A palynological investigation of seventeen till samples from Wales

The majority of the samples produced abundant palynomorph associations, ranging in age from Lower Palaeozoic to Quaternary. The majority of the material identified is Carboniferous, Jurassic and Quaternary; lower proportions of Lower Palaeozoic, Permian-Triassic, Cretaceous, and Eocene material was observed. Samples 2 and 6 are entirely comprised of Quaternary miospores. The nature and proportions of the Lower Palaeozoic to Quaternary components reflect the provenance of the ice sheets that deposited these tills. The majority of the Carboniferous to Quaternary component was apparently derived from the Irish Sea Basin. The Carboniferous input is from North Wales and Anglesey and the unequivocal Cretaceous elements are interpreted as being from Northern Ireland. The local solid geology of this part of Wales is Lower Palaeozoic, and the acritarchs in samples 14 and 16 are believed to be locally-derived, or from further north in Wales. Sample 1 is Irish Sea Till and this produced Carboniferous, Jurassic, ?Lower Cretaceous, Palaeocene and Quaternary reworking. Sample 2, Welsh Till, yielded only Quaternary miospores. Sample 6 produced a similar association and is therefore interpreted as being from the same unit as sample 2. Samples 3 and 4 are from Welsh Till and yielded Carboniferous, Jurassic and Quaternary miospores. Samples 7 to 9 were attributed to the Irish Sea Till and produced abundant Carboniferous, Jurassic, ?Lower Cretaceous, Palaeogene and Quaternary reworking. Samples 10 to 17 are also believed to be from the Irish Sea Till because they yielded similar associations.