"Studies on lower tertiary microplankton"

Abstract

The writer first became actively interested in palynology in 1962 while still an undergraduate student. At that stage, on the advice of Mr D.J. Mclntyre and Dr W.F. Harris of the Geological Survey and Professor Vella, he commenced a preliminary palynological investigation of marine Southland Series rocks of the East Coast of the North Island, with a view to learning pollen morphology, palyno-stratigraphy, and palynological techniques. Samples were obtained from well-dated successions in both the Wairarape and Gisborne districts. Mr D.J. Mclntyre was at the time engaged on a palynological study of the type Southland Series Section at Clifden. Although the writer spent over a year preparing and examining slides from these areas he eventually concluded that the miospore assemblages were too poor to make a suitable M. Sc. project. However a few hystrichospheres were recorded and taken to Dr G. Norris, then of the Palynology Section of the Geological Survey, for identification. Later slide preparations showed the presence of other microplankton species, some of which the writer was able to identify with the help Of relevant Australian publications, especially the papers by Dr I.C. Cookson and her collaborators.