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Conifer family Cheirolepidiaceae (Classopollis group) from Buya
Formation, Taliabu Island
Dedy Kurniadi1, Irwansyah1, and Tri Bambang S.R1
"LEMIGAS" R & D Centre for Oil and Gas Technology
Jl.Ciledug Raya Kav.109 Kebayoran Lama – P.O. Box 1089/JKT
Jakarta Selatan 122301
Abstract
Palynological study on the Buya Formation,
Mangole Island shows significant occurrence
palynomorphs that derived from Australian
sediments. The Classopollis producing
coniferous plants (Cheirolepidiaceae) were
particularly abundant and widespread during
the Jurassic and Cretaceous at low to mid
palaeolatitudes and have affinity with
Araucarian and/or Gnetalean plant. They
extended over a broad range of habitats (well
drained soils of upland slopes and lowland near
coastal) and flourished under warm to hot
subtropical to tropical climates, (particularly
under dry, especially semiarid to arid
conditions). The abundance of the pollen
produced by them is considered to be a reliable
climatic and biostratigraphic marker. From
palinological analysis the sediments of 6 field
samples in the Buya Formation that exposed
on Mangole Island are known to be Middle
Jurassic. This is based on the presence of
fossil indexes Callialasporites dampiery dan
Callialasporites turbatus. Conifer
Cheirolepidiaceae pollen obtained include:
Classopollis simplex, Classopollis classoides,
classopollis chateaunovi, classopollis torosus
Classopollis spp.
Keyword : Cheirolepidiaceae, Classopollis,
Jurassic, Buya Formation
Introduction
The Sula Basin, which is located in the
northern part of the Banggai-Sula Islands, this
is an interaction of three intersecting plates
and affects this area (Figure 3). The plates
consist of the Pacific Plate, the Australian Plate
and the Eurasian Plate.
Some experts point out that the Banggai-Sula
Islands are Microcontinent Blocks. The
microcontinent is part of the northwest of the
Australian continent which was formed in the
Paleozoic which was then dragged westward to
its current position, so that it was referred to
as Allochthonous Microcontinent Paleozoic.
Banggai-Sula Stratigraphy Platform based on
lithological associations, fossil content and age
of rocks divided into 4 main groups (Garrad,
et.al, 1988):
1. Pre-Jurassic Basement
The group is made up of volcanic and
metasedimentary rocks.
2. Mesozoikum sediment
This group consist of Menanga, Bobong,
Buya and Tanamu Formation.
3. Miocene limestone
4. Quarternary sediment
The Bobong and Buya Formation that exposed
on the Air Bulan-Air Hitam section, Tikong,
West Taliabu (Figure 1), composed of
sandstones in the lower and middle part, and
shale with coal inserts at the upper part of
stratigraphic colomn (Figure 2).
Sandstone, at the bottom, with a thickness of
±100 m, gray to brown; hard, solid; fine to
coarse, 0, 1 mm to 2 mm, rounded to sub-
rounded; composed by the quartz mineral, iron
oxide; locally conglomerated (Bobong
volcanic).
Then in the middle part with thickness of ±50
m, a yellow brownish sandstone, fine to coarse
grain, 0, 1 mm to 2 mm, sub angular to sub
rounded; composed by quartz minerals, iron
oxide.
Shale, with the thickness of ±150 m, light gray
to dark gray; hard, solid; layered, with a
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thickness range 10 cm to 25 cm; with inset
black hard glassy coal (Buya Formation).
The palynological study on the Buya Formation
is intended to record all pre-Tertiary
palynomorphs in this formation. It is believed
that these palynomorphs have Australian
affinity as the Sula, Taliabu and Mangole Island
originally came from Australian Continent
(Lelono, 2012).
The Cheirolepidiaceae represent one of the
most prominent and diverse groups of
Mesozoic conifers. This extinct conifer family is
resumably related to the Cupressaceae or
Araucariaceae and occupied a wide range of
ecological niches and possessed a highly
variable growth habit (Kurschner et al, 2013)
Figure 1: Waigipeng section location of Taliabu
Island.
Figure 2: Waigipeng stratigraphic colomn of
Taliabu Island.
Conifers of the Cheirolepidiaceae, on the basis
of palynological evidence, extended from the
Triassic to the Late Cretaceous or perhaps to
the Early Tertiary (Alvin, 1982).
Classopollis pollen belongs to a group of
conifers has been designated as the Family
Cheirolepidiaceae. Palynologists readily
recognize it by its very distinct morphology and
the amount of Classopollis pollen is related to
the type of climate in which it existed
(Vakhrameyev, 1982).
Circumpolles is a synonym of Classopollis that
produced by gymnosperm shrubs. An unusual
combination of pollen characters imparts a
unique identity to the Mesozoic Circumpolles:
the absence of sacci, the tetrad or dyad
configuration, heteropolarity marked by the
aperturoid thinnings, a distal pore fortified by
an endo-annulus, the occurrence of exinal
filaments and spherules, the development-
transition-diminution of supratectal sculpture,
tectal complexity, grades of columellar
complexity, the presence of lamellate nexine
and the development, multiplication and
disappearance of endoridges (Pocock et al,
1990). Analogous or homologous pollen
characteristics in other taxa belonging to
various plant groups, as well as the functional
significance of important features and their
conjectured evolutionary trends and adaptive
values are discussed. Characters such as
tetrad or dyad configuration, exinal filaments
and tectal complexity partly comparable with
those in extant angiosperms, are not
encountered in living gymnosperms (Figure 3)
Data and Method
Geological fieldwork was devided into two
method which include logging the lithology and
for collecting surfaces samples. Laboratory
work under taken to separated palynomorph
from the sediments.
Six samples were selected for palynological
analyses, in order to represent the lithologies
present, such as shale and coal/lignites, as
well as for stratigraphical purposes. Sandy
lithologies were not sampled since spores and
pollen are generally poorly preserved in such
sediments.
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Polycingulatisporites crenulatus, Cyathidites

Samples were processed using standard
palynological techniques following Lelono
(2001) and Lemigas Laboratory including HCl,
HF and HNO3 macerations, which were
employed to get suficient recovery of plant
micro-fossils for palynological analysis. These
acid treatments were followed by the alkali
treatment using 10% KOH to clear up the
residue. Sieving using 5 microns sieve was
conducted to collect more palynomorphs by
separating them from debris materials. Finally,
residue was mounted on the slides using
canada balsam.
Palynomorph examination was taken using a
Nikon Eclipse 80i transmitted light microscope,
the result of examination is recorded in the
determination sheet and uses for the analyses.
Age interpretation is based on palynological
zonations which were proposed by Helby et al.
(1987) and Partridge, A, D. (2006). On the
other hand, palaeoenvironmental analysis
refers to Alvin (1982).
Result and Discussion
Palynological study on the Buya Formation that
cropping out in the Taliabu Island shows
significant occurrence of palynomorphs which
mainly derived from Australian continent.
Good preservation of palynomorphs can be
observed in nearly all samples. Palynomorph
assemblages are characterised by pollen and
spore of the Corollina torosa-Callialasporites
dampiery/turbatus super zone Helby et al.
(1987).
The age of Waigipeng section sediments
ranged from Hettangian – Aalenian (Middle
Jurassic) stage based occurences of
Callialasporites dampiery and Callialasporites
turbatus (Figure 4) on Jurassic-Early
Cretaceous spore-pollen and Dinocyst zonation
for Australia Partridge, A, D. (2006)
australis, Concavissimisporites variverrucatus.
Pollen of Cheirolepidiaceae that present in the
study include Classopollis torosus, Classopollis
simplex, Classopollis classoides, Classopollis
spp and classopollis chateaunovi ( Figure 5).
The extinct conifer family Cheirolepidiaceae
has not previously been considered a major
constituent of Early Cretaceous floras of
southeastern Australia or other parts of
Gondwana. However, in lower palaeolatitudes
of the mid-Mesozoic, the family was
represented by a diversity unparalleled in any
other conifer family. In Gondwana, the
distinctive pollen of this family (attributed to
Classopollis or Corollina) has been recorded
from the Mesozoic of Antarctica (Late
Cretaceous), South America (Jurassic), Africa
(Jurassic–Cretaceous and Australia in the Late
Triassic to Cretaceous (Tosolini, 2013).
In the Australian succession, Classopollis
reaches greatest abundance in the Early
Jurassic, becoming rare later in that period but
increasing again in the mid-Cretaceous (Helby
et al., 1987).
Conifers of the Cheirolepidiaceae were
geographically widespread and especially
important in the Jurassic and Early Cretaceous
at low palaeolatitudes. Recent research on
both pollen (Classopollis) and macroremains
has demonstrated considerable diversity within
the group. Aspects of pollen-exine structure,
seed-cone organization as well as vegetative
morphology and anatomy suggest high
degrees of biological specialization. A number
are believed to have been tropical halophytes
but others probably occupied a wide range of
warm habitats prior to the rise to dominance of
angiosperms (Alvin, 1982).

Pollen and spore that present at Waigipeng

section Callialasporites dampiery,
Callialasporites turbatus, Falcisporites
australis, Lunatisporites noviaulensis,
Araucariacites fissus, Cyadophites sp.,
Gleichenidites sp., Matonisporites sp.,
Contignisporites sp., retitriletes circolumenus,

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Figure 3: Almost all conifers gymnosperm

plants produce pollen which has saccate except
Cheirolepidiaceae a. Circumpolles /Classopollis
; b. Falcisporites australis

Figure 5: Pollen of conifers Cheirolepidiaceae

that found in this study : Classopollis torosus
(A-B), Classopollis simplex (C-D) Classopollis
classoides (E-G), Classopollis spp (H),
classopollis chateaunovi (I).

Conclusions

Six samples were selected for palynological

Figure 4: Fossil index for Middle Jurassic of the
Waigipeng section Callialasporites dampiery
(A-B) and Callialasporites turbatus (C-D).
Classopollis pollen obviously means presence
somewhere of large numbers
cheirolepidiaceous shrubs and/or trees that
produced this pollen type. (Cheirolepidiaceae is
the family of Mesozoic conifers which includes
Hirmerella, formerly called Cheirolepis.)
However, whether the pollen dominance was
because the Classopollis-producing plants were
coastal organisms like mangrove or swamp-
cypress today, or whether the plants were
upland shrubs/trees and the pollen blooms
resulted from sedimentary sorting, can be
debated. For example, that Classopollis pollen
usually is an order of magnitude more
abundant in shales than in associated coals,
which is an example of a palynobiofacies.
Traverse paleopalynology
analyses and has proved occurences of pollen
of Cheirolepidiaceae group : Classopollis
torosus, Classopollis simplex, Classopollis
classoides, Classopollis spp and classopollis
chateaunovi and other Australian Pre-Tertiary
Palynomorph.
The age of Waigipeng section sediments
ranged from Hettangian – Aalenian (Middle
Jurassic) stage based occurences of
of
Callialasporites dampiery and Callialasporites
turbatus. Paleoenvironment can be interpreted
as lowland coastal environment.
References
Alvin, K.L., 1982. Rev. Palaeobot. Palynol., 37:
71--98.
Garrad, R. A., Supandjono, J. B and Surono,
1988. Proceeding Indonesian Petroleoum
Association, 17th Annual Convention, pp.23-
52

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Helby, R., Morgan, R. & Partridge, A.D., 1987.

The Association of Australian
paleontologists, Sydney, pp. 1-94.

Kurschner WM, Batenburg., SJ, Mander L.

2013. Proc R Soc B 280:20131708.

Lelono, E. B., 2001. Lemigas Scientific

Contribution, no 2/2001, p. 2-6.

Partridge, A.D., 2006. Geoscience Australia

record 2006/23.

Pocock, S.A.J., Vasanthy, G. and Venkatachala,

B.S., 1990. Review of Palaeobotany and
Palynology, 65 (1990): 179-193

Traverse, A. 1988. Paleopalynology. Unwin

Hynman, Boston, 600 p.

Tosolini, A-M.P., McLoughlin, S., Wagstaff,

B.E., Cantrill, D.J. and Gallagher, S.J.,
2013. Gondwana Research

Vakhrameyev, V. A. 1982. International

Geology Review, 24:10, 1190-1196

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank the management of

LEMIGAS for providing the permission to
publish some parts of the DIPA 2010 report.
The authors are also grateful to
Biostratigraphic Group LEMIGAS for providing a
samples, location map and lithological profiles.
Therefore, this work is very valuable and needs
to be followed up by further detailed study.