Microscopic fungal remains and Cenozoic palynostratigraphy

Abstract

Fossil fungal spores and morphologically related material are common in Cenozoic sediments. Form genera and species are definable on morphologic character, including overall shape or symmetry, apertures, septa‐tion, and ornament. Sclerotia, hyphae from broken mycelia, and certain other cellular structures are accommodated by the Order Mycelia Sterilia of the Class Fungi Imperfecti. A new order of Fungi Imperfecti, Fungi Sporae Dispersae, accommodates all dispersed fungal spores. A suprageneric classification is possible on character of apertures and septation.

Unpublished occurrence records suggest phylogenetic trends of fungal form genera. Fusiformisporites appears in probable mid‐Palaeocene sediments and persists to the Recent. Species of Fusiformisporites develop in an orderly procession through the Cenozoic; Striatetracellaeites, possibly Striasporonites, and less likely Verrusporonites evolved from this line of longitudinally ribbed spores.