Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1983. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

No description available.

Records of pollen deposition on arctic ice caps are used to infer paleoenvironments of the Holocene and atmospheric circulation patterns in the Arctic. As part of this study, several snow samples were collected over a broad area, over the course of several years, to investigate modern pollen deposition patterns in the Arctic. Pollen assemblages recovered from arctic snow are diverse and consist of tundra and forest types. The results show that pollen percentages and concentrations are related to the density of the regional vegetation and to the distance of the source in more productive regions. In addition, the long-distance transport of tree and shrub pollen permits the identification of regional patterns that might be used to define air mass trajectories in the Arctic. In a more detailed analysis, the seasonal and annual variations in pollen deposition in snow layers were studied on four ice caps, including one in the Russian Arctic. It is shown that the pollen succession in the annual snow layers is related to the flowering periods of arctic and southern plants. The amount of pollen reaching the ice caps varies from year to year. Furthermore the variability in the number of tree and shrub pollen increases with decreasing distance to the treeline. The last section of this study is an interpretation of a Holocene record of pollen distribution in an ice core from the Agassiz Ice Cap, Ellesmere Island. Pollen concentrations, particularly those of tree pollen, were highest in the early Holocene, decreased in the mid-Holocene, and changed relatively rapidly after ca. 3500 years ago. In the early Holocene, the pollen profile parallels the delta 18O and ice-melt records from the same ice core, indicating that the warmest summer temperatures occurred very early in the Holocene. The high concentration of tree pollen in the early Holocene, when large parts of Canada were still ice-covered and forest zones more limited and generally farther away, implies that atmospheric circulation was stronger than at present. The data may be of significant value to comprehensive studies of atmospheric dynamics and vegetation changes.

No description available.

No description available.

Little recent work has directly addressed the variation in dinoflagellate cyst assemblages and the resulting biostratigraphy from the Turonian of southern England. Sampling (every 1-2m) of the whole succession from three areas (Dover, Sussex and the Isle of Wight), together with sedimentological and macropalaeontological detail provided a good basis for what is primarily a biostratigraphical study. Altogether 328 samples were analysed. It is one of the aims of this project to expand on the knowledge and geographical limits of dinoflagellate cyst assemblages from the Turonian. Full descriptions of all dinoflagellate cyst species have been included. Two new species are believed to have been noted, first Litosphaeridium "chlidanum" n. sp. (Marshall, 1983) and ? Microdinium "tuberculatum" n. sp., which are indicators of a latest Cenomanian and Turonian age respectively. Three palynozones have been recognised for the Turonian, based upon the ranges and acmes of the following species: Senoniasphaera rotundata, Heterosphaeridium dilltile, Florentinia buspina, Florentinia torulosa and Endoscrinium campanula. Cluster analysis was applied to the data sets to look for statistically related samples and thus separate palynozones. However most of the dinoflagellate cyst species are long-ranging and this did not provide any substantial evidence for any zones. Generally the dinoflagellate cyst assemblages were of variable diversities and abundances (0-41; 0->300 respectively). The samples were barren or yielded poor assemblages at the base of the Turonian, but the flora recovered towards the middle part of the succession with increasing diversities and abundances being recorded. However, the high diversities and abundances of the Late Cenomanian were never achieved. Samples of chalk, marl and flint were analysed for their dinocyst content to see if the assemblages were lithologically constrained. It was found that the lithology did not appear to control the cyst assemblages with low to high diversities and abundances being recorded from all lithologies. It has been noted that particular types of flint (Thalassinoides) may produce richer dinoflagellate cyst assemblages (higher diversities and abundances) which may be related to the diagenetic stage represented by the flint. Statistical analyses were applied to all data sets to provide evidence to support these hypotheses. Unfortunately these methods did not produce any conclusive results. Some palaeoenvironmental interpretation has been carefully attempted using modern analogues as a guideline. The relative occurrence of three groups (Gonyaulax, Odontochitina and Cyclonephelium) have been plotted for two of the areas (Dover and Sussex) and are thought to reflect periods of changing sea-level which correspond broadly to the sea-level curves of Hancock & Kauffman (1989) and Haq et al. (1988).

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Stellenbosch, 1986. / Includes bibliographies. Also available via the Internet.

Ethnopalynology is a specialty within palynology that centers specifically on past and present palynological data related to humans. Palynological data may be a significant tool to archaeologists if the applications and limitations are clearly understood. The following is a compilation of historical references, information on the processing procedures used in pollen research, the types of samples that are appropriate for palynological analysis within the discipline of archaeology, and examples of how palynological data can answer some questions regarding diet, the environment, building materials and chronological data. An extensive literature review was performed and revealed incongruities and areas that could be improved upon. This dissertation is a result of that research. Experimentation with palynological processing procedures indicate that commonly used methodologies may be flawed and should be reviewed regularly. New methodologies in the dissolution of resins, or plant exudates, is a relatively new application for pollen research and an area where there is a potential for future growth. Palynological applications to archaeology are beginning to expand in previously unknown directions. The extrication of pollen from plant exudates or resin is only one new area of research. This and other avenues are still waiting to be explored.

Ethnopalynology is a specialty within palynology that centers specifically on past and present palynological data related to humans. Palynological data may be a significant tool to archaeologists if the applications and limitations are clearly understood. The following is a compilation of historical references, information on the processing procedures used in pollen research, the types of samples that are appropriate for palynological analysis within the discipline of archaeology, and examples of how palynological data can answer some questions regarding diet, the environment, building materials and chronological data. An extensive literature review was performed and revealed incongruities and areas that could be improved upon. This dissertation is a result of that research. Experimentation with palynological processing procedures indicate that commonly used methodologies may be flawed and should be reviewed regularly. New methodologies in the dissolution of resins, or plant exudates, is a relatively new application for pollen research and an area where there is a potential for future growth. Palynological applications to archaeology are beginning to expand in previously unknown directions. The extrication of pollen from plant exudates or resin is only one new area of research. This and other avenues are still waiting to be explored.

No description available.