Mississippian (Lower Carboniferous) miospores from the Cuyahoga and Logan formations of northeastern Ohio, USA

Abstract

Abstract. Well-preserved Lower Mississippian (Dinantian) miospore assemblages have been recovered from the upper Cuyahoga Formation (type Wooster Member) and overlying lower Logan Formation (Byer Member) at two localities in Wayne County, northeastern Ohio, USA. All six samples were productive and yielded assemblages that represent the middle Tournaisian Spelaeotriletes pretiosus–Raistrickia clavata (PC) Miospore Biozone of Western Europe including a new species of trilete, acamerate miospore, Mooreisporites streelii, described from the Wooster Shale. Significant numbers of latest Devonian and earlier Carboniferous miospores are reworked into all assemblages. The palynological evidence is consistent with a late Kinderhookian age for most of the Cuyahoga Formation, including its well known ammonoid fauna. However, the position of the boundary between the Kinderhookian and Osagean Series remains uncertain.