This book provides complete coverage of all aspects of the study of all fossil palynomorphs yet studied. It is a profusely illustrated treatment. The book serves both as a student text and general reference work. Palynomorphs yield information about age, geological and biological environment, climate during deposition, and other significant factors about the enclosing rocks. Extant spores and pollen are treated first, preparing the student for more difficult work with fossil sporomorphs and other kinds of palynomorphs. An appendix describes laboratory methods. The glossary, bibliographies and index are useful tools for study of the literature.

Chapter 1 What Paleopalynology Is and Is Not 1. Definition of the subject 2. Historical Matters 3. Annotated Bibliography of Readily Available Publications Chapter 2 Why One "Does" Paleopalynology and Why It Works 1. Purposes 2. Why Paleopalynology Works 3 Disadvantages and Limitations Chapter 3 The Natural History of Palynomorphs 1. Introduction 2. Chitin 3. Sporopollenin 4. Palynomorphs in Petroleum 5. General Occurrence of Palynomorphs in Time Chapter 4 Spores/Pollen Basic Biology 1. Introduction 2. Bryophyte Life Cycles 3. Pteridophyte Life Cycles 4. Seed Plant Life Cycles 5. Spores, Pollen, "Miospores," and Other Terminological Troubles Chapter 5 Spores/Pollen Morphology 1. Introduction 2. Morphological Types 3. "Shell Code" 4. Morphological Types in Detail 5. Supplemental Notes on Morphology 6. Exine Surface, and Subsurface: Sculpture and Structure 7. Spores/Pollen Orientation and Shape 8. Microscopic Methods and Sporomorph Morphology Chapter 6 Stratigraphic Palynology--Precambrian, Cambrian, Ordovician 1. Introduction 2. Acritarchs and Other Phytoplankton of Precambrian-Ordovician 3. Cambrian/Ordovician Cryptospores 4. Cambrian/Ordovician Chitinozoans 5. Cambrian/Ordovician Scolecodonts Chapter 7 Cambrian to Silurian Non-Marine Palynology 1. General Discussion 2. "Non-Spore" Palynology Chapter 8 Devonian Palynology 1. Introduction 2. Paleozoic Spore Morphology and Pertinence to the Devonian 3. Megaspores, Seeds, and Pollen 4. Pollen vs. Spore Morphology, Polarity, and Germination 5. Non-Spore Palynomorphs in the Devonian 6. Devonian Palynostratigraphy Chapter 9 Carboniferous/Permian Palynology to the End of the "Paleophytic" 1. Introduction 2. Potonie's Turmal System and Modifications of It 3. "Turmal" Classification of Paleophytic (Silurian To About Mid-Permian) Spores and Pollen 4. Paleobotanical Matters Regarding the Late "Paleophytic" 5. "Paleophytic" Spores/pollen: the Plants Which Produced Them 6. Paleoecology of Late Paleozoic Spores 7. Comments on Trends in the "Paleophytic" and the "Paleophytic"/"Mesophytic" Boundary 8. Morphological Comment Regarding Carboniferous/Permian Pseudosaccate and Saccate Spores/Pollen and Related Matters 8.1. About "Protosaccate" and "Eusaccate" 9. Late Carboniferous-Permian Megaspores 10. Carboniferous-Permian Acritarchs Chapter 10 Permo-Triassic Palynofloras 1. Introduction 2. Striates and Bisaccates, Permo-Triassic Hallmarks 3. Other Spore/Pollen Types of Permo-Triassic 4. Permo-Triassic Acritarchs 5. Terminal Permian "Fungal Spike" (?) and Related Matters Chapter 11 Triassic-Jurassic Palynology 1. Introduction 2. Circumpolloid Pollen 3. Colpate (Sulcate) Forms in The Triassic/Jurassic 4. Further Notes on Triassic/Jurassic Saccates 5. Jurassic Palynomorph Paleogeography 6. Major Known Botanical Relationships of "Mesophytic" (Late Permian-Early Cretaceous) Dispersed Spores/Pollen Genera Chapter 12 Triassic-Jurassic Megaspores, Dinoflagellates, Other Microplankton 1. Acritarchs and Algal Groups Formerly Classified as Acritarchs 2. Megaspores 3. Dinoflagellates Chapter 13 Jurassic-Cretaceous Palynology: End of the "Mesophytic." Advent and Diversification of Angiosperms. Dynamic Evolution of Dinoflagellates. 1. Introduction 2. Origi ...