LATE WESTPHALIAN PALYNOMORPHS FROM NORTHERN SAUDI-ARABIA

Late Carboniferous (Westphalian D) miospore assemblages are reported f rom an exploration borehole in the northwestern part of Saudi Arabia. The presence of stratigraphically diagnostic monolete miospore genera are reported for the first time in the Arabian Peninsula. The study em phasises the need to examine cored sections to establish the biostrati graphical value of the extensive populations of zonate miospores (Cirr atriradites, Vallatisporites and Kraeuselisporites) reported. A detail ed review is presented of previous Late Carboniferous-Early Permian da ta in the Arabian Peninsula and comparisons are drawn with comparable datasets in North Africa and Western Europe.