Occurrences of Elaterate Pollen from the Lower Cretaceous of Ghana: Implications for Biostratigraphy and Palaeoclimatology

Abstract

Elaterate pollen with elater-like protruberances including Elaterocolpites castelaini , Elaterosporites klaszii , E. protensus , E. verrucatus , Elateropollenites jardinei , Galaeocornea causea , G. clavis , Sofrepites legouxae , have been recovered from the 1S-3AX well in the offshore Tano Basin. The assemblage has been interpreted as Albian - Cenomanian age, and is indicative of an arid to semi-arid palaeoclimatic conditions for these periods in the Tano Basin. Similar species have been interpreted as Albian – Cenomanian in other localities within the Africa-South America (ASA) province and thus allows for a palynostratigraphic correlation with these localities in the ASA province.