Palynology of the Permian San Miguel Formation (Western Paraná Basin, Paraguay): Gondwanan biostratigraphic correlations

The palynological analysis of five samples from three levels in cores of the Mallorquín-1 well (Paraná Basin, eastern Paraguay) is presented here. The borehole penetrated the San Miguel Formation, the basal lithostratigraphic unit of the Independencia Group. This palynoflora represents the westernmost palynological record reported from Upper Paleozoic sequences along this basin margin at this latitude. This diverse spore pollen flora includes several age marker taxa, viz. Verrucosisporites insuetus, Lueckisporites spp., Lunatisporites variesectus, Striatosporites heyleri, Weylandites lucifer, and Tornopollenites toreutos, as well as Reduviasporonites chalastus. The assemblages from the Mallorquín-1 well are assignable to the Lueckisporites virkkiae Zone from the Brazilian sector of the Paraná Basin, thus suggesting a Late Cisuralian-Guadalupian age for the section studied and its correlation with the Brazilian Palermo and Irati Formations. Moreover, palynostratigraphic regional correlation can be established with the Tornopollenites toreutos Biozone (northern Brazil), the Striatites and Lueckisporites Weylandites Biozones (Argentina) and the Striatoabieites anaverrucosus-Staurosaccites cordubensis Biozone (Uruguay). The presence of abundant taeniate pollen also suggests similarities with palynofloras from South Africa and Australia.