Barremian angiosperm pollen and associated palynomorphs from the Dakhla Oasis area, Egypt

Pollen grains characteristic of the local pre-tricolpate, pre-Aptian phase of angiosperm evolution have been recovered from the upper part of the Six Hills Formation in the Dakhla Oasis area, Egypt. Highest abundance (up to 16.5 per cent) and diversity of angiosperm pollen is attained in samples from the Tineida 2 borehole, which also display a remarkable variety of different aperture types of a palynoflora of late Barremian age. Monosulcate, columellate tectates such as Retimonocolpites are most important, but a single trichotomosulcate grain as well as monoporate and inaperturate types that have not been reported from many coeval palynofloras, are also present. The following new taxa are described using same-grain SEM/LM techniques: Tucanopollis annulatus Schrank, sp. nov., Retimonocolpites pennyi Schrank and Mahmoud, sp. nov. and Retiacolpites columellatus Schrank, gen. et sp. nov. Phytogeographic links are closest with palynofloras previously described from the late Barremian of West Africa (Gabon, Congo), that is within the Northern Gondwana or Dicheiropollis etruscus/Afropollis Province.