European Palaeobotany and Palynology Conference 2026

The Carnian, the basal stage of the Upper Triassic, is marked by an intermittent change in sedimentation style in various basins. This interval has been attributed to a climatic upheaval termed the Carnian Pluvial Episode, a time of increased humidity and runoff (Simms & Ruffell, 1989). Here we compare the Carnian palynology of two sites. The first locality is Neuewelt situated near Basel in Switzerland representing the fluvially deposited sediments (Ergolz Member of the Klettgau Formation) at the southern margin of the Central European Basin. There, particulate organic matter is characterized by strong dominance of phytoclasts. The spore and pollen content is marked by high relative abundance of spores and very high diversity of spore taxa. The other locality is Heiligkreuz/Santa Croce near Badia in the Dolomites of Italy, representing the marginal marine sediments (lower part of the Heiligkreuz Formation) of the northern Tethyan ocean. The depositional environment contrasts to Neuewelt in lower relative abundances of phytoclasts, and varying contents of aquatic organic particles. The spore and pollen assemblages in the Dolomites are marked by high relative abundance of low diverse gymnosperm pollen taxa.