Palynology of the upper Pennsylvanian Dalton coal, Palo Pinto county, texas, U.S.A.

Abstract

The Dalton Coal of north‐central Texas yields a palynomorph assemblage characteristic of basal Late Pennsylvanian (Stephanian) coals from the Midcontinent U.S.A., and also indicative of an allochthonous origin for the greater part of the seam. The most common miospore taxa are Laevigatosporites spp., Cyclogranisporites orbicularis, Punctatosporites minutus and Endosporites globiformis. The miospores tend to be poorly preserved and relatively homogeneous in population frequencies and vertical distribution within the coal. The overall coal assemblage also closely resembles a vertical miospore spectrum from adjacent shales. These palynological characteristics and the high ash content of the coal suggest that the Dalton is mainly an allochthonous deposit. Only the top layer, which contains coal balls, appears to have fonned autochthonously in a peat swamp.