Palynological Characteristic of Dark Gray Clays in the Ivorian Onshore Basin at Southern Bingerville

Abstract

Samples from two wells implanted at the level of the dark gray clay outcrop of Bingerville were the subject of this palynological study. The main objective of this work is to inventory all the palynomorphs encountered, to propose a local palynostratigraphy and to reconstitute the paleobotany of our study area during the Tertiary formations north of the lagoon fault. The samples were processed according to the classical procedure of extraction and concentration of palynomorphs. The high populations of dinocysts of the genus Lejeunecysta lata, Opreculodinium centrocarpum and Selenopemphix quanta as well as those of spores and pollens of the genre Magnastriatites howardii, Perfotricolpites digitatus, Pachydermites diederixi, Bombacacidites bombax, Retitricolporites irregularis, Retitriporites sp. Verrucatosporites usmensis are tributary to Oligocene. At the palaeobotanical and palaeoecological level, the highlighted palynoflora made it possible to characterize three environments, including mangroves, coastal plain, and rainforests.