CONICET | Buscador de Institutos y Recursos Humanos

Diverse palynological assemblages composed by both continental and marine palynomorphs were recovered from the Cerro Cazador Formation, Late Cretaceous, Santa Cruz Province. In this contribution spore-pollen assemblages were studied. The samples were taken from the upper section of this unit. Fourty one species of spores and pollen grains were here determined. They belong to the genera: Baculatisporites, Biretisporites, Clavifera, Cyathidites, Cyatheacidites, Deltoidospora, Echinosporis, Gleicheniidites, Ischyosporites, Laevigatosporites, Neoraistrickia, Polypodiidites, Reticuloidosporites, Trilites, Verrucosisporites, Stereisporites, Araucariacites, Lygistepollenites, Microcachryidites, Phyllocladidites, Podocarpidites, Arecipites, Forcipites, Liliacidites, Nothofagidites, Peninsulapollis, Psilatricolporites, Rousea, Triatriopollenites, Triporopollenites and Tricolpites. On the basis of the stratigraphic distribution of the identified species, mainly in Argentina and Antarctica, joined with the presence of Nothofagidites saraensis (Menéndez and Caccavari, l975) and Peninsulapollis gillii (Dettmann and Jarzen, 1988), a Late Campanian-Early Maastrichtian age is here suggested. The palynological assemblages obtained would typically indicate a near shore marine environment of deposition, with marginal conditions towards to the upper section.