Dinoflagellate cyst biostratigraphy of the Upper Cretaceous black mudstones on Svartenhuk Halvø, West Greenland

Stratigraphical ranges and geographical distribution of dinoflagellate cysts and selected pollen species are described based on analysis of approximately 70 samples from 9 surface and 5 subsurface sections of Late Cretaceous age on Svartenhuk HalvflS, West Greenland. The sections make up an approximately 300 m thick marine black mudstone succession, previously dated as Late Turonian to Early Campanian on the basis of scattered ammonite occurrences.

The dinoflagellate cysts date the majority of the studied samples to Coniacian to Early Santonian, whereas two samples are dated as Late Santonian/? Early Campanian. It has been possible to divide the studied succession into six distinguishable dinoflagellate cyst zones. The diversity of the studied dinoflagellate cysts is relatively high, more than 80 species were recorded. The assemblages are dominated by the genera Chatangiella and lsabelidinium, which in several samples constitute 20 to 50 percent of the dinoflagellate content