Palynology of Late Paleocene – Earliest Eocene Outcrop Sediments from Benin Basin, SW Nigeria: Implications for Paleoclimatology and PETM Record in the Tropics
Palynological and sedimentological studies were carried out on Paleocene/Eocene outcrop sediments from Shagamu Quarry Benin basin, SW Nigeria so as to gain insight into the paleoclimate of this important geological period in the tropics. Standard palynological preparation techniques were applied to sub-samples of the outcrop. Another suite of same sediments was sedimentologically prepared and analyzed for lithological inferences. The outcrop samples are made up of a larger shaly section and a very short dolomitic shaly sand unit within the Oshoshun (Akinbo) Formation. Diversity and abundance of palynomorph taxa decreased upward from the late Paleocene to the earliest Eocene in the outcrop area. Four phyto-climatic zones were recognized. The late Paleocene section was wet except a brief dry interval with abundant Poaceae and fungal elements, while the earliest Eocene was dry. Occurrence of Apectodinium acme and abundant Botryococcus within a marine transgression event perhaps indicate the PETM in the study area.
