Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7czq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-20T11:31:36.475Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The preservation of fossil leaves in Cretaceous volcaniclastic rocks from Alexander Island, Antarctica

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 May 2009

T. H. Jefferson
T. H. Jefferson
Affiliation:
The Ohio State University, Institute of Polar Studies, 103 Mendenhall, 125 South Oval Mall, Columbus, Ohio 43210, U.S.A.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Leaf compression fossils are abundant within the lower Cretaceous part of the Fossil Bluff Formation in southern Alexander Island, Antarctica. They occur in lacustrine laminated siltstones with a high volcaniclastic component. During zeolite facies metamorphism of the rocks, breakdown of clay minerals, volcanic glass and calcic plagioclase generated new mineral phases. The growth of these minerals was concentrated within and around leaves: finely disseminated oxide of titanium crystallized within the organic material, a thin film of chlorite was precipitated around leaves and silica, calcite and laumontite grew disruptively between leaf cuticles. Despite relatively low levels of organic maturation the structure of the leaf cuticles was destroyed and the only details which survived were those preserved as impressions in the chorite film.

Type
Articles
Information
Geological Magazine , Volume 119 , Issue 3 , May 1982 , pp. 291 - 300
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1982

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Boles, J. R. & Coombs, D. S. 1975. Mineral reactions in zeolite triassic tuffs, Hokonui Hills, New Zealand Bull. Geol. Soc. Am. 86, 163–73.2.0.CO;2>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Boles, J. R. & Coombs, D. S. 1977. Zeolite facies alteration of sandstones in the southland syncline, New Zealand Am. J. Sci. 277, 982–1012.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Boles, J. R. & Franks, S. G. 1979. Clay diagenesis in Wilcox Sandstones of southwest Texas: implications of Smectite diagenesis on sandstone cementation J. sedim. Petrol. 49, 55–70.Google Scholar
Bostick, N. H. 1979. Microscopic measurement of the level of catagenesis of solid organic material in sedimentary rocks Spec. Pub. Soc. econ. Paleont. Miner. 26, 17–43.Google Scholar
Castano, J. R. & Sparks, D. M. 1974. Interpretation of vitrinite reflectance in sedimentary rocks and determination of burial history using vitrinite reflectance and authigenic minerals Spec. Pap. geol. Soc. Am. 153, 31–52.Google Scholar
Chaloner, W. G. 1968. The cone of Cyclostigma kiltorkense Haughton, from the Upper Devonian of Ireland. J. Linn. Soc. (Bot.) 61, 348, 25–36.Google Scholar
Chaloner, W. G. & Collinson, M. E. 1975. Application of S.E.M. to a sigillarian impression fossil Rev. Palaeobot. Palynol. 20, 84–101.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chaloner, W. G. & Gay, M. M. 1973. Scanning electron microscopy of latex casts of fossil plant impressions Palaeontology 16, 654–9.Google Scholar
Coombs, D. S., Horodiski, J. R. & Naylor, R. S. 1977. Occurrence of prehnite-pumpellyite facies metamorphism in northern Maine Am. J. Sci. 268, 142–56.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dunham, A. C. & Wilkinson, F. C. F. 1978. Accuracy and precision and detection limits of energy-dispersive electron microprobe analysis of silicates X-ray Spectrometry 7, 50–6.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gluchova, L. V. 1972. Preservation of microrelief on impressions and phytoleims of fossil plants (as in Upper Paleozoic Angaran codaites) Paleont. Jour. 6, 259–63.Google Scholar
Goldschmidt, V. M. 1954. Geochemistry. Oxford: Clarendon Press.Google Scholar
Hey, M. H. 1954. A new revue of the chlorites Mineralog. Mag. 30, 277–92.Google Scholar
Horne, R. R. 1968. Authigenic prehnite, laumontite and chlorite in the Cretaceous sediments of south-east Alexander Island Br. Antarct. Surv. Bull. 18, 1–10.Google Scholar
Horne, R. R. & Thomson, M. R. A. 1972. Airbourne and detrital volcanic material in the Lower Cretaceous sediments of south-east Alexander Island Br. Antarct. Surv. Bull. 29, 101–11.Google Scholar
Jefferson, T. H. (in press). The Early Cretaceous fossil forests of Alexander Island, Antarctica. Palaeontology.Google Scholar
Krasilov, V. A. 1972. The Palaeoecology of Terrestrial Plants. Vladivostok. (Russian). Translation. 1974. New York: Willey.Google Scholar
Pettijohn, E. J. 1975. Sedimentary rocks. New York: Harper.Google Scholar
Spicer, R. A. 1977. The pre-depositional formation of some leaf impressions. Palaeontology, 20, 907–12.Google Scholar
Statham, P. J. 1976. A comparative study of techniques for quantitative analysis of the X-ray spectra obtained with a Si (Li) detector X-ray Spectrometry 5, 16–28.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Surdam, R. C. & Boles, J. R. 1979. Diagnosis of volcanic sandstones Spec. Pub. Soc. econ. Paleont. Miner. 26, 277–42.Google Scholar
Sweatman, T. R. & Long, J. V. P. 1969. Quantitative electron-probe microanalysis of rock forming minerals. J. Petrology, 10, 332–79.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Taylor, B. J., Thomson, M. R. A. & Willey, L. E. 1979. The geology of the Ablation Point to Keystone Cliffs area, Alexander Island. Br. Antarct. Surv. Scient. Rep. 82.Google Scholar
Thompson, A. B. 1971. P co2, in low-grade metamorphism; zeolites, carbonate, clay mineral, prehnite relations in the system CaO-Al2O3-SiO3-CO2-H2O Contr. Mineral. Petrol. 33, 145–61.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Watson, J. & Alvin, K. L. 1976. Silicone rubber casts of silicified plants from the Cretaceous of Sudan Palaeontology 19, 641–50.Google Scholar