Abstract

The terrestrial and marine palynofloras of the Cardium Formation and contiguous strata are documented. In the sections of the Cardium Formation examined (between latitudes 53 and 54° N), the depositional environment changes from marine in the Ram Member to terrestrial in the Moosehound Member then back to marine in the overlying Leyland and Sturrock members. These changes, in addition to smaller scale marine incursions, are illustrated by relative abundance profiles for dinoflagellates, miospores and pollen. Based on the presence of dinoflagellates, the Leyland Member is here recognized as far north as the Little Berland River.

A late Turonian age for the Cardium Formation is based on the fauna present in the bounding marine Blackstone/Kaskapau and Wapiabi formations. Foveotetradites, Azonia, morphologically simple triporate pollen, and a tricolporate pollen species questionably assigned to Fibulapollis, are some of the more stratigraphically significant taxa that occur in the angiosperm pollen assemblage. Within the dinoflagel-late assemblage, some species such as Chatangiella ditissima and C. granulifera, appear earlier in Alberta than farther south.