Том 24, № 2 (2016)

The collection of fossil plants sampled by geologists from VNIGRI at the end of the 20th century from Triassic continental sections drilled by many wells and cropping out in several natural localities and stored at the Museum of Petroleum Geology and Paleontology of the same institute was critically revised. The use of the epidermal method for the study of plant remains with consideration of recent publications dedicated to continental sections of Central Europe made it possible to substantially broaden the taxonomic composition of the Triassic flora and first specify the composition of its pteridosperm representatives. Unlike the Triassic floras of Western Europe, the pteridosperms the Pechora region appeared to be relatively diverse. They number 37 species of 11 genera, which are confined to the upper part of the Triassic sequence: Anguran and Naryan-Mar formations and their analogs. The Middle Triassic, mainly, Ladinian, age of these formations is reliably substantiated both by paleontological (vertebrate and palynological) data and by results of the comparative analysis of the Anguran–Naryan-Mar taphofloras and coeval European type floras dated back to the Anisian–Ladinian by marine faunal remains. The stratigraphic significance of pteridospermous plant remains becomes undoubted for continental sections of the Timan–Pechora basin, while the genera Scytophyllum, Kalantarium, and Kirjamkenia may be considered with respect to their diversity and abundance as representing orthostratigraphic taxa.

Upper Cretaceous pelagic deposits outcropping in the Maçka (Trabzon) region include radiolarians and pelagic foraminifera. The Çatak Group represented by the volcano-sedimentary successions consists of three formations having different properties. Two sections, ÇTK1 and ÇTK2, are selected from the Çe meler and Elmalι Dere formations, respectively, establishing the biostratigraphy of outcropping sedimentary units. A total of 17 species of Whiteinella, Helvetoglobotruncana, Marginotruncana, Dicarinella, Praeglobotruncana, Archaeoglobigerina and Hedbergella demonstrating the early Turonian–Coniacian are established in the ÇTK1 stratigraphic section. The early Turonian radiolarian fauna consisting of Halesium sexangulum Pessagno, 1971, Crucella cachensis Pessagno, 1971, Stichomitra communis Squinabol, 1903 is also defined in the same section. A total of 30 species of Crucella, Halesium, Pessagnobrachia, Patulibracchium, Alievium, Archaeospongoprunum, Dicyomitra, Stichomitra, Diacanthocapsa, Dactiyliodiscus, Amphipydax, Pseudoaulophocus, Acaeniotyle, Archaeodictyomitra, Actinomma, Xitus, Neosciadocapsidae characterizing the early and late Turonian, as well as the Coniacian–early Santonian are recognized from red-coloured pelagic limestones of the ÇTK2 section. Also, planktonic foraminifera species of Marginotruncana, Hedbergella, Heterohelix, Globotruncana, Globotruncanita, Archaeoglobigerina, Dicarinella characterizing the Coniacian–Santonian are described in the thin sections of the same samples. The age of red-coloured limestones is identified as the Coniacian–Santonian benefit from radiolarians and pelagic foraminifera. Consequently, radiolarians and pelagic foraminifera within sedimentary successions of the investigation area are distributed in two intervals that coincide with the early Turonian–Coniacian and Coniacian–Santonian intervals.

Spore–pollen spectra of surface samples characterizing different plant associations in the Lower Kolyma River basin are studied. The formation features of the studied spore–pollen spectra are determined, as well as their potential for past vegetation reconstruction, paleogeographic constructions, and stratigraphic correlation of Quaternary deposits in Northeastern Russia.