Kopalne zygospory glonów Zygnemataceae (Chlorophyta) z osadów górnego miocenu KWB Bełchatów

The Zygnemataceae are an extant family of freshwater filamentous green algae which produce acid-resistant zygospores. Palynomorphs of probable zygnematacean affinity occur in sediments of the Carboniferous to Holocene age (van Geel & Grenfell, 1996). These algae reproduce using four types of spores, but only zygospores and probably aplanospores are acid-resistant and can be preserved in the fossil record. The majority of recent species have zygospores of constant form of three types: elliptical (occurring in genera Debarya and Spirogyra), square (occurring in Mougeotia) or circular (occurring in Zygnema). The zygospores normally have a three-layered wall (exospore, mesospore and endospore), but only mesospore contains a decay and acid-resistant substance (most probably algaenans), so usually only this layer is preserved in fossil state, and is of interest to palynologists. The mesospore layer is smooth or ornamented with various sculptures (Kadłubowska, 1972; Grenfell, 1995). The shape and sculpture are very important features for determination of both the recent and fossil species. Two samples from the Bełchatów Lignite Mine were palynologically examined and two types of probable fossil zygnematacean zygospores, differing in shape, were encountered. The following species have been distinguished: Tetraporina sp., Spintetrapidites quadriformis Krutzsch & Pacltová as well as Ovoidites elongatus (Hunger) Krutzsch, and O. ligneolus Potonié ex Krutzsch. The fossil genus Tetraporina is usually related to the recent zygnematacean algae zygospores of Mougeotia genus, fossil Ovoidites is the nearest the recent zygospores of Spirogyra and Sirogonium, while Spintetrapidites is similar to both zygospores of Zygnemataceae and Tetraedron green algae. Species of recent genera Mougeotia and Spirogyra are usually found in shallow, freshwater, oxygen-rich environments such as ponds, lake margins (paludal or low gradient fluvial), ditches and very slowly moving streams (Kadłubowska, 1972). Occurrence of Tetraporina and Ovoidites zygnematacean zygospores in the material studied from Bełchatów points out at presence of water basin(s) during sedimentation time. That confirms the previous geological results that formation of examined sediments took place in the environment of a meandering river (including ox-bow lakes).