Pennsylvanian spore succession in Tennessee

Sixty-six coals from Tennessee have been macerated and the spore assemblages of 15 of the coals have been studied. These 15 coals were chosen to give a stratigraphic representation of the various portions of the Pennsylvanian section exposed in Tennessee. Judging from the quality of spores obtained from macerated samples, all the coals are amenable to the maceration process, yielding abundant spores. Twenty-two spore genera were observed in the macerations: Lycospora was the most abundant genus in 9 of the 15 coals, Laevigatosporites was the most abundant genus in 4 of the coals, and Densosporites and Granulatisporites were the most abundant genera in 1 coal. Coals can be distinguished on the basis of spores identified to generic level. Even where 2 or more coals have nearly the same percentages of the dominant spore genera, there is usually a prominent minor member of the spore assemblage or several different genera present in one coal to distinguish it from the others. On the basis of the presence of Densosporites in the youngest coal, it has been found that all Tennessee coals are Caseyville, Abbott and Spoon in age, using the eastern Interior Basin terminology, and Pottsville or lowermost Allegheny in age using the Appalachian terminology.

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