Late Permian and Triassic palynomorphs from the Allan Hills, central Transantarctic Mountains, South Victoria Land, Antarctica

Palynology is an established tool for age determination and correlation of sedimentary sequences. The palynomorphs retrieved from the Weller and Lashly formations of Allan Hills, central Transantarctic Mountains, South Victoria Land, Antarctica have been studied for precise age determination. Forty-five different groups of palynomorphs have been recovered from the Weller and Lashly formations. The palynoflora of Weller Formation shows dominance of striate bisaccate pollen taxa, mainly Striatopodocarpites, Faunipollenites (Protohaploxypinus), Crescentipollenites, Striatites and Verticipollenites in association with Horriditriletes, Cuneatisporites, Alisporites, Plicatipollenites, Gnetaecaepollenites, Sahnites, Tiwariasporis, Rhizomaspora, Pretricolpipollenites, Chordasporites and sporadic occurrence of Lundbladispora, Klausipollenites and Densoisporites. In the present study, a Late Permian age based on palynological evidences has been suggested for the Weller Formation, which was earlier assigned an Early Permian age. The Late Permian age of the Weller Formation is corroborated by similarity of its palynoassemblage with that of the Upper Stage-5 (Late Permian) of Australia. Additionally, the palynoflora of Weller Formation is comparable with the Late Permian palynoassemblages of India and South Africa. The younger palynoassemblage of the Lashly Formation contains Klausipollenites, Falcisporites and Alisporites in prominence and shows rare occurrence of Minutosaccus, Goubinispora, Lundbladispora, Densoisporites, Aulisporites and Chordasporites, indicating Early to Middle Triassic age and showing affiliation with Aratrisporites parvispinosus zone of Australia, Alisporites zone (A&B) of Feather Conglomerate and Fremouw Formation of Antarctica.