BE52 - A Study of the Paleopalynology of the Atokan-Desmoinesian Boundary at the Roaring Creek Locality, Parke County, Indiana
SCURS Disciplines
Biology
Document Type
General Poster
Invited Presentation Choice
Service-Learning — Oral
Abstract
The Roaring Creek locality of Parke County, Indiana preserves an extremely detailed record of many Pennsylvanian-age coal swamp plants during the Atokan-Desmoinesian stage in geologic time (~305 MYA). Using paleopalynology, or the analysis of fossil pollen and spores, we reconstructed this ancient environment across stratigraphic layers to evaluate the ongoing discussion concerning the geologic age of Roaring Creek. Sixteen sediment blocks collected in 1981 by Dr. William DiMichele and Dr. Michael Rischbieter were processed into microscope slides and then photographed using a Nikon E800 microscope equipped with Differential Interference Contrast (DIC) and JENOPTIK GRYPHAX imaging software. Species-level identifications were made by comparing the recently taken images in Fall 2025 with previously published images found in the paleopalynological literature.
Layer 8, the oldest layer, showed the most biological diversity and the clearest images. It contained the index fossils Radiizonates difformis and Dictyotriletes bireticulatus, supporting one interpretation that Roaring Creek is Late Atokan in age. Upper layers showed less diversity and a dominance of the genera Laevigatosporites and Lycospora. In the upper layers, there was a higher abundance of fern-derived spores, which aligns with an alternative interpretation that Roaring Creek more closely aligns with it being early Desmoinesian in geologic time. These contrasting observations show that Roaring Creek may be a unique locality that captures a transitional boundary characterized by glacial cycles and a shifting coal-swamp vegetation.
Keywords
Paleopalynology, Atokan-Desmoinesian boundary, Roaring Creek locality, Pennsylvanian-age coal swamp plants
Start Date
10-4-2026 9:30 AM
Location
University Readiness Center Greatroom
End Date
10-4-2026 11:30 AM
BE52 - A Study of the Paleopalynology of the Atokan-Desmoinesian Boundary at the Roaring Creek Locality, Parke County, Indiana
University Readiness Center Greatroom
The Roaring Creek locality of Parke County, Indiana preserves an extremely detailed record of many Pennsylvanian-age coal swamp plants during the Atokan-Desmoinesian stage in geologic time (~305 MYA). Using paleopalynology, or the analysis of fossil pollen and spores, we reconstructed this ancient environment across stratigraphic layers to evaluate the ongoing discussion concerning the geologic age of Roaring Creek. Sixteen sediment blocks collected in 1981 by Dr. William DiMichele and Dr. Michael Rischbieter were processed into microscope slides and then photographed using a Nikon E800 microscope equipped with Differential Interference Contrast (DIC) and JENOPTIK GRYPHAX imaging software. Species-level identifications were made by comparing the recently taken images in Fall 2025 with previously published images found in the paleopalynological literature.
Layer 8, the oldest layer, showed the most biological diversity and the clearest images. It contained the index fossils Radiizonates difformis and Dictyotriletes bireticulatus, supporting one interpretation that Roaring Creek is Late Atokan in age. Upper layers showed less diversity and a dominance of the genera Laevigatosporites and Lycospora. In the upper layers, there was a higher abundance of fern-derived spores, which aligns with an alternative interpretation that Roaring Creek more closely aligns with it being early Desmoinesian in geologic time. These contrasting observations show that Roaring Creek may be a unique locality that captures a transitional boundary characterized by glacial cycles and a shifting coal-swamp vegetation.