COMPARISON OF PALYNOMORPH ASSEMBLAGES FROM THE CRETACEOUS TERTIARY BOUNDARY INTERVAL IN WESTERN-EUROPE, NORTHWEST AFRICA AND SOUTHEAST CHINA/

The composition of palynomorph assemblages from selected sections thro ugh the Cretaceous/Tertiary (K/T) boundary interval in Western Europe, northwest Africa and China is discussed. Similarities are emphasised and widespread trends noted, including the evolutionary development of the porate group of pollen grains, palynomorph extinctions within the boundary interval, and links with a climatic cooling trend. The compa rative analysis revealed numerous taxonomic and; nomenclatural problem s, as a list of 71 forms recorded from five papers on European and Nor th African topics demonstrates. These taxa are considered to be simila r or identical to palynomorphs documented in four Chinese papers, desp ite the fact that almost all of the identifications differ at either g eneric or specific level, or both. (C) 1997 Academic Press Limited.