Lower and Middle Jurassic sediments of five sections in Switzerland, France and Germancy have been studied in respect to three aspects of palynology: palynofacies and organic matter dinoflagellate cyst morphology and systematics, and biostratigraphy.
Palynofacies of Rhaetian to Bajocian sediments has been studied in the Mont Terri and Mont Russelin coreholes in N-Switzerland. Palynofacies in combination with organic geochemistry (Rock-Eval pyrolysis) helps to better define the organic content and richness of this sequence and the evolution of the palaeoenvironment.
An absolute quantitative analysis has been carried out in the organic-rich sediments of the Lower Toarcian Posidonienschiefer in the Weiach corehole, N-Switzerland. Frequencies of dinoflagellate cysts and prasinophytes have been determined, and are expressed in number per gramme bulk rock. This new approach, expressing palynomorph frequencies in number per gramme bulk rock, in combination with an improved processing technique, reveals the presence of very high amounts of dinoflagellate cysts and prasinophytes in these organic-rich sediments.
Detailed morphological analyses of dinoflagellate cysts leaded to the erection of two new genera (Weiachia, Willeidinium) and eight new species (Dissiliodinium baileyi, D. minimum, D. omentum, D. pourtoyi, D. primum, Wallodinium ? burtonensis, Weiachia fenestrata, Willeidinium baiocassinum), the emendation of one genus (Dissiliodinium) and one species ( Wallodinium cylindricum [HABIB 1970) DUXBURY 1983], and one new combination [Andreedinium elongatum (BEJU 1971 )]. Morphological details and systematics of many dinoflagellate cyst species are discussed and the new rnorphological term "fenestrae" is introduced.
Four corehole and outcrop sections have been studied palynostratigraphically in detail: Weiach, Hausen, Eichberg and the Bajocian stratotype, spanning the Late Pliensbachian to Early Bathonian. ln this interval, about one hundred dinoflagellate cyst species are differentiated and their stratigraphie ranges are illustrated in range charts. Stratigraphic marker species are emphasized. The encountered dinoflagellate cyst assemblages are compared with those reported in the literature.
The Early and Middle Jurassic stratigraphie data out of the publications of BELOW (1987a, 1987b and 1990) are compiled and illustrated in range charts.
Dinoflagellate cyst biostratigraphy in the Lower to Upper Jurassic of SW-Germany has been synthesized in a mainly bibliographical compilation including the herein presented original results. A range chart gives an overview of the stratigraphic ranges of 153 species.
