Palynomorphs occur abundantly in Pennsylvanian coals of Oklahoma and are usable as stratigraphic indices and indicators of ecological conditions which existed in the coal swamps during their accumulation. Climatic conditions during Pennsylvanian time in Oklahoma appear from several lines of evidence to have been remarkably uniform but certain genera and species of palynomorphs have restricted stratigraphic ranges which appear not to have been entirely ecologically controlled. Certain genera, Knoxisporites, Densosporites, Savitrisporites, and others, are more abundant in the Upper Mississippian strata than in Pennsylvanian and do not extend higher than the Morrow or Des Moines Series. The Missouri and Virgil Series are characterized by genera and species of saccate palynom rphs. Certain specific coals are characterized by suites of fossils, by paleoecological assemblages, and/or by stages of palynomorph succession. The last factor is based on at least three stages of palynomorph abundance which may be interpreted as representing stages in the paleoecological development of coal swamps. These successive abundance levels as high as the Mineral coal in the Des Moines Series are (1) Laevigatosporites-Lycospora, (2) Calamospora-Florinites-Endosporites, and (3) Densosporites. Above the Mineral coal the Densosporites stage is absent or is replaced by a stage dominated by saccate genera. In the Missouri and Virgil Series Lycospora is absent and Laevigatosporites commonly represents the first stage of palynological succession. All areal parts of most coal seams do ot contain the complete series of stages or abundance of specific assemblages. There is evidence that this variation is a function of geographic distribution of the particular coal seam and its geomorphic development. When factors of succession are combined with stratigraphic ranges of palynomorphs, greater knowledge of Pennsylvanian coal-swamp ecology is attainable.

End_of_Article - Last_Page 555------------