESCRIPTION OF MATERIAL IN MACERATIONS

122-A, 26.7 cm coal. 122-C, 32.8 cm coal. 

122-B, 27.8 cm coal. 122-D, 12.7 cm seat rock.
14 PALYNOLOGY OF COAL BEDS IN THE PROPOSED PENNSYLVANIAN STRATOTYPE, WEST VIRGINIA

TABLE b. Palynomorphs from the type locality of the Winifrede coal bed in West Virginia

[Maceration series 121; USGS Paleobotanical loc. No. D6035; 1,250 specimens counted; X, present but not observed in count]

Taxon

C. sp 

P orv

L. minutus (Wilson and Coe) Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall 

L. pellucida (Wicher) Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall-L. pseudoannulata Kosanke 

P. spp 

T «n

W sp

Tnffll

121-A

9 0

Q 9

 .4

i 9

3 6

V

V

i 9

I

s*

n 9

I

s*

10.4

94. 8

 4.8

c 9

 .4

 .4

 10.0

9 0

.4

 100.0

121-B 121-C 

(percent)

0.4 0.4

1 9

9 0

.4 

.4

v

.4

6

j

X 

1.2 7.2

.8

V

.4

.4

q 9

15.2 1.2 

.4

27.2 65.6

2.0 .8 

4.4 11.2 

10.4 8.4 

2.8 .8

1 9

2.4 .4 

3/>

3.2 2.8

X 

.4

.8 .4 

.4

9 4

100.0 100.0

121-D

0.4

1.6 

.4

.4

.4

5.6 

27.6

3.6 

.4 

36.0

.4 

3.6 

6.4 

3.2 

.8 

1.6

.8 

2.4 

.4

2.0

.4

.4 

X

X 

1.2

100.0

121-E

0.4 

.8 

X 

.4

.8

X 

X

.4 

3.2

.8 

X 

1.2

.4

X 

4.0 

14.0 

.4 

18.0

1.6 

6.4 

13.2 

1.6 

3.6

8.0 

6.8 

X

6.8 

1.6

.8 

2.0

X 

.8

X

X 

2.0

100.0

DESCRIPTION OF MATERIAL IN MACERATIONS

121-A, 40.6 cm coal. 121-D, 24.1 cm coal.

121-B, 40.6 cm coal. 121-E, 22.9 cm coal.

121-C, 10.2 cm parting (clay).
PALYNOMORPH ASSEMBLAGES FROM PENNSYLVANIAN STRATOTYPE 15

in this coal that help differentiate the Stockton from the 

Winifrede coal below. Laevigatosporites and Lycospora 

are the most abundant taxa in the coal samples 

(566-A-C and E-F):

Densosporites 

Laevigatosporites 

Lycospora 

Radiizonates

11.4 percent 

30.2 

30.7 

12.5

84.8 percent

The presence of Radiizonates in the coal samples at the 

rate of 12.5 percent is of interest because it was not 

observed in the Winifrede coal below. Radiizonates 

tenuis (Loose) Butterworth and Smith in Butterworth 

and others (1964) and R. cf. R. faunus (Ibrahim) Smith 

and Butterworth contribute significantly to this percentage as well as specimens assigned to R. sp. 

Radiizonates is also present in many of the block coals 

of the Charleston Sandstone as shown in tables 7-18. 

Kosanke (1973) reported Radiizonates present in the 

Richardson-Skyline coals from their respective type 

localities in eastern Kentucky. Torispora is present only 

in the top coal sample (566-A), but not in sufficient 

abundance to occur in the abundance counts.

Trihyphaecites triangularis Peppers was originally 

described from the Carbondale Formation of Illinois and 

has been identified from the Stockton coal (566-C). This 

is an unusual taxon because it is considered to be of 

fungal origin and produces septate hyphae at each of its 

three corners. I have also identified this taxon from 

several coals in eastern Kentucky including the 

Whitesburg, Fire clay rider, and Francis, all from the 

Breathitt Formation.

CHARLESTON SANDSTONE

The terminology employed by Englund and others 

(1979) for stratigraphic units previously included in the 

Allegheny Formation is used in this report. Additional 

modifications suggested by T. W. Henry (written 

commun., 1980) and by H. H. Arndt (oral commun., 

1981) have helped to interpret the palynomorph data 

and to better utilize the stratigraphic and palynomorph 

data in an effort to understand the geologic history of 

the Charleston Sandstone.

The samples from the Charleston Sandstone are from 

exposures, mines, and diamond drill holes in the vicinity 

of Charleston, Kanawha County, W. Va. The coals examined are the Stockton A, Little No. 5 Block, Lower 

No. 5 Block, Upper No. 5 Block, and the No. 6 Block 

coal.

Arndt (1979) summarized the geology of the Charleston Sandstone. From this summary and from field work 

it is clear that the coals of the Charleston Sandstone 

were deposited without marine deposition having occurred between the coals; terrestrial deposition followed 

by marine deposition did not occur in the area of the 

stratotype. The possible influence of this type of deposition on the palynomorph assemblages is potentially 

great. >

The Stockton A coal (maceration series 571) occurs a 

short distance above the Kanawha black flint. Palynomorphs are abundant and well preserved in the 

Stockton A coal, especially in sample 571-A. In this 

sample Lycospora is most abundant, and Laevigatosporites and Endosporites are well represented. Also, 

Florinites, Raistrickia, Verrucosisporites, Cyclogranisporites, Crassispora, Densosporites, Cirratriradites, 

Acanthotriletes, Wilsonites, and Spackmanites have 

been identified in this sample. Spackmanites has not 

been identified from older coals in this study. Torispora 

securis Balme, which is present in one sample of the 

Stockton coal (566-A) of the Kanawha Formation, has 

not been identified in the samples of the Stockton A 

coal.

The Little No. 5 Block coal (macerations 552-A-G 

and 434-A-H) was examined for palynomorphs. Samples for macerations 552-A-G were collected from a 

highwall of the Harewood strip mine located east of Carbondale, Fayette County, W. Va. The taxa identified 

and their abundance are shown in table 7. The dominant 

and accessory genera are shown on figure 4. The coal 

samples yielded abundant and well-preserved palynomorphs, but neither the roof nor seat samples yielded 

sufficient palynomorphs to make abundance counts 

worthwhile. The most abundant genera in the Little 

No. 5 Block coal (552-B-F) are as follows:

Densosporites 

Lae v igatosporites 

Lycospora 

Torispora 

Radiizonates

10.5 percent 

35.5 

7.1 

14.1

76.7 percent

Laevigatosporites is the most abundant genus, and 

eight species have been identified (table 7). Laevigatosporites is, in a large measure, uniformly abundant 

in all the coal samples. Densosporites, especially D. 

triangularis Kosanke, is numerically important in two 

coal samples (552-C-D). Torispora securis Balme is the 

most abundant in the three coal samples (552-B-D), 

whereas Radiizonates tenuis (Loose) Butterworth and 

Smith in Butterworth and others is abundant only in
16 PALYNOLOGY OF COAL BEDS IN THE PROPOSED PENNSYLVANIAN STRATOTYPE, WEST VIRGINIA

one coal sample (552-E). Lycospora is numerically important only in the bottom coal sample (552-F). Preservation of specimens assignable to Lycospora is poor and 

a number of these specimens could not be identified to 

the species level, especially in the bottom coal sample 

(552-F). What I have classified as L. pellucida-L. 

pseudonnulata in table 7 is most abundant.

The second set of samples taken from the Little No. 5 

Block coal (maceration 434-A-H) were collected from 

the Semet-Solvay mine at Harewood northeast of 

Boomer, Montgomery quadrangle, Fayette County, 

W. Va. Analyses of these samples are shown in table 8 

and on figure 4, and they are very similar to the other set 

of Little No. 5 Block coal samples (552-A-G) except for 

the leader coal sample (434-H). The same species of 

Laevigatosporites are present in the leader coal in 

approximately the same abundance, but Lycospora 

represents nearly 50 percent of the assemblage. 

Lycospora is present at the rate of only 11.5 percent in

the main part of the coal (434-A-E) as shown:

Densosporites

Laevigatosporites

Lycospora

Radiizonates

Torispora

3.9 percent 

36.1 

11.5 

15.3 

21.0

87.8 percent

Radiizonates and Torispora are greatly reduced in the 

leader coal (434-H), as shown in table 8. Stratigraphic 

and palynological evidence suggests an equivalence between these two samples of the Little No. 5 Block coal 

(maceration series 552 and 434).

Spencerisporites gracilis (Zerndt) Winslow has not 

been found below the Little No. 5 coal (434-B). This is of 

interest because Winslow (1959) reported that the oldest occurrence of this taxon in Illinois was the upper 

part of the Tradewater Group, a term no longer used in

TABLE 6. Palynomorphs from the Stockton coal bed in West Virginia

[Maceration series 566; USGS Paleobotanical loc. No. D6036; 1,750 specimens counted; X, present but not observed in count]

Taxon

C. sn -

566-A 566-B 566-C

1C V

ns

566-D 

(percent)

X 

X

1.6

n«

566-E

X 

X

566-F

0.8 

.8

.8 

2.4 

.8

566-G

X 

2.4

Cirratriradites maculatus Wilson and Coe 

C. sp 

Convolutispora sp 

Crassispora kosankei (Potonie and Kremp) Bharadwaj 

Densosporites annulatus (Loose) Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall 

D. sphaerotriangularis Kosanke 

0.8

D. triangularis Kosanke 

D. spp 

Dictyotriletes bireticulatus (Ibrahim) Potonie and Kremp - 

Endosporites ornatus Wilson and Coe 

E. sp 

Florinites antiquus Schopf in Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall

X

4.0

7.2 

.8 

X 

X

0.8 

1.6

20.8 

17.6 

X 

X

1.6

X 

2.4

3.2 

.8 

1.6 

4.0 

1.6

X 

0.8

Granulatisporites verrucosus (Wilson and Coe) Schopf. Wilson, and 

Bentall 

G. spp X

Laevigatosporites desmoinensis (Wilson and Coe) Schopf, Wilson, and 

Bentall 5.6

L. globosus Schemel 5.6 

L. latus Kosanke 

L. medius Kosanke 2.4

4.0 

12.8 

4.8

L. minutus (Ibrahim) Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall 

L. ovalis Kosanke 

L. punctatus Kosanke 

L. vulgaris (Ibrahim) Alpern and Doubinger 

Leiotriletes sp 

Lophotriletes spp 1.6

1.6

11.2 

X

13.6

4.8

13.6

X

1.6

1.6

.8

4.0 

4.0

X 

2.4

4.0

1.6

3.2

1.6

4.0

7.2

1.6

.8

1.6

1.6 

3.2

1.6

3.2

3.2 

1.6

3.2

1.6

1.6 

3.2 

X 

4.0

3.2 

10.4

X

3.2

1.6 

4.0

1.6 

15.2

1.6
PALYNOMORPH ASSEMBLAGES FROM PENNSYLVANIAN STRATOTYPE 17

Illinois. Its rocks are now called the Spoon Formation. 

The presence of £ gracilis in the Little No. 5 coal may 

indicate approximate equivalence with the Illinois 

occurrence.

Torispora securis Balme is a prominent taxon of the 

assemblages of the Little No. 5 Block and the Lower 

No. 5 Block coals of West Virginia. Torispora was proposed by Balme (1952) for spores that were basically 

elliptical in proximo-distal orientation, and distinctly 

monolete, with a pronounced thickening at one extremity of the spore that may be expanded into a crescentic 

or rectangular projection. The outer layer of some 

sporangia contains specimens of Torispora securis 

Balme, which Horst (1957) considered were sporangial 

cells. For these Horst proposed the binomial Bicoloria 

gothanii Horst. Because Horst considered these to be 

sporangial in origin he did not recognize the presence of 

any proximal apertures. Subsequently, Doubinger and 

Horst (1941) emended the genus Torispora and

recognized the presence of various types of proximal 

apertures. Guennel and Neavel (1961) summarized the 

development of Torispora and recognized Bicoloria for 

intact sporangia and Torispora for isolated dispersed 

spores. I have observed these peculiar thickenings on 

specimens I would identify with a number of monolete 

taxa, and in one instance on a trilete palynomorph. It is 

not relevant to this paper to be concerned with the 

proper classification of Torispora securis except to 

recognize that the range zone does not necessarily represent the range zone of an individual taxon, but rather a 

collection of taxa that possess thickenings. I prefer to 

regard Torispora as representing a monolete taxon with 

a thickened condition that occurred on certain palynomorphs for a period of geologic time. Torispora is 

present in coals of the proposed Pennsylvanian System 

stratotype from near the top of the Kanawha Formation 

through the Charleston Sandstone. It should be noted 

that the abundance of Torispora varies greatly, ranging

TABLE 6. Palynomorphs from the Stockton coal bed in West Virginia Continued

[Maceration series 566; USGS Paleobotanical loc. No. D6036; 1,750 specimens counted; X, present but not observed in count]

Taxon 566-A 566-B 566-C 566-D 

(percent)

566-E 566-F 566-G

Lycospora granulata Kosanke 1.6 

L. micropapillata (Wilson and Coe) Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall 

L. pellucida (Wicher) Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall-L. pseudoannulata 

Kosanke 

L. punctata Kosanke 

L. spp .8 

Microreticulatisporites cf. M. concavus Butterworth and Williams X

2.4

M. sulcatus (Wilson and Kosanke) Smith and Butterworth 

Punctatisporites spp 

Raistrickia sp ________ __ _____________

Radiizonates tennis (Loose) Butterworth and Smith in Butterworth 

and others 1964 ____ ___________________

R. cf. R. faunus (Ibrahim) Smith and Butterworth 

R. sp 

Torispora securis Balme 

Trihyphaecites triangularis Peppers 

Triquitrites crassus Kosanke - 

T. sculptilis Balme 

T. sp 

Verrucosisporites sifati (Ibrahim) Smith and Butterworth 

V. sp 

Vestispora costata (Balme) Spode in Smith and Butterworth 

V. fenestrata (Kosanke and Brokaw) Spode in Smith and Butterworth 

V. cf. V. magna (Butterworth and Williams) Smith and Butterworth 

V. sp 

Monosaccate 

Unassigned 

8.8

7.2

29.6

X

4.8

2.4

Total 100.0

22.4 

4.0

2.4

.8

26.4

X 

3.2

1.6

7.2

1.6

8.0 

5.6

16.0 

2.4

28.8

1.6 

1.6

2.4 

X 

X

1.6

10.4

4.8

36.0

1.6

X

2.4

8.0

8.0

2.4

23.2

14.4 

4.0

10.4

3.2

28.0

3.2 1.6

1.6 

3.2

2.4

100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

DESCRIPTION OF MATERIAL IN MACERATIONS

566-A, 30.5 cm coal. 566-E, 26.7 cm coal.

566-B, 30.5 cm coal. 566-F, 26.7 cm coal

566-C, 30.5 cm coal. 566-G, 15.2 cm seat rock.

566-D, 38.1 cm parting.
18 PALYNOLOGY OF COAL BEDS IN THE PROPOSED PENNSYLVANIAN STRATOTYPE, WEST VIRGINIA

from zero to 31 percent in adjacent levels of the same 

coal (434-D-E).

The Lower No. 5 Block coal (macerations 553-A-E) 

occurs approximately 18 m above the Little No. 5 Block 

coal (macerations 552-A-G) in the highwall of the 

Harewood strip mine, east of Carbondale, Fayette 

County, W. Va. The coal at this locality is 91.2 cm thick. 

Three equal coal samples were taken in addition to the 

roof and seat rock samples (table 9). Laevigatosporites 

is codominant with Torispora; both occur at the rate of 

32 percent in the coal samples (553-B-D) as shown:

Densosporites

Laevigatosporites

Lycospora

Radiizonates

Torispora

9.6 percent 

32.2

3.8

9.2 

32.7 

87.5 percent

Densosporites and Radiizonates occur at about the 

same rate as they occur in the Little No. 5 Block 

maceration series (552). Lycospora decreased in abundance to less than 4 percent, largely because it was 

almost absent from the upper part of these samples of 

the Lower No. 5 Block coal. Crassispora kosankei 

(Potonie and Kremp) Bharadwaj reached 7.6 percent 

abundance in the bottom coal sample (553-D). Zosterosporites triangularis Kosanke is present in very 

limited quantities in part of the Lower No. 5 Block coal 

(macerations 553-A-B).

A second set of the Lower No. 5 Block coal (maceration series 435) was collected from the Semet-Solvay 

strip mine located east of Smithers, Fayette County, 

W. Va. The coal at this locality is somewhat thicker 

than that sampled for the previous set of Lower No. 5 

Block coal samples (553-A-E); the palynological 

analyses are given in table 10. The dominant and acTABLE 7. Palynomorphs from the Little No. 5 Block coal bed in West Virginia, series 552

[Maceration series 552; USGS Paleobotanical loc. No. D6038; 1,250 specimens counted; X, present but not observed in count]

Taxon 552-A 552-B 552-C 552-D 

(percentl

552-E 552-F 552-G

Alatisporites hexalatus Kosanke 

A. trialatus Kosanke 

Apiculatisporites sp 

Calamospora breviradiata Kosanke 

C. hartungiana Schopf in Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall

C. parva Guennel 

C. sp 

Cirratriradites annulatus Kosanke 

Crassispora kosankei (Potonie and Kremp) Bharadwaj 

Cristatisporites indignabundus (Loose) Potonie and Kremp

Densosporites annulatus (Loose) Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall 

D. sphaerotriangularis Kosanke 

D. triangularis Kosanke 

D. spp 

Dictyotriletes bireticulatus (Ibrahim) Potonie and Kremp 

Endosporites ornatus Wilson and Coe - X

Florinites antiquus Schopf in Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall 

Granulatisporites pallidus Kosanke 

Granulatisporites verrucosus (Wilson and Coe) Schopf, Wilson, and 

Bentall 

G. sp 

Laevigatosporites desmoinensis (Wilson and Coe) Schopf, Wilson, and 

Bentall 

L. globosus Schemel 

L. latus Kosanke 

L. medius Kosanke X 

L. minutus (Ibrahim) Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall X

L. oualis Kosanke 

L. punctatus Kosanke 

L. vulgaris (Ibrahim) Alpern and Doubinger 

Lycospora granulata Kosanke 

1.6

1.2

0.4

.4

.4

2.0

1.2

1.2

2.0 

5.6 

.4 

4.0 

9.2

15.6 

.4

1 .6

0.8

10.4

16.8

1.6

2.4

6.4

4.0

8.0

13.6

0.4

2.4 

9.2 

9.2 

X

8.0

2.8 

9.2

8.4 

3.2

X 

0.4

X

X

2.4 

.8 

.4

2.4 

.4

.4 

1.2

2.8 

2.8 

.4 

1.6 

6.8

9.6 

9.6 

1.6

0.8

.4

.4

1.6

.4 

1.2 

1.2

3.2 

5.6

1.6

8.0

20.4

3.2
PALYNOMORPH ASSEMBLAGES FROM PENNSYLVANIAN STRATOTYPE 19

cessory genera are given on figure 4. These analyses are 

similar to those of the Lower No. 5 Block coal already 

discussed (maceration series 553), although minor differences exist. For example, in the coal samples of 

maceration series 435, Laevigatosporites and 

Lycospora are more abundant and Torispora is 

somewhat less abundant than in the coal samples of 

maceration series 553. Once again, Zosterosporites 

triangularis Kosanke and Crassispora kosankei (Potonie 

and Kremp) Bharadwaj are present, the latter species 

constituting 8 percent (435-B).

Another set of Lower No. 5 Block coal samples 

(maceration series 446), identified on the basis of 

stratigraphic position, were collected from the Cannelton Coal Company strip mine near the head of 

Bullpush Fork, Fayette County, W. Va. The coal is very 

thick at this locality (238 cm) and contains two partings 

(table 11). The identified palynomorphs of maceration

series 446 are shown in table 11, and the abundant and 

accessory genera are shown:

Densosporites 

Laevigatosporites 

Lycospora 

Torispora

6.8 percent 

41.7 

11.4 

26.5 

86.4 percent

The preservation of palynomorphs is poor in Lower 

No. 5 Block coal (maceration series 446) compared to 

other block coals studied in this report. This is shown by 

the fact that many specimens of Densosporites could 

not be identified to the species level and are classified 

either as Densosporites sp. or as D. "rings." The 

designation "rings" means that only the thickened 

equatorial structure remains. The number of specimens 

of Lycospora and Torispora not identified to the species

TABLE 1 . Palynomorphs from the Little No. 5 Block coal bed in West Virginia, series 552 Continued

[Maceration series 552; USGS Paleobotanical loc. No. D6038; 1,250 specimens counted; X, present but not observed in count]

Taxon 552-A 552-B 552-C 552-D 

(percent)

552-E 552-F 552-G

L. micropapillata (Wilson and Coe) Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall 

L. pellucida (Wicher) Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall-L. pseudoannulata

Kosanke 

L. spp 

Microreticulatisporites sulcatus (Wilson and Kosanke) Smith and

Butterworth 

X

1.6

2.0 

6.8 X

.8

1.2

.8

2.0

15.2

23.2

Punctatisporites spp 

Radiizonates tenuis (Loose) Butterworth and Smith in Butterworth 

and others, 1964 - 

R. cf. R. faunus (Ibrahim) Smith and Butterworth 

R. sp - 

Raistrickia cf. R. crocea Kosanke 

R. imbrica ta Kosanke 

R. sp - 

Torispora securis Balme - 

Triquitrites protensus Kosanke

T. sculptilis Balme

Verrucosisporites sifati (Ibrahirn) Smith and Butterworth

V. sp -

X

X

Vestispora costata (Balme) Spode in Smith and Butterworth 

V. fenestrata (Kosanke and Brokaw) Spode in Smith and 

Butterworth 

Wilsonites vesicatus (Kosanke) Kosanke 

W. sp 

Monosaccate 

Total 100.0

4.0 4.0

.4

.8 

30.0 30.4

.4 

.8 

10.4

32.4

2.0 

.4

1.2 

2.4 

.8

 X 

2.0 __ .8_ __ .4_ __ .8_ __ .8_ 

100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

32.8 

3.2

.4 

9.2

2.0

 

1.2 

.4

1.6 

.4

.4 

.4

2.0

.4 

.4

.8 

1.6

DESCRIPTION OF MATERIAL IN MACERATIONS

552-A, 7.6 cm roof rock.

552-B, 25.4 cm coal.

552-C, 25.4 cm coal.

552-D, 25.4 cm coal.

552-E, 25.4 cm coal.

552-F, 25.4 cm coal.

552-G, 7.6 cm seat rock.
20 PALYNOLOGY OF COAL BEDS IN THE PROPOSED PENNSYLVANIAN STRATOTYPE, WEST VIRGINIA

level is further proof of poor preservation (maceration 

series 446). The preservation of palynomorphs in the 

parting sampled is also poor, preventing a worthwhile 

abundance count.

Basically the same taxa are present in maceration 

series 446 as are present in the other Lower No. 5 Block 

coal samples previously discussed. Crassispora 

kosankei (Potonie and Kremp) Bharadwaj is present at 

the rate of 8.8 percent in the bottom coal sample 

(446-K) corresponding to similar abundances in the 

other samples of the Lower No. 5 Block coal (553-D and 

435-B). The most abundant genera occurring in the coal 

samples of maceration series 446 (table 11) are:

Densosporites 

Laevigatosporites 

Lycospora 

Torispora

22.3 percent 

37.7 

12.1 

9.4 

81.3 percent

Zosterosporites triangularis Kosanke, which was present in the first two sets of Lower No. 5 Block coal 

samples, has not been identified from samples of maceration series 446. On the basis of overall abundance, it 

is questionable whether or not samples of maceration 

series 446 correlate with those of the Lower No. 5 Block 

coal (maceration series 553 and 435). A separate evaluation of the three coal benches of maceration series 446 

suggests that the lower bench (446-I-K) is more closely 

related to the Lower No. 5 Block coal samples (553 and 

435).

Thick and somewhat variable in occurrence, the coals 

of the Charleston Sandstone may represent rapid accumulation and burial as a result of the absence of 

disruptive marine incursions between coals. The 

amount of elapsed geologic time might not be as great 

as one might expect. Similarity of palynological assemblages may very well be a measure of similarity of 

paleoecologic conditions.

TABLE 8. Palynomorphs from the Little No. 5 Block coal bed in West Virginia, series 434

[Maceration series 434; USGS Paleobotanical loc. No. D6037; 1,500 specimens counted; X, present but not observed in count]

Taxon 434-A 434-B 434-C 434-D 434-E 434-F 434-G 434-H

(percent)

Calamospora hartungiana Schopf in Schopf, Wilson, and 

Bentall - 0.4

C. 1 firm - - _ _ A.

X

X

x

n o

9 n

4

0.4

1 fi

Cirratriradites annulatus Kosanke 

Convolutispora sp 

Crassispora kosankei (Potonie and Kremp) Bharadwaj 

Densosporites sphaerotriangularis Kosanke 

D. triangularis Kosanke 

1.2

D. sp 

Dictyotriletes bireticulatus (Ibrahim) Smith and Butterworth 

Endosporites globiformis (Ibrahim) Schopf, Wilson, and

Bentall 2.0 

E. ornatus Wilson and Coe 2.0 

E. sp 

Florinites antiquus Schopf in Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall 1.2 

F. triletus Kosanke 

Granulatisporites pallidus Kosanke 

G. verrucosus (Wilson and Coe) Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall 

G. spp 2.8

Knoxisporites sp 

Laevigatosporites desmoinensis (Wilson and Coe) Schopf,

Wilson, and Bentall .8 

L. globosus Schemel 5.2 

L. latus Kosanke 3.2 

L. medius Kosanke 1.6 

L. minutus (Ibrahim) Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall 14.8

L. ovalis Kosanke 14.4 

L. punctatus Kosanke 6.0 

L. vulgaris (Ibrahim) Alpern and Doubinger 

Lycospora brevijuga Kosanke 

L. granulata Kosanke 2.4

1.2 

1.6

X

0.8 

6.0

5.2 

X

1.2

0.8

2.4 

.4

X

X 

X 

1.2

1.2 

5.2 

0.8 

1.6 

12.0

2.4 

5.6 

X

.4

1.6

.4 

10.8

8.8

11.2

10.8

1.2 

8.0 

X

.4 

5.2

4.4 

6.8

.4 

.4

2.0

12.8 

.4 

.4

10.0

9.6 

1.6

4.4

3.2

1.2 

.4

1.2 

8.0 

.4 

1.6 

7.2

14.4 

1.2

.4 

7.2
PALYNOMORPH ASSEMBLAGES FROM PENNSYLVANIAN STRATOTYPE 21

Wanless (1939) correlated the No. 5 Block coal, which 

is mined extensively in the Kanawha River Valley, with 

the Lower Kittanning coal of Pennsylvania and Ohio. In 

the current nomenclature of the block coals, the No. 5 

Block coal of Wanless is probably the Lower No. 5 

Block coal. The Lower No. 5 Block coal does not correlate with the Lower Kittanning coal, but is older, and 

this will be taken up subsequently with the discussion 

of the Upper No. 6 Block coal.

The Upper No. 5 Block coal occurs in benches, coal 

separated from coal by non-coal layers, and the correlation of these separate benches may be difficult. The correlation of these coal benches is based on palynological 

evidence such as abundance, or guide fossils, or a combination of these factors. For example, the thin coal 

(maceration 554-A) does not contain Thymospora 

pseudothiessenii (Kosanke) Wilson and Venkatachala 

and as a result is not correlative with samples of maceration series 573, but is older.

Upper No. 5 Block(?) coal (maceration series 447, 

table 12) was collected from the Union Carbide 7C mine 

located near Sanderson, Kanawha County, W. Va. A 

parting 12.7 cm thick separates the bottom 40.6 cm of 

coal from the top 100.8 cm of coal. The overall abundance is similar to that of the Lower No. 5 Block(?) coal 

(maceration series 446, table 11). However, Crassispora 

kosankei (Potonie and Kremp) Bharadwaj does not exceed the 2 percent level in any of the segment samples, 

and Zosterosporites triangularis Kosanke is present in 

the parting sample (447-D).

Preservation of palynomorphs extracted from coal 

samples of maceration series 447 is better than that of 

coal samples of maceration series 446. The non-coal 

samples of maceration series 447 did not yield sufficient 

or well-preserved palynomorphs to make abundance 

counts. The majority of the specimens that were identified from this parting are thought to be herbaceous. 

The same is true of the parting samples of the 446

TABLE 8. Palynomorphs from the Little No. 5 Block coal bed in West Virginia, series 434 Continued

[Maceration series 434; USGS Paleobotanical loc. No. D6037; 1,500 specimens counted; X, present but not observed in count]

Taxon 434-A 434-B 434-C 434-D 434-E 

(percent)

434-F 434-G

Microreticulatisporites sulcatus (Wilson and Kosanke) Smith 

and Butterworth 

Murospora kosankei Somers 

Punctatisporites obesus (Loose) Potonie and Kremp 

P. quasiarcuatus Kosanke 

P. spp 1.6 2.0 2.8

X

.8 

1.2

.4

1.6

434-H

L. micropapillata (Wilson and Coe) Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall -

L. pellucida (Wicher) Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall-L. pseudoan4.8 .4

Q Q

7 9

2.0

1 9

9 n

.4

4

9.6

n

/?

4.0

is n

X

v

2

0 .0

X I O £

9 0

V 99 4

1.2

.8 

.4

Radiizonates tennis (Loose) Butterworth and Smith in Butterworth and others, 1964 

R. spp 

Raistrickia sp 

Reinschospora sp 

Reticulatisporites sp 

2.4

.4

22.8

13.2

.4

28.0

7.2 1.6

Spencerisporites gracilis (Zerndt) Winslow 

Torispora securis Balme 

Triquitrites cf. T. exiguus Wilson and Kosanke 

T. pulvinatus Kosanke 

T. sp 

Vestispora fenestrata (Kosanke and Brokaw) Spode in Smith 

and Butterworth 

V. sp 

Wilsonites sp 

Monosaccate 

Unassigned 

13.6

.4 

.4 

.4

Total 100.0

X 

28.0 31.6 

1.2

31.6

1.2 1.2

100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

DESCRIPTION OF MATERIAL IN MACERATIONS

434-A, 

434-B, 

434-C, 

434-D,

30.5 cm coal. 

30.5 cm coal. 

30.5 cm coal. 

30.5 cm coal.

434-E, 

434-F, 

434-G, 

434-H,

30.5 cm coal. 

12.7 cm seat rock 

7.6 cm seat rock. 

15.2 cm coal.
22 PALYNOLOGY OF COAL BEDS IN THE PROPOSED PENNSYLVANIAN STRATOTYPE, WEST VIRGINIA

TABLE 9. Palynomorphs from the Lower No. 5 Block coal bed in West Virginia, series 553

[Maceration series 553; USGS Paleobotanical loc. No. D6110; 750 specimens counted; X, present but not observed in count]

Taxon

C «n

I? on

/7 on

7 ' j QTl

P. Spp _____ _____________ 

Radiizonates cf.R. tenuis (Loose) Butterworth and Smith in Butterworth and others, 1964 

7? «.n

T sp

T «.n

V sp

Total

553-A 553-B

v

0.4

o

.4

2

.4

v

9 0

6

c*

12 2

2

X -' 12.2 

v

1 2

4.8

O A

Q ft

2

1 2

2 2

.4

X X 

2

X 40.2

.4

.4

v

X X 

X 1.4

.4

100.0 100.0

553-C 

(percent)

0.4

.4

X 

.4

3.2

4.8 

X 

.4

~~ _ 

.4 "

7.6

1.6 

6.4

2.4 

6.0 

1.2

.4

.4

2.4 

12.0 

12.4

34.4

.4

.4 

2.0

100.0

553-D

0.4 

X

X 

.2

1.0 

.4 

7.6

.2

1.0

-;i.o

.-" 2.4 

1.6 

.6 

9.6 

.6 

2.6 

5.4

16.0 

8.0 

.8 

.2 

2.6 

1.4

.2 

.8 

1.6 

1.2 

1.4 

1.6

.2 

21.8

.6 

.4 

1.6 

2.4 

.6

9 

2.0 

X

100.0

553-E

X

X 

X 

X

X 

X 

X 

X

X

X

X

DESCRIPTION OF MATERIAL IN MACERATIONS

553-A, 15.2 cm roof rock. 553-B, 30.4 cm coal. 553-C, 30.4 cm coal. 553-D, 30.4 cm coal. 553-E, 7.6 cm seat rock.
PALYNOMORPH ASSEMBLAGES FROM PENNSYLVANIAN STRATOTYPE 23

TABLE IQ. Palynomorphs from the Lower No. 5 Block coal bed in West Virginia, series 435

[Maceration series 435; USGS Paleobotanical loc. No. D6111; 1,000 specimens counted; X, present but not observed in count]

Taxon

C. sp

L. pellucida (Wicher) Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall-L. pseudoannulata Kosanke 

P. Spp 

Radiizonates cf. R. tenuis (Loose) Butterworth and Smith in Butterworth and others, 1964 

R sp

T «;n

-£. faJJJJ

TWal

435-A

0.8

.4

.8

4.0

8.4

.4 

1.2 

2.4

6.4 

2.0 

10.4 

6.8 

11.2

.4 

2.4

.4 

X 

3.6 

X

30.4 

3.2 

1.6

.4

1.2

1.2

100.0

435-B

1.2 

X

0.8

.4 

1.6 

X 

X

8.0 

.4

.4

.8 

.8

3.6

4.8 

2.8 

4.8 

10.0 

2.8

1.6 

3.2 

6.4 

9.2 

21.2 

1.6 

.4 

X 

1.2

X 

.4

1.6 

X

.4 

.8 

4.0 

.8 

2.4

.4

1.2

100.0

435-C 

Ipercentl

X 

0.4 

X 

X

X 

.8

X 

.8

.4

12.8 

.4 

42.8 

X 

1.6

.4

.8 

2.0 

1.6

X

6.8 

28.4

X

100.0

435-D

0.4

X 

X 

1.2

.8

5.2

1.2 

.8 

1.2 

.8 

4.0

.4 

10.8 

1.2 

30.0 

5.6 

1.2 

.4 

2.0 

7.6 

X 

1.2 

10.8 

1.2

.8 

.4 

1.2

X

X 

.4 

.8 

4.4 

.4 

X 

.8

2.4 

.4

100.0

435-E

X

X

X

X 

X

X 

X 

X

X

 

X

435-A, 30.4 cm coal.

DESCRIPTION OF MATERIAL IN MACERATIONS

435-B, 30.4 cm coal. 435-C, 30.4 cm coal. 435-D, 30.4 cm coal. 435-E, 7.6 cm seat rock.
24 PALYNOLOGY OF COAL BEDS IN THE PROPOSED PENNSYLVANIAN STRATOTYPE, WEST VIRGINIA

series. Both the 447 and 446 maceration series have a 

higher proportion of Densosporites and a lower concentration of Torispora than was found in either set of 

samples of the Lower No. 5 Block coal (maceration 

series 553 and 435). The abundant genera in 447-A-C 

and E are as follows:

Densosporites 26.6 percent 

Laevigatosporites 34.6 

Lycospora 9.9 

Torispora 7.0

78.1 percent

Upper No. 5 Block coal (maceration series 554) was 

collected starting about 12 m above the Lower No. 5

TABLE \\.-Palynomorphs from the Lower No

[Maceration series 446; USGS Paleobotanical loc. No. D6039; 1

Block coal (553 series). Samples 554-A-B and D were 

productive; the data are shown in table 13 and on figure 

4. The coal sample 554-D, occurring 12 m above the 

Lower No. 5 Block coal (553 series), has Laevigatosporites as the dominant taxon of the assemblage and 

Lycospora as the subdominant as shown:

554-A 554-B 554-D 

Densosporites 23.2 0.8 5.6 percent 

Laevigatosporites 24.0 22.4 44.8 

Lycospora 13.6 52.4 25.4 

Torispora 8.0 .8 16.0

68.8 78.8

. 5 Block coal bed in West Virginia, series 446 

750 specimens counted; X, present but not observed in count]

91.3 percent

Taxon 446-A 446-B 446-C 446-D 446-E 446-F 446-G 446-H 446-1 446-J 446-K 

(percent)

Acanthotriletes echinatus (Knox) Potonie and

Ahrensisporites cf. A. guerickei (Horst) Potonie

Anapiculatisporites spinosus (Kosanke) Potonie

C. spp .4

Crassispora kosankei (Potonie and Kremp)

D. spp 1.6

Dictyotriletes bireticulatus (Ibrahim) Potonie and

Kremp X

E. globiformis (Ibrahim) Schopf, Wilson, and

Ron fall

E. sp X

Florinites antiquus Schopf in Schopf, Wilson, and 

Bentall 

G. verrucosus (Wilson and Coe) Schopf, Wilson,

G. spp .4

Knoxisporites cf. K. rotatus Hoffmeister, Staplin,

Laevigatosporites desmoinensis (Wilson and Coe)

L. minutus (Ibrahim) Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall - 20.8

\s

0.4

4

.4

v

X 28.0 5.6 39.2 

X 5.2 0.8 4.8 X X 

X 3.2 .8 2.0

v s

X 4.4 .4 X 1 

X X X 

X 9 A 1 K V V

19 94 7 fi

.4 X

X -i o Q Q O £ G

0.4 .8

1.6 4.4 1.2

X 15.2 24.0 6.8 1

0.4

1.6 1.6 

n s

0.8 1.2

.8 8.8 

19.2 1.6 

.8 2.8 .8 

.8 28.0

Q 9

1.2 .4 2.4 

4.0 .8

1.2 3.2 

8.8 4.0 3.2

.8 1.6 X 

8.8 6.0 12.8

3.2 2.4 3.2 

1.2 11.2 2.4
PALYNOMORPH ASSEMBLAGES FROM PENNSYLVANIAN STRATOTYPE 25

Coal sample 554-B, occurring about 5 m above 554-D, 

has Lycospora as the dominant genus and Laevigatosporites as the subdominant. The bone coal sample 

554-A, occurring about 2.5 m above 554-B, has Densosporites and Laevigatosporites as codominant genera. 

The codominance of these two genera together with 

specimens assigned to Verrucosisporites differentiates 

this sample (554-A) from the other two coal samples of 

this series (554-B and 554-D).

A set of samples of the Upper No. 5 Block coal 

(maceration series 572-A-F) was collected from above 

the 12-A of the Valley Camp Coal Company northwest 

of Mammoth, Kanawha County, W. Va. The palynological data are shown in table 14, and the abundant 

genera of the coal samples (572-B-E) are:

Densosporites 

Laevigatosporites 

Lycospora 

Torispora

4.3 percent 

43.3 

16.0 

21.4 

85.0 percent

Laevigatosporites is clearly dominant; Lycospora, 

Torispora, and Densosporites are present at approximately the same rate as in another sample of the Upper 

No. 5 Block coal (554-D).

Another coal sample that is thought from palynological evidence to be related to the Upper No. 5 

Block coal (maceration series 436) was collected about 

20 m above the Lower No. 5 Block coal (maceration 

series 435). The palynomorph analyses are shown in

TABLE 11. Palynomorphs from the Lower No. 5 Block coal bed in West Virginia, series 446 Continued

[Maceration series 446; USGS Paleobotanical loc. No. D6039; 1,750 specimens counted; X, present but not observed in count]

Taxon 446-A 446-B 446-C 446-D 446-E 446-F 446-G 446-H 446-1 446-J

(percent)

446-K

Lophotriletes microsaetosus (Loose) Potonie and

L. micropapillata (Wilson and Coe) Schopf,

L. pellucida (Wicher) Schopf, Wilson, and

I , srvn 

1 O ft

3.6

1.2 

.4

3.6 

7.6

119 V

3.6 

8.0

.4

A

7.6 

4.0

1.2 

4.4

X 

5.2 

K fi

2.4

.8 

.8

1.2

Qfi V

190

X 2.4

.8 

.8 

2.4 

X 88

7.2 9.6 

3.2

7.2 

4.0

.4

2.8 12.8

Microreticulatisporites sulcatus (Wilson and

P. spp X

T cr>

Verrucosisporites sifati (Ibrahim) Smith and

Riirror-wnrrVi

8

Q C

4

0

V

3

9 1 (\ ft

1 £ ft 19

94 19

X .4 

V

.4

19 V

X

1

C V

1.6 

X

2.4 X 

.8 

6.4 2.4

9 4

1.2 

4.0

4. 

3.

6. 

3.

Vesicaspora wilsonii (Schemel) Wilson and

Venkatachala 

Vestispora fenestrata (Kosanke and Brokaw)

Spode in Smith and Butterworth 

Wilsonites sp 

Monosaccate 

Unassigned 

Total 

.4

100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

X

3.2

.8

2.4

.4 3.2

100.0 100.0 100.0

DESCRIPTION OF MATERIAL IN MACERATIONS

446-A, 

446-B, 

446-C, 

446-D, 

446-E, 

446-F,

5.1 cm roof rock. 

34.3 cm coal.

2.5 cm parting. 

34.3 cm coal. 

34.3 cm coal. 

34.3 cm coal.

446-G, 

446-H, 

446-1, 

446-J, 

446-K,

25.4 cm parting. 

25.4 cm parting. 

33.6 cm coal. 

33.6 cm coal. 

33.6 cm coal.
26 PALYNOLOGY OF COAL BEDS IN THE PROPOSED PENNSYLVANIAN STRATOTYPE, WEST VIRGINIA

TABLE 12. Palynomorphs from the Upper No. 5 Block(?) coal bed in West Virginia, series 447

[Maceration series 447; USGS Paleobotanical loc. No. D6040; 1,000 specimens counted; X, present but not observed in count]

Taxon

E. sp 

F. sp 

P. spp 

Radiizonates tennis (Loose) Butterworth and Smith in Butterworth and others, 1964 

T Qr>

Tnfal

447-A

X 

0.4

2.0

10.4 

6.8 

.8

X 

.4

.8

.4

X 

.8 

8.4 

.4 

4.0

14.8 

31.2 

2.0 

.8 

1.6

3.6 

5.2 

.4

2.0

X

2.4

.4

100.0

447-B

1.2 

0.8

34.8 

7.2 

.4

.8 

.8

3.6

.8 

11.6

.8

8.4 

2.4 

2.0 

1.2 

3.2

.8 

4.0

2.4

4.8

.8 

4.8 

1.6

.8

100.0

447-C 447-D 

(percent)

1.2 

0.4

9 4

1

C

9 ft

32.0 X 

9 4

.4

9 0

1.6 X

2.8 X

1.6 

i a

4.0 X

.4 X

2.4 X 

i n Q

2.4 X 

2.8 X

O Q

7 9

3

c

X

1

/>

4.0 X 

.4 

.4

X 

2.8

100.0

447-E

0.4 

.4

.4 

11.6 

4.8 

.4

.8

1.2 

.4

.4 

2.8 

8.4 

.4 

5.2

1.2 

9.2 

4.0 

1.6 

2.0

2.4 

3.2

.8 

1.2

4.8 

14.0 

X

15.2

2.4 

.4

100.0

DESCRIPTION OF MATERIAL IN MACERATIONS

447-A, 33.6 cm coal. 447-D, 12.7 cm parting.

447-B, 33.6 cm coal. 447-E, 40.6 cm coal.

447-C, 33.6 cm coal.
PALYNOMORPH ASSEMBLAGES FROM PENNSYLVANIAN STRATOTYPE 27

TABLE 13. Palynomorphs from the Upper No. 5 Block coal bed in West Virginia, series 554

[Maceration series 554, USGS Paleobotanical loc. No. D6041; 750 specimens counted; X, present but not observed in count]

Taxon

C <*n

D. sp -

D. sp -

17 0~

G. sp -

Laevigatosporites desmoinensis (Wilson and Coe) Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall

L. pellucida (Wicher) Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall-L. pseudoannulata Kosanke

L. spp -

Microreticulatisporites sulcatus (Wilson and Kosanke) Smith and Butterworth

Vestispora fenestrata (Kosanke and Brokaw) Spode in Smith and Butterworth

V.spp- -

Total -

554-A

n Q

1

£»

Q n

. 14.4

Q

9 4

94

14.4

94

. 4.0

1

£2

1

£2

1

£2

1

£2

K. R

Q 0

Q n

9 4

<i ft

1 ft

1

£2

- ____________________ 100.0

554-B 554-C 

(percent)

0.4

.4 

.8 

.4 

.8 

.4 

.8

X 

.8 

.8

4.4 

X 

1.6

2.4

1.6 

1.2 

6.0 

X 

2.8 

1.6

10.4 

1.2

.8 

2.8

26.4 

1.6 

21.6

.8 

X

.8 

X

2.4 

1.6

.4

.4 

.4 

1.2

100.0

X

X

X

X 

X

X

X

X

X

X

554-D

X

0.4

.8

.4 

.4 

4.4 

.4

1.2

1.6

X 

X 

2.4 

6.0 

1.2 

3.6 

5.2

16.0 

8.2 

2.0 

1.6

6.4

.8 

15.8

.4 

.8

16.0

.4

.8 

2.4

.4

100.0

DESCRIPTION OF MATERIAL IN MACERATIONS

554-A, 12.7 cm bone coal, 2.5 m above 554-B. 554-C, 7.6 cm -shale 1 m below 554-B. 

554-B, 35.5 cm coal, 5 m above 554-D. 554-D, 35.5 cm coal 12 m above 553.
28 PALYNOLOGY OF COAL BEDS IN THE PROPOSED PENNSYLVANIAN STRATOTYPE, WEST VIRGINIA

table 15, and the bottom two samples (436-B-C) were 

productive. Analyses of these samples suggest a similarity to other samples of the Upper No. 5 Block coal 

(554-D and maceration series 572). Radiizonates is present although not abundant in all sets of the Upper No. 

5 Block coal (maceration series 436, 554, and 572). 

Zosterosporites triangularis is present in the seat-rock 

sample of the 436 maceration series. The numerically 

important genera of coal sample 436-B are:

Laevigatosporites

Lycospora

Torispora

53.2 percent

15.2

13.2

81.6 percent

Another set of samples of the Upper No. 5 Block coal 

(574-A-C) were collected adjacent to a pipeline northwest of Marting, east of the Kanawha-Fayette County 

line, in Fayette County, W. Va. The sample breakdown 

and palynomorph analyses are given in table 16. These

samples appear to be related to those of maceration 

554-B because each coal sample has Lycospora as the 

dominant taxon. However, Triquitrites and 

Granulatisporites are notably more abundant in coal 

sample 574-A.

Zosterosporites triangularis Kosanke has been identified from both the Lower and Upper No. 5 Block coals, 

but it is not abundant and does not occur consistently. 

This type of range zone was observed in some coals of 

the Princess Reserve District of eastern Kentucky by 

Kosanke (1973). The abundant genera of coal sample 

574-A are:

Granulatisporites

Laevigatosporites

Lycospora

Torispora

Triquitrites

6.4 percent 

13.6 

40.0

5.6

8.8

74.4 percent

TABLE 14. Palynomorphs from the Upper No. 5 Block coal bed in West Virginia, series 572

[Maceration series 572; USGS Paleobotanical loc. No. D6112; 1,250 specimens counted; X, present but not observed in count]

Taxon 572-A 572-B 572-C 572-D 

(percent)

572-E 572-F

C in

C in

-C/. op 

f\ Q.

4.8

4.0

2.4

2.4

2.4

4.0

1 C

1

£»

4.8

1 9 Q

0.8 

X 

3.6 

1.6

.4 

1.6

X 

.4

3.2 

1.2

.8

.4

1.2 

.8 

8.8 

1.6 

2.8 

3.6

31.2 

8.0

X

0.4 

.4 

.4

.4

1.2 

3.2 

10.8 

.4

.4 

.4 

.4

.4

.4 

6.8

3.6 

9.2

14.4 

9.2

4

X

0.4 

.4 

0.4 1.2

.4

4

1.6 .8

.4 

.8 2.0

1.2

.4 .4 

.8 .4 

9.6 4.4 

.4 .4 

2.4 3.2 

11.2 1.2

12.8 9.2 

12.4 4.4 

v

v

X

X

X

X 

X

X
PALYNOMORPH ASSEMBLAGES FROM PENNSYLVANIAN STRATOTYPE 29

The exact palynological placement of maceration 

554-A is not certain, but it most likely would fall between maceration series 574 and 573 of the Upper No. 5 

Block coal. Four samples (573-A-D) were collected 

from the highwall of the Cannelton Coal Company 

Mine, located northwest of Marting and east of the 

Kanawha-Fayette County line in Fayette County, 

W. Va., but only the coal sample 573-B-C contained 

sufficient palynomorphs to make abundance counts 

(table 17).

Most significant is the occurrence of Thymospora at 

the rate of 11.4 percent together with the presence of 

Punctatisporites obliquus Kosanke and P. minutus 

(Kosanke) Peppers, because this must place the samples 

of maceration series 573 very close to the position of the 

Lower Kittanning coal. In Illinois, the range zone of T. 

pseudothiessenii starts below the Colchester (No. 2) 

Coal Member according to Kosanke (1950) and Peppers 

(1970) and is present throughout the Carbondale Formation and the lower part of the Modesto Formation.

Kosanke (1973) reported that the range zone of T. 

pseudothiessenii, in the Princess Reserve District of 

northeastern Kentucky, started in the Princess 5B coal, 

which is stratigraphically just below the Princess No. 6 

coal and is present above in the Breathitt and 

Conemaugh Formations. Kosanke (1973) correlated the 

Princess No. 6 coal with the Lower Kittanning coal of 

western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio. Gray (1967) 

reported on the palynomorph content of coals in the 

lower and middle Allegheny of western Pennsylvania 

and eastern Ohio. Thymospora pseudothiessenii was 

identified from the Lower Kittanning and younger coals 

but not from the Lawrence coal, a thin coal occurring 

below the Lower Kittanning coal.

The presence of Thymospora in coal samples of 

maceration series 573 suggests that the coal is near the 

position of the Lower Kittanning coal. A comparison of 

the assemblage of palynomorphs from the Lower 

Kittanning coal (Habib, 1966; Gray, 1967) with those of 

series 573, however, suggests that series 573 is older,

TABLE 14. Palynomorphs from the Upper No. 5 Block coal bed in West Virginia, series 572 Continued

[Maceration series 572; USGS Paleobotanical loc. No. D6112; 1,250 specimens counted; X, present but not observed in count]

Taxon 572-A 572-B 572-C 572-D 572-E 572-F 

(percent)

L. pellucida (Wicher) Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall-L. pseudoannulata Kosanke 

2.4

X

8.8 

8

1.2

.8

1.6 

4.0

8

1.6

2.4 

.8 

9.2 

1 9

.4 15.6 

.8 

2.8 

6.4

1.6 14.0

X 

X 

X 

X

Murospora kosankei Somers 

Punctatisporites minutus (Kosanke) Peppers 

P. obesus (Loose) Potonie and Kremp - 

P. sp 

Reticulatisporites lacunosus Kosanke 

R. sp 

1.6

X

Radiizonates sp 

Reinschospora sp 

Torispora securis (Balme) Alpern, Doubinger, and Horst 

Triquitrites protensus Kosanke 

T. pulvinatus Kosanke 

T. sculptilis Balme 

T. sp 

Vestispora fenestrata (Kosanke and Brokaw) Spode in Smith and Butterworth 

V. sp 

Wilsonites sp 

Monosaccate 

Unassigned 

12.0 

X 

X 

3.2

3.2 

3.2

X

2.8 

.4

11.2

2.4 

.4

1.2

X 

1.2

.4 

2.4

 X X 

15.2 39.6 19.6

1.2 

1.2

X

.4 .4

.8

2.0

1.6

X

Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

DESCRIPTION OF MATERIAL IN MACERATIONS

572-A, 15.2 cm roof. 572-D, 33.0 cm coal.

572-B, 33.0 cm coal. 572-E, 33.0 cm coal.

572-C, 33.0 cm coal. 572-F, 15.2 cm seat rock.
30 PALYNOLOGY OF COAL BEDS IN THE PROPOSED PENNSYLVANIAN STRATOTYPE, WEST VIRGINIA

TABLE 15. Palynomorphs from the Upper No. 5 Block coal bed in West Virginia, series 436

[Maceration series 436; USGS Paleobotanical loc. No. D6042; 500 specimens counted; X, present but not observed in count]

Taxon 436-B 

(percent)

436-C

Alatisporites various Kosanke X 0.4

Calamospora sp 1.2 X

Cirratriradites annulatus Kosanke XX

Convolutispora sp .4

Crassispora kosankei (Potonie and Kremp) Bharadwaj .8 X

C. sp X

Densosporites sphaerotriangularis Kosanke X X

D. triangularis Kosanke .8 X

D. spp X .4 1.6

Dictyotriletes bireticulatus (Ibrahim) Potonie and Kremp .4

Endosporites cf. E. globiformis (Ibrahim) Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall XX

E. ornatus Wilson and Coe X .8

E. sp .8

Florinites antiquus Schopf in Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall 4.0 1.6

F. sp X

Granulatisporites verrucosus (Wilson and Coe) Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall .8

G. spp - X 2.8 7.2

Knoxisporites sp X

Laeuigatosporites desmoinensis (Wilson and Coe) Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall 1.2

L. globosus Schemel X 9.2 4.0

L. latus Kosanke X

L. medius Kosanke 4.0 0.8

L. minutus (Ibrahim) Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall 21.6 30.4

L. ovalis Kosanke X 12.8 5.6

L. punctatus Kosanke 4.4 .8

Lycospora granulata Kosanke .4 .8

Lycospora micropapillata (Wilson and Coe) Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall 1.2 1.6

L. punctata Kosanke 4.4 .8

L. spp X 9.2 12.8

Microreticulatisporites sulcatus (Wilson and Kosanke) Smith and Butterworth .4 1.6

Punctatisporites obesus Potonie and Kremp X

P. spp X 2.8 3.2

Radiizonates sp X

Reinschospora sp X

Torispora securis Balme 12.4 4.8

T. sp .8 .8

Triquitrites cf. T. arculatus Wilson and Coe .4

T. protensus Kosanke .8

T. pulvinatus Kosanke 1.6

T. sculptilis Balme 6.4

T. spp .4 12.0

Verrucosisporites sifati (Ibrahim) Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall X

Vestispora sp X

Zosterosporites triangularis Kosanke .8

Monosaccate X 1.2 --

Total 100.0 100.0

DESCRIPTION OF MATERIAL IN MACERATIONS

436-A, 11.4 cm roof rock. 436-C, 3.8 cm seat rock. 

436-B, 38.1 cm coal.
PALYNOMORPH ASSEMBLAGES FROM PENNSYLVANIAN STRATOTYPE 31

based on the presence of Schopfites in the Lower Kittanning coal and its absence from series 573. Further, 

the coal of maceration series 573 would be older than 

the Princess No. 6 coal of northeastern Kentucky 

(Kosanke, 1973) for the same reason, the lack of Schopfites. A summary of generic abundance for coal samples 

573-B-C follows:

Acan tho trile tes

Laevigatosporites

Lycospora

Punctatisporites

Thymospora

11.4 percent 

47.4 

12.0 

5.0 

11.4

87.2 percent

No. 6 Block coal occurs about 15 m above the Upper 

No. 5 Block coal (573) in the highwall of the Cannelton 

Coal Company strip. The only good sample collected 

from the No. 6 Block coal (maceration 603) was a block 

of coal about 15 cm thick. This sample yielded an interesting assemblage of palynomorphs (table 18). 

Thymospora pseudothiessenii (Kosanke) Wilson and 

Venkatachala is present, constituting 21 percent of the 

assemblage. I have found Schopfites thus far only in the 

No. 6 Block coal bed of the proposed Pennsylvanian 

System stratotype of West Virginia. Such an occurrence places the No. 6 Block coal (maceration 603) at the 

position of the Princess No. 6 and No. 7 coals of eastern 

Kentucky (Kosanke, 1973, p. 4). Habib (1966) reported 

Schopfites sp. present in the Lower Kittanning coal of 

western Pennsylvania. Gray (1967) reported this genus 

present in the Lower and Middle Kittanning coals of 

western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio. Kosanke 

originally described the genus from the Colchester (No. 

2) Coal Member of the Carbondale Formation of Illinois 

and reported the genus to be present from there up to 

and including the Briar Hill (No. 5A) coal. Peppers 

(1970) reported Schopfites present in two thin coals 

below the Colchester (No. 2) Coal Member of the 

Carbondale and that it occurred above the Colchester up 

to and including the Briar Hill (No. 5A) Coal Member of 

the Carbondale. Interestingly, Gray (1967) reported 

Schopfites present in the Strasburg coal of Ohio, which 

occurs between the Lower and Middle Kittanning coals.

Normally Thymospora pseudothiessenii (Kosanke) 

Wilson and Venkatachala would not be present in the 

Lower Kittanning coal at the rate of 21 percent of the 

assemblage as it is in the No. 6 Block coal (maceration 

603). The high percentage of T. pseudothiessenii is unexplained, but may be related to the fact that the sample 

(603) was merely a part of a coal bed (one block). Gray

(1967) reported T. pseudothiessenii present in the Lower 

Kittanning coal at the rate of 2.9 percent based on 

overall occurrence in the coal, but it reached a maximum 

of 21 percent in the top half of the Lower Kittanning 

coal. Habib (1966) reported that T. pseudothiessenii occurred in his samples of the Lower Kittanning coal and 

varied in abundance from 2 to 19 percent. Peppers 

(1970) reported T. pseudothiessenii present in Illinois at 

the rate of less than 10 percent until the Summum (No. 

4) Coal Member is reached, at which time it is abundant 

(from 12 to more than 25 percent) through the Briar Hill 

(No. 5A) Coal Member.

Because the No. 6 Block coal sample represents only 

one block rather than a column sample of the coal, it is 

possible to indicate only that this sample could correlate 

with the Lower Kittanning coal of western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio and the Princess No. 6 coal of 

eastern Kentucky. Kosanke (1973) reported the overall 

average of Thymospora pseudothiessenii in the Princess 

No. 6 coal to be about 6 percent, but as high as 30 percent in the Princess No. 7 coal above.

A summary of most abundant genera of coal sample 

603 follows:

Laevigatosporites

Lycospora

Thymospora

36.0 percent

28.8

21.6

86.4 percent

UPPER PENNSYLVANIAN SERIES

CONEMAUGH AND MONONGAHELA FORMATIONS

The Conemaugh Formation in its type area in the 

northern part of the Dunkard Basin is bracketed below 

by the Upper Freeport coal and above by the Pittsburgh 

coal. Because coals are not prominent in this part of the 

Pennsylvanian System stratotype, the base of the 

Conemaugh Formation, according to T. W. Henry (oral 

commun., 1980), is the first appearance of the red bed 

sequence above what Krebs (1914) called the 

"Mahoning sandstone." The top of the Conemaugh Formation is the base of the Pittsburgh No. 8 coal. Samples 

from the Conemaugh Formation have been collected 

and are being studied.

The primary coal of the Monongahela Formation, the 

Pittsburgh No. 8 coal, is the base of the formation (fig. 

3). A sample of coal from a locality 1.6 km south of
32 PALYNOLOGY OF COAL BEDS IN THE PROPOSED PENNSYLVANI AN STRATOTYPE, WEST VIRGINIA

TABLE l6. Palynomorphs from the Upper No. 5 Block coal bed (lower bench) in West Virginia

[Maceration series 574, USGS Paleobotanical loc. No. D6113; 500 specimens counted; X, present but not observed in count]

Taxon 574-A 574-B 

(percentl

574-C

Acanthotriletes sp 0.4

Alatisporites hexalatus Kosanke X

Apiculatisporis sp 0.8

Calamospora breviradiata Kosanke .8 1.6

C. sp X .8

Cirratriradites annulatus Kosanke .8

C. sp .8 .4 X

Convolutispora sp .8 .4

Crassispora kosankei (Potonie and Kremp) Bharadwaj 3.2 1.2 X

Densosporites triangularis Kosanke 2.8

D. sp X

Dictyotriletes sp X

Endosporites ornatus Wilson and Coe X .8

E. sp X .8

Florinites antiquus Schopf in Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall 2.4 2.4 X

Granulatisporites granularis Kosanke 1.6 1.6

G. verrucosus (Wilson and Coe) Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall 1.6

G. sp 3.2 1.6

Laevigatosporites desmoinensis (Wilson and Coe) Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall .8 5.6 X

L. globosus Schemel 4.0 3.2

L. latus Kosanke .8 .8

L. medius Kosanke 1.6 4.0

L. minutus (Wilson and Coe) Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall 2.4 5.6

L. ovalis Kosanke 2.4 11.2 X

L. punctatus Kosanke 1.6 .4

Lycospora granulata Kosanke 9.6 1.6

L. micropapillata (Wilson and Coe) Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall 1.6 1.6

L. pellucida (Wicher) Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall-L. pseudoannulata Kosanke .8 .4

L. punctata Kosanke 5.6 4.8

L. spp 22.4 12.0 X

Mooresporites inusitatus (Kosanke) Neves .4

Microreticulatisporites sulcatus (Wilson and Kosanke) Smith and Butterworth 3.2 5.6

Punctatisporites obliquus Kosanke .8 .4

P. sp .8 .4

Pustulatisporites sp .4

Raistrickia sp .8 X

Eeticulatisporites sp X

Torispora securis Balme 5.6 8.0 X

Trihyphaecites triangulatus Peppers .8

Triquitrites exiguus Wilson and Kosanke .8

T. pulvinatus Kosanke 4.0 5.2

T. sculptilis Balme .8

T. spp 4.8 .8

Verrucosisporites sifati (Ibrahim) Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall 1.6

V. sp .8

Vesicaspora wilsonii (Schemel) Wilson and Venkatachala X

Vestispora fenestrata (Kosanke and Brokaw) Spode in Smith and Butterworth .8 .4

V. levigata Wilson and Venkatachala .8

V. sp 1.6

Wilsonites vesicatus (Kosanke) Kosanke 1.6 2.4

Zosterosporites triangularis Kosanke 1.6

Monosaccate 3.2 4.0

Unassigned 1.6 __.4_

Total 100.0 100.0_____

DESCRIPTION OF MATERIAL IN MACERATIONS

574-A, 22.8 cm coal. 574-C, 34.3 cm coal transitional to seat rock. 

574-B, 6.4 cm carbonaceous shale.
PALYNOMORPH ASSEMBLAGES FROM PENNSYLVANIAN STRATOTYPE 33

Tuppers Creek Road along Interstate 77 in the 

Pocatalico quadrangle was correlated with the Pittsburgh No. 8 coal. These samples were assigned to 

macerations 428-A-C, and the numerically important 

taxa appear in table 19 and on figure 4. The characteristic or diagnostic occurrence of Thymospora 

thiessenii (Kosanke) Wilson and Venkatachala as the 

dominant palynomorph in all levels of the Pittsburgh 

No. 8 coal was initially reported by Thiessen and Staud 

(1923), based on their coal thin-section investigations,

and subsequently by Kosanke (1943) based on coal maceration studies. Theissen originally referred to this 

spore as the "Pittsburgh" spore and later as the "Pittsburgh microspore." Kosanke (1943) described this same 

taxon and named it Laevigatosporites thiessenii. Subsequently, Wilson and Venkatachala (1963) transferred it 

to Thymospora thiessenii. The most unusual aspect of 

the Pittsburgh No. 8 coal is that T. thiessenii represents 

more than three-fourths of the total palynomorph 

assemblage.

TABLE 17. Pcdynomorphs from the Upper No. 5 Block coal bed (upper bench) in West Virginia 

[Maceration series 573; USGS Paleobotanical loc. No. D6114; 500 specimens counted; X, present but not observed in count]

Taxon 573-A 573-B 573-C 

(percent)

573-D

Acanthotriletes flexuus Habib 7.6 15.2 X

Calamospora sp .8

Cirratriradites annulatus Kosanke X .8

C. sp X

Crassispora sp .8 X

Densosporites triangularis Kosanke 1.6

D. sp X 3.6 .8 X

Granulatisporites pallidus Kosanke X .8

G. verrucosus (Wilson and Coe) Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall .8

Gravisporites densus Habib .8

Laevigatosporites desmoinensis (Wilson and Coe) Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall .4

L. globosus Schemel X 18.4 1.6 X

L. medius Kosanke X 7.2 6.4

L. minutus (Wilson and Coe) Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall 19.2 16.0

L. ovalis Kosanke 9.6 1.6

L. punctatus Kosanke 9.2 1.6

L. vulgaris (Ibrahim) Alpern and Doubinger .4

Lycospora brevijuga Kosanke .8

L. granulata Kosanke 3.2 9.6

L. punctata Kosanke .4

L. spp 2.8 7.2

Microreticulatisporites sulcatus (Wilson and Kosanke) Smith and Butterworth X .4 .8

Punctatisporites minutus (Kosanke) Peppers X X

P. obliquus Kosanke 1.6

P. sp 2.8 5.6 X

Thymospora pseudothiessenii (Kosanke) Wilson and Venkatachala 4.4 12.0 X

T. cf. T. pseudothiessenii (Kosanke) Wilson and Venkatachala 6.4 X

Torispora securis Balme 4.0 1.6 X

Triquitrites exiguus Wilson and Kosanke X

T. pulvinatus Kosanke .8

T. sp .4 X

Verrucosisporites sifati (Ibrahim) Smith and Butterworth X 5.6

V.sp 1.2 1.6

Monosaccate __.8_ .8

Total _______100.0 100.0_____

DESCRIPTION OF MATERIAL IN MACERATIONS

573-A, 19.0 cm roof rock. 573-D, 1.9 cm seat rock. 

573-B, 19.0 cm coal. 

573-C, 19.0 cm coal.
34 PALYNOLOGY OF COAL BEDS IN THE PROPOSED PENNSYLVANIAN STRATOTYPE, WEST VIRGINIA

TABLE l8. Palynomorphs from the No. 6 Block coal bed in West Virginia

[Maceration 603; USGS Paleobotanical loc. No. D6115; 250 specimens counted; X, present but not observed in count]

Taxon 603 

(percent)

Calamospora breviradiata Kosanke 1.2

C. Sp 2.0

Cirratriradites annuliformis Kosanke and Brokaw 0.4

Cyclogranisporites sp .4

Endosporites sp .4

Florinites antiquus Schopf in Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall -4

Granulatisporites verrucosus (Wilson and Coe) Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall -4

G. sp .8

Laevigatosporites globosus Schemel 12.8

L. medius Kosanke 1.6

L. minutus (Ibrahim) Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall 13.2

L. ovalis Kosanke 4.8

L. punctatus Kosanke 2.8

L. vulgaris (Ibrahim) Alpern and Doubinger .8

Leiotriletes sp .8

Lycospora brevijuga Kosanke 4.0

L. granulata Kosanke 11.2

L. micropapillata (Wilson and Coe) Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall 1.6

L. spp 10.0

Punctatisporites obliquus Kosanke 1.6

p. sp .8

Raistrickia cf. R. imbricata Kosanke -4

Schopfites dimorphus Kosanke X

Thymospora pseudothiessenii (Kosanke) Wilson and Venkatachala 21.6

Torispora securis Balme 1.2

Triquitrites pulvinatus Kosanke -8

T. sp .8

Vestispora fenestrata (Kosanke and Brokaw) Spode in Smith and Butterworth X

Verrucasisporites sp .4

Wilsonites sp 1.2

Monosaccate 1.6

Total 100.0

DESCRIPTION OF MATERIAL IN MACERATIONS

603, one lump of coal.

TABLE 19. Numerically important palynomorphs from the Pittsburgh No. 8 coal bed in West Virginia

[Maceration series 428; USGS Paleobotanical loc. No. D6043; 750 specimens counted; X, present but not observed in count]

Taxon 428-B 428-C 

(percent!

428 A-C

Laevigatosporites medius Kosanke 

L. minutus (Ibrahim) Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall 

L. ovalis Kosanke 

Thymospora thiessenii (Kosanke) Wilson and Venkatachala 

Total 

3.2 

4.0 

3.6

84.4

95.2

2.0

2.8

3.2

88.0

96.0

7.2

6.0

6.4

72.4

92.0

4.1

4.2

4.4

81.6

94.3

DESCRIPTION OF MATERIAL IN MACERATIONS

428-A, 35.5 cm coal.

428-B, 35.5 cm coal.

428-C, 35.5 cm coal.
PALYNOMORPH ASSEMBLAGES FROM POTTSVILLE AND LEE FORMATIONS 35

PALYNOMORPH ASSEMBLAGES FROM

PART OF THE POTTSVILLE FORMATION

OF OHIO AND THE LEE FORMATION OF

EASTERN KENTUCKY

The Pennsylvania!! rocks of Ohio and eastern Kentucky are not highly metamorphosed; therefore, recovery of palynomorphs is relatively easy and preservation 

is generally excellent. Figure 7, modified from Stout 

(1939), records the presence of four coals within the 

basal 30.4 m of the Pottsville Formation of Ohio. The 

oldest coal is the Sharon No. 1 coal, which occurs a short 

distance above the Sharon Conglomerate Member 

(Stout, 1939; Collins, 1979). Above this, in this 30.4 m 

interval, Stout recorded the presence of the Anthony, 

Huckleberry, and Quakertown No. 2 coals. The Sharon 

No. 1 and the Quakertown No. 2 coals were mined and 

prized for their low sulfur content. For a discussion of 

the lithostratigraphy, biostratigraphy, and coal resources of this part of the Pottsville of Ohio, see Collins 

(1979).

Two sets of samples of the Sharon No. 1 coal have 

been collected, prepared, and examined. These sets of 

samples (maceration series 469 and 542) are from Byer 

quadrangle, Jackson County, in southern Ohio. The coal 

of maceration series 469 is 83.7 cm thick. The palynological data are shown in table 20, and the abundant 

genera are:

Densosporites

Granulatisporites

Lycospora

40.2 percent

5.6 

44.8

90.6 percent

Lycospora and Densosporites are codominant taxa and 

represent 85 percent of the assemblage. Both of these 

genera are related to the Lycopsida. Chaloner (1958) 

reported that the spores of Lycospora have been 

associated with arborescent lycopods, whereas the 

spores of Densosporites are associated with herbaceous 

lycopods. Six species of Densosporites have been identified (table 20) and Lycospora pellucida (Wicher) Schopf, 

Wilson, and Bentall-L. pseudoannulata Kosanke is the 

dominant taxon assigned to that genus. No specimens 

assignable to Laevigatosporites were observed. The second sample, maceration 542, is only 52.7 cm thick and 

was collected as a single unit. A somewhat smaller 

assemblage of similar taxa was observed in sample 542, 

except that Densosporites is the dominant taxon and 

Lycospora is subdominant. Densosporites covensis 

Berry and D. irregularis Hacquebard and Barss are 

present, and these taxa occur elsewhere in the United 

States in Lower Pennsylvanian coals. 

The Anthony coal (maceration 540) is thin and not

mined. The sample prepared and examined was 27.9 cm 

thick and came from the Sciotoville quadrangle in 

southern Ohio. Lycospora is the dominant taxon (table 

21), and Densosporites is subdominant. Lycospora 

pellucida (Wicher) Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall-L. pseudoannulata Kosanke represents 33.6 percent of the 

palynomorph assemblage. This assemblage is similar to 

the sample from the Sharon No. 1 coal in that Densosporites covensis Berry and D. irregularis

Quakertown No. 2 coal 

(468-A-D, 541-A-B)

Huckleberry coal

Anthony coal (540) 

Sciotoville flint clay

O.

Sharon ore

Sharon No. 1 coal 

(469-A-F, 542)

Sharon Conglomerate 

Member

Harrison ore

EXPLANATION

SANDSTONE, 

CONGLOMERATIC

SANDSTONE

SILTSTONE 

OR MUDSTONE

SHALE OR 

CLAYSTONE

COAL

FIGURE 7. Generalized section of the basal 30.5 m of the 

Pottsville Formation of Ohio, from Stout (1939). Maceration 

numbers in parentheses mark position of samples studied.

o- 

. . .0

. . . .

* '.,' ~

 ^=~-
36 PALYNOLOGY OF COAL BEDS IN THE PROPOSED PENNSYLVANIAN STRATOTYPE, WEST VIRGINIA

TABLE 20. Palynomorphs from the Sharon No. 1 coal bed in Ohio

[Maceration series 469; USGS Paleobotanical loc. No. D6027; 1,500 specimens counted; X, present but not observed in count]

Taxon 469-A 469-B

C. spp .8

C. spp .8

D. spp 2.4 4.0

G. spp .8 2.8

L. spp 32.8 21.6

P. spp 2.0 .8

S. sp .4

Stenozonotriletes lycosporoides (Butterworth and Williams) Smith and Butterworth 13.6

Total - 100.0 100.0

469-C 469-D 469-E 

(percent!

0.8 

n ft

1 C

.4 

81 a

X

8 1 9

2.4 1.2 1.2

8 1 9

.4 .8 4.4 

13.2 19.2 

9.6 5.2 5.6 

.8

4.4 13.6

3.2 8.4 .8 

22.0 12.0 12.0

v

.8 .8 7.2 

1.6 4.4 6.4

.8 1.2 4.0 

1.2 

30.0 21.6 18.8

18.0 9.6 8.4 

.4

.8 .8 1.6

.8 .8 

X 

.4 2.8 .4

1

O O Q

4

.8 X

100.0 100.0 100.0

469-F

1.6

X 

X

2.4 

3.2 

X

.8 

3.2

31.2

9.6 

11.2 

3.2

6.4 

5.6

9.6

6.4

X 

.8

.8 

4.0

100.0

DESCRIPTION OF MATERIAL IN MACERATIONS

469-A, 15.2 cm roof rock.

469-B, 25.4 cm coal.

469-C, 15.2 cm coal.

469-D, 27.9 cm coal.

469-E, 15.2 cm coal.

469-F, 16.2 cm seat rock.
PALYNOMORPH ASSEMBLAGES FROM POTTSVILLE AND LEE FORMATIONS 37

Hacquebard and Barss are present along with other 

species of the genus reported previously in the Sharon 

No. 1 coal, but dissimilar in that Densosporites is subdominant to Lycospora in abundance. The most abundant genera of the Anthony coal (maceration 540) are:

Densosporites 

Lycospora

26.8 percent

66.8

93.6 percent

The single specimens Anaplanisporites sp., 

Apiculatisporis cf. A. aculeatus (Ibrahim) Smith and 

Butterworth, Convolutispora florida Hoffmeister, 

Staplin, and M alloy, Grumosisporites cf. G. 

varioreticulatus (Neves) Smith and Butterworth, and

others were observed as shown in table 21. No specimens assignable to Laevigatosporites were observed.

The Huckleberry coal is thin and occurs above the 

Anthony coal and below the Quakertown No. 1 coal. No 

samples of this coal were available for study, so it is not 

known whether or not Laevigatosporites first occurs in 

the Huckleberry or in the Quakertown No. 2 coal. The 

occurrence of Laevigatosporites is well established in 

the Quakertown No. 2 coal (table 22; fig. 4); this is the 

start of the consistent occurrence of Laevigatosporites 

range zone in Pennsylvanian coals of Ohio. Poorly preserved single specimens of what were questionably 

assigned to Laevigatosporites were observed in both 

sets of the Sewell and Sharon No. 1 coal. Both sets of 

samples of the Quakertown No. 2 coal are from the Byer

TABLE 2l. Palynomorphs from the Anthony coal bed in Ohio

[Maceration 540; USGS Paleobotanical loc. No. D6029; 250 specimens counted; X, present but not observed in count]

Taxon 540 

(percent)

Ahrensisporites guerickei (Horst) Potonie and Kremp 0.4

Anaplanisporites sp .4

Apiculatisporis cf. A. aculeatus (Ibrahim) Smith and Butterworth .4

Apiculatisporites spp X

Calamospora parva Guennel X

C Sp X

Convolutispora florida Hoffmeister, Staplin, and Malloy X

C. cf. C. meltia Hoffmeister, Staplin, and Malloy X

Crassispora kosankei (Potonie and Kremp) Bharadwaj .8

Cyclogranisporites sp X

Densosporites annulatus (Loose) Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall 2.0

D. covensis Berry .4

D. dissimilis Felix and Burbridge 15.2

D. irregularis Hacquebard and Barss 2.0

D. sinuosus Kosanke 2.0

D. spinifer Hoffmeister, Staplin, and Malloy .8

D, sp 4.4

Granulatisporites pallidus Kosanke 2.4

G. verrucosus (Wilson and Coe) Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall .4

G. sp .4

Grumosisporites cf. G. varioreticulatus (Neves) Smith and Butterworth X

Knoxisporites stephanephorus Love X

K. sp X

Lycospora granulata Kosanke 5.2

L. micropapillata (Wilson and Coe) Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall 2.0

L. pellucida (Wicher) Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall-L. pseudoannulata Kosanke 33.6

L. spp 26.0

Savitrisporites nux (Butterworth and Williams) Smith and Butterworth .4

Schulzospora rara Kosanke X

Waltzospora priscus (Kosanke) Sullivan X

Monosaccate X

Unassigned __.8_

Total 100.0

DESCRIPTION OF MATERIAL IN MACERATION

540, 27.9 cm coal.
38 PALYNOLOGY OF COAL BEDS IN THE PROPOSED PENNSYLVANIAN STRATOTYPE, WEST VIRGINIA

quadrangle in southern Ohio (maceration series 468 and 

541). The samples of the Quakertown No. 2 coal 

(maceration series 468) include both roof and seat-rock 

samples and 50.8 cm of coal sampled as the top and the 

bottom half of the coal. The samples of maceration 

series 541 consist of the top 27.8 cm and the bottom

37.4 cm of the coal. Recovery of palynomorphs from the 

Quakertown No. 2 coal is better in maceration series 468 

than in 541. Table 22 gives the taxa identified and the 

abundance for the coal and seat-rock samples of maceration series 468. The roof sample of 468 did not yield well 

enough for an abundance count, but those taxa identiTABLE 22. Palynomorphs from the Quakertown No. 2 coal bed in Ohio

[Maceration series 468; USGS Paleobotanical loc. No. D6030; 750 specimens counted; X, present but not observed in count]

Taxon 468-A 468-B 468-C 

(percent)

468-D

Acanthotriletes sp X

Ahrensisporites guerickei (Horst) Potonie and Kremp XX X

Calamospora hartungiana Schopf in Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall 2.4

C. parva Guennel X X

C. pedata Kosanke X .4

C spp X 1.2 .8 1.2

Cirratriradites sp X .8

Convolutispora ampla Hoffmeister, Staplin, and Malloy X

C sp X

Crassispora kosankei (Potonie and Kremp) Bharadwaj X X 8.8

Cristatisporites sp X

Densosporites annulatus (Loose) Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall X .4

D. variabilis Felix and Burbridge X

D. spp X .8

Dictyotriletes bireticulatus (Ibrahim) Potonie and Kremp X X

Endosporites cf. E. angulatus Wilson and Coe X

E. ornatus Wilson and Coe X 2.8

Florinites antiquus Schopf in Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall 1.6

F. sp X X 2.4

Granulatisporites verrucosus (Wilson and Coe) Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall .8 1.6 2.8

G. sp 2.0

Grumosisporites varioreticulatus (Neves) Smith and Butterworth X

Knoxisporites rotatus Hoffmeister, Staplin, and Malloy .8

Ksp 1.2

Laevigatosporites desmoinensis (Wilson and Coe) Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall 1.6

L. latus Kosanke X 1.6

L. medius Kosanke X 1.2 2.8

L. ovalis Kosanke X 4.8 11.2 4.4

Lycospora granulata Kosanke X 26.0 13.6 2.8

L. micropapillata (Wilson and Coe) Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall X 2.0 .8 13.2

L. pellucida (Wicher) Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall-L. pseudoannulata Kosanke X 44.0 24.0 25.2

L. spp 16.8 32.8 22.4

Potonieisporites elegans (Wilson and Kosanke) Wilson and Venkatachala .8

Punctatisporites spp X .4 3.2 1.2

Raistrickia sp .4 1.6

Savitrisporites nux (Butterworth and Williams) Smith and Butterworth X

Schulzosporasp X

Vestispora sp .8

Monosaccate 1.2 1.6 2.8

Unassigned .8 __ .8_ __ A_

Total 100.0 100.0 100.0

DESCRIPTION OF MATERIAL IN MACERATIONS

468-A, 

468-B,

10.2 cm roof rock. 

25.4 cm coal.

468-C, 

468-D,

25.4 cm coal. 

5.1 cm seat rock.
SUMMARY 39

fied include Schulzospora sp. Lycospora is clearly dominant in 468-B-D as shown below:

Laevigatosporites 

Lycospora

9.4 percent 

79.6 

89.0 percent

L. pellucida (Wicher) Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall-L. 

pseudoannulata Kosanke is the most abundant taxon 

(table 22). In addition, L. granulata Kosanke is 

numerically important in the top half of the coal 

(468-B). The following species of Laevigatosporites 

have been identified: L. desmoinensis (Wilson and Coe) 

Schopf, Wilson, and Bentall, L. latus Kosanke, L. 

medius Kosanke, and L. ovalis Kosanke. Densosporites 

is poorly represented in the Quakertown No. 2 coal, 

which contrasts markedly with the abundance of this 

taxon found in both the Sharon No. 1 and Anthony 

coals.

Maceration series 541, the Quakertown No. 2 coal, is 

65 cm thick and was sampled as the top half of the coal 

(541-A) and the bottom half of the coal (541-B). 

Lycospora is the dominant genus in both samples with 

L. granulata Kosanke the most abundant species followed by L. pellucida (Wicher) Schopf, Wilson, and 

Bentall-L. pseudoannulata Kosanke. Laevigatosporites 

is present at about the same rate as was found in 

maceration series 468 (9.4 versus 9.7 percent), and an 

additional species, L. vulgaris (Ibrahim) Alpern and 

Doubinger, is present. The bottom sample (541-B) contains specimens which I assigned to Endosporites cf. E. 

zonalis (Loose) Knox. Endosporites is present in 

maceration series 468, but not this species.

The palynomorph content of three coals occurring 

within the basal 30 m of the Pottsville Formation of 

Ohio has been examined in detail. Representatives of 

both arborescent (Lycospora} and herbaceous (Densosporites ) lycopods dominate the assemblages of these 

coals. The start of the consistent occurrence of 

Laevigatosporites is found in the Quakertown No. 2 

coal. No palynological information is available on the 

Huckleberry coal; the start of the range zone of 

Laevigatosporites in Ohio should be clarified.

The basal Pennsylvania!! formation in eastern Kentucky is the Lee Formation. The lower portion of this 

formation is well exposed along the London boat dock in 

the Sawyer quadrangle, Laurel County, Ky. Six sets of 

samples were collected along the road leading to the 

London boat dock (maceration series 129-134). Kilburn 

(1956) gave the measured thickness as 100.2 m. The section begins near BM B-202 at the dock at the 

Pennington-Lee contact and continues along the road to 

the top of the plateau in the Sawyer quadrangle. (For 

additional information see Puffett, 1962, and Rice and

others, 1979.) Abundant and well-preserved spores and 

pollen grains were common to the upper five sets of coal 

samples (maceration series 129-133). The basal coal 

sample (maceration 134) contains a number of palynomorphs, but the sample is weathered and preservation of palynomorphs is poor so that abundance counts 

are not reliable. Lycospora is the most abundant taxon 

found in the other five sets of coal samples from the 

Hudson through the Barren Fork coal near the top of 

the section (fig. 8). The Barren Fork coal is the most 

diversified of the coals with respect to palynomorph 

content. Schulzospora rara Kosanke occurs in all six 

sets of the London boat dock section. Densosporites irregularis Hacquebard and Barss ranges from the 

Mississippian rocks below through the Beaver Creek 

coal in the Lee Formation (fig. 8). Stenozonotriletes 

lycosporoides (Butterworth and Williams) Smith and 

Butterworth occurs in the unnamed coal, the Hudson 

coal, and the Stearns IVz coal, but Trinidulus diamphidious Felix and Padden is present only in the 

Stearns IVz coal. Punctatisporites sinuatus (Artiiz) 

Neves apparently first appears in the Hudson coal, Dictyotriletes bireticulatus (Ibrahim) Smith and Butterworth first appears in the thin unnamed coal (maceration series 130) just above the Hudson coal, and 

Laevigatosporites is known to occur first in the Barren 

Fork coal.

The Schulzospora range zone is continuous through 

all of the coals exposed in the London boat dock section 

of Kentucky and is known to terminate in the lower part 

of the Middle Pennsylvania!!. In Ohio Schulzospora is 

known to be present in the Sharon No. 1, Anthony, and 

Quakertown No. 2 coals. The start of the Laevigatosporites range zone in eastern Kentucky is at the 

Barren Fork coal, and we know this genus is present in 

the Quakertown No. 2 coal of Ohio.

SUMMARY

Coals occurring in the upper half of the New River 

through the Monongahela Formations of the proposed 

Pennsylvanian System stratotype of West Virginia are 

amenable to the chemical maceration process allowing 

palynomorphs to be extracted. However, although coals 

occurring in the lower half of the New River and 

Pocahontas Formations react to the chemical maceration process, they do not consistently yield palynomorphs, so meaningful analyses are not possible. For 

this and other reasons, some Lower Pennsylvanian 

coals from Ohio have been incorporated into this report 

together with remarks on the occurrence of palynomorphs from some Lower Pennsylvanian coals from 

eastern Kentucky. Figures 4 and 9 summarize the abundance and occurrence of taxa useful in correlation
40 PALYNOLOGY OF COAL BEDS IN THE PROPOSED PENNSYLVANIAN STRATOTYPE, WEST VIRGINIA

London dock section

Sawyer quadrangle,

Kentucky

 O

O.- .' .0 -.-?-. .'0 

. . . . . .0 . -

. . . o . . . .

-Barren Fork coal133-

-BealV er Creek

132'

131- -Stearns No. 1 n/2 coal-

-130

129- -Hudson coal-

-134

Pennington Formation

Sawyer quadrangle, 

Kentucky

(Kilburn, 1956) (Modified from 

Puffett, 1 962)

EXPLANATION

b:

r."--

3^

-O -

Z-T:

2rE

SANDSTONE, 

CONGLOMERATIC

SANDSTONE

SILTSTONE 

OR MUDSTONE

SHALE OR 

CLAYSTONE

. . 

I

I

. I

I .

ZIT^ SHALE, SILTY

LIMESTONE

SHALE, 

CARBONACEOUS

COAL

FIGURE 8. London dock section, Sawyer quadrangle, Kentucky, as reported by Kilburn (1956), and a generalized section for 

Sawyer quadrangle as reported by Puffett (1962). The named coal beds have been examined as well as two thin coal beds occurring just 

above the Pennington Formation and above the Hudson coal Maceration numbers 129-134 are shown.
SUMMARY 41

studies. It should be noted that the scope of this investigation is the occurrence of palynomorphs of 

selected coal beds. Therefore, because every coal has not 

yet been examined, gaps remain in our knowledge concerning the precise range zones of some taxa.

The following are some of the taxa that have restricted or otherwise useful range zones (fig. 9), and are 

useful in biostratigraphic studies:

Densosporites annulatus (Loose) Schopf, Wilson,

and Bentall

D. irregularis Hacquebard and Barss 

Laevigatosporites ghbosus Schemel 

L. punctatus Kosanke 

Radiizonates spp. 

Savitrisporites nux (Butterworth and Williams)

Smith and Butterworth 

Schopfites dimorphus Kosanke 

Schulzospora rara Kosanke

OHIO

Thymospora pseudothiessenii

T. thiessenii (Kosanke) Wilson and Venkatachala

Torispora securis Balme

Lower Pennsylvanian coals from Ohio are dominated 

by lycopsid plants as evidenced by the abundance of 

Lycospora and Densosporites (fig. 4). The same is true 

for the Lee coals of eastern Kentucky. The Lower 

Douglas(?), Gilbert(?) and Cedar Grove coals from the 

lower part of the Kanawha Formation of West Virginia 

are dominated by lycopsid palynomorphs. Above the 

Cedar Grove coal in the Kanawha Formation of West 

Virginia, a significant change is noted in palynomorph 

assemblages by the dominance of Laevigatosporites in 

the Winifrede coal (maceration series 121). Changes 

were occurring rapidly by the time the Stockton coal 

(maceration series 566) was deposited somewhat below 

the Kanawha black flint, although some of these 

changes may have their roots in the Coalberg coal

WEST VIRGINIA

Camptotriletes bucculentus 

Densosporites irregularis 

Stenozonotriletes lycosporoides 

Waltzospora prisca 

Schulzospora rara 

Savitrisporites nux 

Densosporites annulatus 

Grumosisporites cf. G. varioreticulatus 

Convolutispora ampla 

Laevigatosporites spp. 

Stenozonotriletes bracteolus 

Procoronaspora sp. 

Punctatisporites obesus 

Laevigatosporites globosus 

Radiizonates spp. 

Verrucosisporites sifati 

Vestispora fenestrata 

Laevigatosporites punctatus 

Microreticulatisporites sulcatus 

Murospora kosankei 

Zosterosporites triangularis 

Vesicaspora wilsonii 

Mooreisporites inusitatus 

Thymospora pseudothiessenii 

Schopfites dimorphus 

Thymospora thiessenii

LOWER 

PENNSYLVANIAN

MIDDLE PENNSYLVANIAN 

Q

MACERATION NUMBERS

CD

UPPER 

PENNSYLVANIAN

oo

CM

FIGURE 9. Stratigraphic occurrence of selected taxa from Lower Pennsylvanian coals of Ohio, and Middle and Upper Pennsylvanian coals from West Virginia and the proposed Pennsylvanian System stratotype. Maceration numbers may be used to identify coal 

beds from which taxa have been extracted and identified.
42 PALYNOLOGY OF COAL BEDS IN THE PROPOSED PENNSYLVANIAN STRATOTYPE, WEST VIRGINIA

below. Studies of the Coalberg coal have not been completed. Some of the changes noted in the Stockton coal 

are the following first occurrences:

Laevigatosporites punctatus Kosanke 

Microreticulatisporites sulcatus (Wilson and

Kosanke) Smith and Butterworth 

Radiizonates spp. 

Torispora securis Balme 

Verrucosisporites sifati (Ibrahim) Smith and

Butterworth 

Vestispora fenestrata (Kosanke and Brokaw) Spode

in Smith and Butterworth

The Stockton A coal maceration series 571, occurring 

just above the Kanawha black flint in the Charleston 

Sandstone, lacks Radiizonates and Torispora, and 

Lycospora is the dominant taxon. The Little No. 5 

Block coal occurs above the Stockton A coal in the 

Charleston Sandstone. Two sets of maceration samples 

have been examined (maceration series 552 and 434). 

The Little No. 5 Block coal is characterized by a 

dominance of Laevigatosporites, with Torispora and 

Radiizonates being well represented. The fact that 

Torispora is so well represented (14-20 percent) may be 

related to some environmental or other factor that controls the development of the unusual wall thickenings 

found on this taxon. The Lower No. 5 Block coal 

(maceration series 553 and 435) occurs above the Little 

No. 5 Block coal in the Charleston Sandstone. In these 

Lower No. 5 Block coal samples, Laevigatosporites and 

Torispora represent 65-70 percent of the assemblage of 

palynomorphs. The presence of Crassispora at the rate 

of 7-8 percent in one segment sample of each of the 

three sets of the Lower No. 5 Block coal examined 

(553-D, 435-B, and 446-K) is worthy of note.

Samples of maceration series 446 were thought, on 

the basis of stratigraphic position, to be the Lower No. 5 

Block coal and should correlate with samples of maceration series 435 and 553. Laevigatosporites is the most 

abundant taxon in all three sets of samples, and as 

previously mentioned, Crassispora has a similar occurrence pattern in these samples. However, maceration 

series 446 differs from maceration series 435 and 553 in 

that Densosporites is subdominant and Torispora is 

significantly reduced in abundance. Another set of 

samples (maceration series 447) that has been considered to be at the Upper No. 5 Block level is 

palynologically similar to those of maceration series 

446, with some minor differences.

The Upper No. 5 Block coal is benched, and a series of 

samples have been collected. These samples are arranged by stratigraphic position and by palynological content on figure 3. Samples from 436-A-C, 554-D, and

572-A-F are palynologically related by a dominance of 

Laevigatosporites and an occurrence of other taxa. 

Samples from 554-B and from 574-A-C are related by 

a dominance of Lycospora, even though minor differences occur. The presence of Zosterosporites in 

574-B represents the youngest occurrence of this taxon 

thus far recorded from the stratotype sections. From 

palynological evidence, I place the bone coal sample 

(554-A) next in ascending order because it contains 

Radiizonates, which is lacking in maceration series 573. 

Samples of maceration series 573 are considered to be 

the upper bench of the Upper No. 5 Block coal and contain Thymospora and other taxa placing this coal close 

to the position of the Lower Kittanning coal of western 

Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio and the Princess No. 6 

coal of eastern Kentucky. The presence of Thymospora 

is considered to be an important change in the palynomorph assemblage.

The No. 6 Block coal (maceration series 603) may be 

distinguished from all other coals in the Charleston 

Sandstone thus far discussed by the abundance of 

Thymospora and the presence of Schopfites. This coal is 

on a level with the Lower Kittanning of western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio and the Princess No. 6 coal of 

eastern Kentucky.

The Pittsburgh No. 8 coal bed is characterized by a 

dominance of Thymospora thiessenii (Kosanke) Wilson 

and Venkatachala, according to Kosanke (1943). No 

other coal is known to have such a dominance of this 

taxon, so it is believed that the coal samples of maceration series 428 from the stratotype section correlate 

with the Pittsburgh No. 8 coal.

Palynomorph assemblages have been determined for 

selected coal beds and adjacent seat- and roof-rock 

samples from the proposed Pennsylvanian System 

stratotype of West Virginia with some additional 

samples from the States of Ohio and Kentucky. The 

floristic changes occurring in coal swamp vegetation 

throughout Pennsylvanian time and plant succession 

within individual coal beds are recorded by this investigation. Correlation of coal beds within and outside 

the proposed Pennsylvanian System stratotype can be 

accomplished with productive palynomorph samples. 

The range zones thus far established for the various 

palynomorph taxa provide a framework for subsequent 

biostratigraphic investigations.

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American Geological Institute Selected Guidebook Series No. 

1, p. 87-96.
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