Detailed studies of the Callovian and Oxfordian microplankton from the Warboys and Warlingham boreholes

Kiteley, Robert John (1982) Detailed studies of the Callovian and Oxfordian microplankton from the Warboys and Warlingham boreholes. Doctoral thesis, City of London Polytechnic.

Abstract

The present thesis deals with biostratigraphic and palaeoenvironmental analyses of microplankton assemblages from the Kellaways Beds and Oxford Clay (Upper Jurassic) of the Warboys and Warlingham Boreholes, based on 118 samples.

Chapter one sets out the aim of the study as being (i) to evaluate the significance of microplankton assemblages in biostratigraphic correlation, (ii) establish a zonation scheme for the interval studied and investigate the potentiality of quantitative methods in biostratigraphic use of microplankton.

Chapter two deals with the Callovian/Oxfordian stratigraphy of Britain in general and of both boreholes in particular.

Chapter three describes methods of sampling, preparation and examination of the obtained assemblages.

Chapter four concerns the taxonomy of dinoflagellate cysts and acritarchs in terms of morphology and terminology.

Chapter five constitutes the systematic part. From a total of 48 microplankton genera, some 120 dinoflagellate species and 18 acritarch species are described. 9 species are considered to be new and several others are described from the Callovian/Oxfordian for the first time.

Chapter six deals with distribution of microplankton and correlation. After evaluating two previously-described zonation schemes in terms of recognition in the present assemblages, a scheme for the Kellaways Beds and Oxford Clay is proposed using local ranges of dinoflagellate cysts. Conventional methods of biostratigraphy are critically evaluated and the importance of numerical methods assessed. Two statistical methods of correlation are applied to data from the present assemblages.

Chapter seven critically discusses the physical parameters governing distribution of microplankton. Palaeoenvironmental inferrences are made from the distribution of microplankton here using relative abundancies, species diversity and dinoflagellate:acritarch ratios. Assemblages are compared with those previously-published from other localities using the Jaccard Coefficient of Similarity in attempting inter-regional correlation.

Chapter eight summarises the conclusions reached in terms of the aims outlined in chapter one.

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