Egypt. Jour. Paleontol., Vol. 15, 2015, p. 207-247 ISSN 1687 - 4986 ENVIRONMENTAL AND PALEOCLIMATIC SIGNIFICANCE OF ORGANIC-WALLED MICROFOSSILS (PLIOCENE-HOLOCENE) FROM ASSUIT AREA, EGYPT Magdy S. MAHMOUD, Galal H. EL-HABAAK, Amr S. DEAF", and Heba A. ABD EL-RAZEK Geology Department, Faculty of Science, Assiut University, Assiut, 71516, Egypt “Corresponding author e-mail: amr.daif@science.au.edu.eg ABSTRACT Terrestrial organic-walled microfossils (spores, pollen grains, freshwater algae, and fungal palynomorphs) have been extracted from Plio-Pleistocene terraces in east and west, AAssiut, and form Holocene bottom sediments of Ellbrahimia Canal in Assiut, Egypt. This water body was used to correlate nowadays-ecologic setup with Plio-Pleistocene episodes in the surrounding areas. A palynological age dating (late Pliocene-eary Pleistocene) of the easter Nile terraces was attempted, which is proved to be difficult in the past. The fluctuating pollen spectra between mostly steppe-dominated (e.g. Gramineae) and less frequently forest-dominated (e.g. Taxodiaceae) of the Plio-Pleistocene sediments suggest that this time interval witnessed climatic fluctuations between mainly cool and relatively dry and less commonly warm wet episodes. These trends correlate with worldwide climatic variability during the late Pliocene-Pleistocene last glacial maximum. Ecological correlations of Plio-Pleistocene sediments based on few biostratrigraphically-contralled Quantitative signals of the Nilotic indicators Gramineae pollen and Ricciaceae spore and a reasonable spectrum of freshwater algae seem plausible. Qualitative similarities exit between plant communities that inhabited ancient biotopes of the Nile terraces during warm dry palaeocimates and those thriving today, but with major semi-quantitative differonces. These differonces are probably due to local palacoecology, changing (.. drier) Quatemary climates, and to anthropogenic effects. Key words: Pliocene, Holocene, palececology, paleociimate, Nile terraces, Egypt INTRODUCTION The early palynological studies made by Post (1916) and later by other palynology workers (e.g. Groot, 1966; Macpherson, 1982; Bennett, 1983; MacDonald and Ritchie, 1986; etc.) to the present, supported the important role of palynology in Tertiary-Quatemary research. Palynology helped in reconstruction of both local and regional Tertiary-Quatemary paleovegetation covers in different areas of the world. Palynology also helped in understanding Quaternary climatic changes and their impact on human activities and revealed possible anthropogenic effects on the ecologic system In Egypt, palynology with its powerful tools (i.e. spore and pollen grains and dinoflagellate cycts, etc.) played an important role in revealing much of the palaecological and paleoenvironmental settings, and in studying the biostratigraphy of the Jurassic and Cretaceous (e.g. Aboul Ela et al., 1996, Ibrahim and Schrank, 1996; Mahmoud and Deaf, 2007; Deaf et al., 2014, 2016, El Soughier et al., 2014). However, the late Neogene-Quaternary of Egypt received less attention. Adding to that, most of the palynological work carried out208 MAHMOUD, et al. on the Neogene-Quaternary are mainly restricted to northern Egypt, specifically the Nile Delta (e.g. El-Beialy, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1997; Ibrahim, 1996; Christopher et al., 2012) and the Gul of Suez area (e.g. El-Beialy and Ali, 2002; Kholeif, 2004; ElBeialy et al, 2005). As to southern Egypt, palynological studies on the Neogene-Quaternary are still fragmentary. Mahmoud (1996, 2000) and Mahmoud et al. (2004) presented qualitative and semi-quantitative descriptions of the fossil flora recovered from Wells no. 1, 2 and 3 drilled near the entrance of Wadi Al- Assiuti in east Assiut, and from other wells in west Assiut; Wells Cem-8R, Cem-10, Cem-12, and Cem-17 at the Assiut Cement Company farm area respectively. In this respect, the current work aims to shed more light on some Pliocene- Holocene sediments in southern Egypt, specifically in east and west Assiut areas through Well No.2, Well No.3, Well Cem-10, and Well Cem-12, and from Recent bottom sediments of El-Ibrahimia Canal at Assiut. The main aims are to: (1) provide detailed, high-resolution qualitative and semi-quantitative analyses of the Palynoflora recovered from the studied wells and from the Recent bottom sediments of El-lbrahimia Canal; (2) provide age dating and give more insights on potential index sporomorph taxa; (3) provide implications on the ecological niches/biotopes that have prevailed during deposition of the investigated late Neogene/earliest Quaternary sediments in the study area; (4) detect climatic fluctuations by using major groups of angiosperm (e.g. Gramineae, Malvaceae and others) and gymnosperm (e.g. Taxodiaceae) pollen families; (5) check if it is possible to correlate ecological settings of the Plio-Pleistocene terraces in the area on the basis of its quantitative palynomorphs signal; (6) measure and analyze the chemical characteristics of El-Ibrahimia Canal water in different sites along north Assiut area to identify possible water gradient(s) and their influence on the in situ microfossils; (7) finally, compare microfossils from Recent bottom sediments of El- Ibrahimia Canal with those from the nearest living relatives as old as late Neogene/earliest Quaternary to infer relationship of Recent microfossils quantitative distribution to their ancient counterparts. 2, Study area and lithostratigraphy The study area encounters the older (Pliocene/Pleistocene) Nile terraces that are found as subcrops to the east (Wadi Al-Assiuti) and west (Cement Company farm area) of Assiut Governorate (Fig. 1). Samples are collected from shallow water wells drilled in these areas. Also, the Recent (Holocene) sediments from El- Ibrahimia Canal that cross the study area from Assiut City to the north, are incorporated in the study (Fig. 2). Wadi Al-Assiuti lies on the eastern bank of the Nile River northeast of Assiut City. It covers about 480 km2 between the latitudes 27° 09° and 27° 21°N and the longitudes 31° 13° and 31° 28° E. Assiut Cement Company farm area lies at west of Assiut City between latitudes 27° 10' 9" N and longitudes 31° 00' 52" E. El-Ibrahimia is the biggest irrigation canal in Egypt. It is located at an elevation of 17 meters above sea level. It arises from the Nile River at Assiut and extends about 360 kms until El-Giza Governorate (Abd El-Roouf, 1984). The terraces of the Nile River in Egypt (late Miocene-Holocene) are exposed along the banks of the River. Said (1981) classified these terraces from base toEnvironmental and paleoclimatic significance of organic-walled microfossils. 209 [Eq] Cutiated tans Sear. Asphattc Rood [EijPostcocene seaiments_ euibrahimia Canal EEF Eocene Limestone 4 vor Nilo A= Location of wells no. 2nd 3 B= Location of wells Com-10 and Com-12 Fig, 1. Geological map of the study area, showing location of the studied wells (after Dawoud & Ewea, 2009). top using lithologic, stratigraphic, and mineralogical criteria that are occasionally accompanied by paleontological data into: the Eonile, Paleonile, Protonile, Prenile, and Neonile deposits. This classification represents five distinct developmental phases of the Nile River. This was started in the late Miocene by the Eonile river cutting its course through the Egyptian Eocene plateau and ended with the Neonile river, which formed the present-day Nile River. The Prenile and Neonile sediments with the most Recent sediments have not been recovered from the borehole material from east or west Assiut desert areas, where the study wells are drilled. The Paleonile (late Pliocene) sediments generally consist of a thick, red brown clay unit, interbedded with fine-grained sand and silt laminae. In the Nile Delta area, the subsurface Paleonile sediments are of marine origin and are termed as the Kafr El-Skeikh Formation of the micropaleontologically dated late Pliocene age (Said, 1981). In Upper Egypt, comparable chocolate brown calcareous clays, but unfossiliferous and of a fluviatile origin are known near Luxor as the Madamud Formation (Said, 1981), and fossiliferous (terrestrial microflora) sediments of a fluviatile origin (Mahmoud et al., 2004) are known from the Wadi ALAssiuti area as the “unfossiliferous Paleonile sediments" of Said (1981). The last two units have a lithostratigraphically dated late Pliocene age (Said, 1981). The Paleonile/Protonile (late Pliocene-early Pleistocene) sediments are pluvial deposits accumulated during a cessation of the Paleonile river and the inception of later Protonile river, where they rest unconformably over the "Paleonile sediments". The Paleonile/Protonile sediments are generally composed of thick coarse-grained sand, marls, and gravel (derived from the Eocene limestone), which are originally named in the Armant area to the south of Luxor as the Armant Formation, of the lithostratigraphically dated late Pliocene to early Pleistocene age210 MAHMOUD, et al. (Said, 1981). The Armant Formation has been also identified in the Wadi Al-Assiuti area (Said, 1981; Mahmoud et al., 2004). At the Cement Company farm area, a lithostratigraphic correlation of recovered sediments with those depicted from the Wadi Al-Assiuti enabled us to recognize the Paleonile/Protonile Armant sediment unit. Names and ages proposed by Said (1981) for the two units will be followed here. Biostratigraphic (based on important recovered terrestrial palynomorphs) and lithostratigraphic age appraisals of the studied units of Well no. 2 and Well no. 3 have been attempted in section 4.1. Legend = octes Nile rr Canal Fig. 2. Constructed map showing location of the surface water and bottom sediment ‘samples collected from the El-Ibrahimia Canal.Environmental and paleoclimatic significance of organic-walled microfossils. att 3. Material and methods One hundred and five cutting samples were collected from the Pliocene- Pleistocene and the Pliocene of two shallow water wells; Well no. 2 (88 samples from depths 26-200 m) and Well no. 3 (25 samples from depths 160-186 m) respectively (Fig. 3). These wells were drilled near the entrance of Wadi Al-Assiuti in east Assiut. In addition, sixty-nine cutting samples were collected from the Pliocene-Pleistocene of another two shallow wells; Well Cem-10 (66 samples from depths 50-90 m) and Well Cem-12 (30 samples from depths 100-140 m) but at the Assiut Cement Company farm area (Fig. 4). Thirteen water and surface sediment samples were collected from thirteen sites along El-lbrahimia Canal from Assiut to ElMinia Governorate between the latitudes 31° 01" 19" N and 27° 15° 36" N and the longitudes 30° 54' 29" E and 27° 22' 6" E. Location of the collected samples is. determined by a GPS instrument (Fig. 2). All these samples are processed qualitatively and semi-quantitatively to describe the fossil flora in these sediments. Samples were processed to extract the palynomorphs using standard (HCLHF) palynological technique (e.g. Phipps and Playford, 1984; Green, 2001). The organic residue was sieved using 10 um nylon sieve and three to six permanent slides were prepared using glycerine-jelly as a mounting medium. All slides and residues were stored in the Geological Museum, Geology Department, Faculty of Science, Assiut University, Egypt. Analysis of the water chemistry of collected samples was carried out according to Greenberg et al, (1992) and Hauser (2002). Samples were filled in pre-rinsed polypropylene bottles and were acidified with 3 mL ultra pure nitric acid (0.5 N) per liter of sample after filtration to prevent change in chemical equilibrium. Samples were then stored in a refrigerator at approximately - 20 °C to prevent change in volume due to evaporation. The, chemical analyses of the studied samples determined the metals ions of Fe®*, Cu’, Zn’", Na’, K", Mg’, Ca™ by using a Perkin-Elmer 2380 atomic absorption spectrophotometer (calibrated per 2-6 months) at the Geochemistry Lab of the Geology Department, Assiut University, Egypt Qualitative analysis consisted basically of the light microscopic identification and recording of the palynomorphs in the samples using an Olympus (BX41) transmitted-light microscope (serial no. 8825715). The taxonomic identifications of spores, pollen grains, freshwater algae, etc. have been mostly made at specific level, however sometimes numbers of taxa have been identified at generic and family levels (Figs. 3 and 4). This is because of the taxonomically incomplete information and the great similarities that occur between late Neogene and Quaternary palynofloras. The taxonomic identification of the recovered pollen and spores follows that of Germeraad et al. (1968). Most of the identified taxa were Photographed using an Infinity-1 digital camera and illustrated in plates 1-5. Quantitatively, at least 200 grains were counted from two to six slides of each sample, and the relative abundance of each palynomorph constituent was determined. Percentages of all taxa are expressed as of the total palynoflora. Frequency of palynomorphs < 1 % is deemed rare, 1-5 % common, 5-20 % abundant, and > 20 % dominant.212 MAHMOUD, et al. Plo riracene Tae z 3 3 Bent om) : -cnceapretpee Fig. 3. Vertical percentage distribution chart by highest appearance, Well no.2, Wadi Al-Assiuti, Egypt.Environmental and paleoclimatic significance of organic-walled microfossils. 213 Pliocene: Plio-Pliat Age. z Depth (my Lithotegy ‘Sample depth ‘Samples Ne. [Spores pny ce betwee meres Al-Assiuti, Egypt.214 MAHMOUD, et al. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Biostratigraphic implications of east Assiut palynomorphs ‘Age assessment in the late Neogene/Quaternary sediments is rather difficult on the basis of microflora. However, in this section we tried to offer some implications ‘on the possible age of the investigated terraces penetrated by the studied wells (Figs. 3 and 4). Satisfactory lithostratigraphic classification has yet not been established for the late Neogene/Quaternary sediments in the Nile Valley of Egypt. Age dating, for example, of the non-marine Pliocene sediment in the valley is not an easy process because of the apparent lack of marine fossils (ie. dinoflagellate cysts) and “*C or other proxies. Well no, 2 (Wadi Al-Assiuti) At the base of the section, appears a palynofloral association that provides a tentative age appraisal. Cyathidites congoensis occurs in samples 1, 9, and 13; it was recorded from the Neogene of Burundi (Sah, 1967) and from the late Paleocene-early Miocene of southeast Sudan (Eisawi and Schrank, 2008). Crassoretitriletes vanraadshoovenii (samples 5, 6, 11) was recorded from the late Oligocene-late Pliocene of Togo, Nigeria, the Niger-Mali (Salard-Cheboldaeff, 1990), early Miocene of southeast Sudan (Eisawi and Schrank, 2008), Pliocene- Pleistocene of western Niger Delta, Nigeria (Durugbo et al., 2010), and middle- upper Miocene of Niger Delta, Nigeria (Ola and Adewale, 2014). Cicatricosisporites dorogensis (samples 1, 9, 15) was reported from the mid Eocene-Oligocene sediments of Brazil (Regali et al., 1974). It was reported from the late Eocene-Oligocene of Togo, Nigeria, the Niger-Mali Basin, Cameroon, Gabon, Congo, and Angola (Salard-Cheboldaeff, 1990). C. dorogensis was also recovered from the upper Miocene-lower Pliocene of the Nile Delta (as Cicatricosisporites paradorogensis, fig 11/6) by ElBeialy (1992), Paleocene- Eocene of southeast Sudan (Eisawi and Schrank, 2008), early Eocene-late Oligocene of Colombia (Jaramillo et al., 2008; Rodriguez-Forero et al., 2012), and the mid Paleocene-early Eocene of southeastern Nigeria (Uzodimma, 2013). The nature of these palynomorphs generally shows a Paleogene-late Neogene/Quaternary (Paleocene-Pliocene/Pleistocene) aspect Appearing in samples 1-17 Verrucatosporites usmensis, a potential Eocene index fossil of the African tropical basins. The species was recorded from the midilate Eocene in north South America and Nigeria (Germeraad et al., 1968). V. usmensis was also reported from the Eocene-early Miocene of Cameroon, Gabon, Congo and Angola, and it ranges up from the Eocene into the Pliocene of Togo, Nigeria and the Niger-Mali Basin (Salard-Cheboldaeff, 1990). Similarly, it was recorded from the Eocene of southwestern Ghana (Alta-Peters and Salami, 2004), Eocene-early Miocene of southeast Sudan (Eisawi and Schrank, 2008), and late Eocene-late Oligocene of Colombia (Jaramillo et al., 2008). Recently, V. usmensis was recorded from the Miocene-Pliocene of Niger Delta, Nigeria (e.g. Aturamu and Ojo, 2015). The occurrence of Verrucatosporites usmensis in all samples would suggest Eocene-Pliocene age for this sample interval. However, two important miospores of Oligocene-Miocene range occur throughout the studied section; Polypodiaceoisporites simplex (samples 1-17, except 10 and 15) was described from the Neogene of Burundi (Sah, 1967) and from the Oligocene-Environmental and paleoclimatic significance of organic-walled microfossils. 215 PI-1 4 S J ’ v ° a 16 d ; xX 3 Ww M4 ¥ a * = 7 1s 1 20 (scale bar 30 pm) Late Pliocenelearly Pleistocene palynomorphs ‘A. Herbs : 1. Lycopodiaceae, Sample 6, Well no. 3, depth (174-76 m). 2. Triplanosporites sp. Sample 4, Well no. 3, depth (184:86 m). 3. Polypodiisporites, Well Gem-10, depth (68-70 m). 4 Crassorettiletes vanraadshoovenii Germeraad et al.. 1968, Sample 6, Well no. 3, depth (174-76 m). 5 Verrucatosporites usmensis (van der Hammen, 1956) Germeraad et al., 1968, Sample 9, Well no. 2, depth (159-60m). 6. Biretisporites, Sample 5, Well no. 3, depth (176-78 m). 7, 13 Polypodiaceoisporites simplex Sah, 1967. Sample 12, Well no. 2, depth (152-52 m); Sample 12, Well no. 2, depth (152-52 m). 8. Verrucatosponites favus (Potonié) Thomson and Pflug, 1953, Sample 12, Well no. 3, depth (160-62 m). 9. Deltoidospora spp., Sample 7, Well no. 3, depth (172-74 m). 10 Ricciaceae, Sample 2, Well no. 3, depth (182-84 m). 11. Taurocusporites sp., Sample 12, Well no. 3, depth (160-62 m). 12. Polypodisporites sp. Potonié and Gelletich, 1933 ex Potonié, 1956, Sample 2, Well no. 3, depth (182-84 m). 14. Echinatisporis sp., Sample 12, Well no. 2, depth (152-52 m). 15. Polypodiaceae, Sample 2, Well no. 2, depth (195-86 mm). 16. Baculatispontes sp., Thomson and Pflug, 1953, Sample 7, Well no. 3, depth (172-74m). 17. Osmundacidites ciliates Sah, 1967, Well Cem-10, depth (68-70 m) 18. Fevotnite fern spore sensu Ward, 1988, Sample 7, Well no. 3, depth (172-74 m). 419. Verrucosisproites sp., Sample 5, Well no. 3, depth (176-78 m). 20. Cicatricosisportes dorogensis Potonié and Gelletich, 1933, Sample 9, Well no. 2, depth (159-60 m). 21. Cyathidites congoensis Sah, 1967, Sample 9, Well'no. 2, depth (159-60 m).216 MAHMOUD, et al. Miocene of Sudan (Awad, 1994). Racemonocolpites hians occurs in most of the samples, a species that is regarded by Legoux (1978) as an index Oligocene- Miocene form in Nigeria and Cameroon. R. hians was also reported from the Oligocene-mid Miocene of Togo, Nigeria and Niger-Mali Basin (Salard- Cheboldaeff, 1990), Oligocene/Miocene of southeast Sudan (Eisawi and Schrank, 2008), and middle Miocene-Pliocene of Niger Delta, Nigeria (Ola et al., 2013; Ola and Adewale, 2014). Consequently, Oligocene to Pliocene/Pleistocene age is suggested for the entire section. Yet, a younger Miocene to Pliocene/Pleistocene age is more plausible for samples 1-17. This is based on the abundant occurrence of the herbaceous and shrub families Gramineae, Compositae and Malvaceae, which are known to flourish in the northern hemisphere in the early Miocene (Germeraad et al., 1968; Leopold, 1969; Traverse, 2007). Regionally, pollens of Gramineae and Compositae were recovered from the Pliocene of the Nile Delta {El Beialy, 1997), Malvaceae and Gramineae were also recorded from the late Quaternary (? late Pleistocene) of southern Suez Isthmus (Kholeif, 2004). Also, Verrucatosporites favus is commonly known from the Eocene-Miocene of the low latitudes of the northern hemisphere (e.g. Takahashi and Jux, 1989; Willumsen, 2004; Lenz et al., 2011). In tropical areas of Africa, Verrucatosporites favus was reported from the mid Tertiary of the Jos Plateau, Nigeria (Takahashi and Jux, 1989) and from the early Miocene of southeast Sudan (Eisawi and Schrank, 2008). In Egypt, V. favus was recorded from the upper Miocene-lower Pliocene of western Nile Delta (as Verrucatosporites sp. fig. 13/5) by El Beialy (1992), believed Pliocene of central Egypt (as Polypodiacooisporites sp., pl. 1, fig. 9) by Mahmoud et al. (2004), late Quaternary (? late Pleistocene) of southern Suez Isthmus (as Microsorium-type (Polypodiaceae), fig. 3, 6) by Kholeif (2004), and lower-lower/?middle Miocene of the Gulf of Suez (as Verrucatosporites sp., pl. 1, fig. d) by El Beialy et al. (2005). Based on the paleontological data above, a Miocene to Pliocene/Pleistocene age may be suggested for the studied section. However, a pre-Pliocene age is discarded, taking into consideration the history of the formation of the Nile Valley in Egypt since the late Miocene (Said, 1981). From a lithostratigraphic perspective, the absence of the Eonile/Paleonile (early Pliocene) marine sediments in the study area asserts at least a late Pliocene to Pleistocene age for the well section, since the records of these marine sediments are known from far south at Aswan (Said, 1981; Woodward et al., 2007). The late Pliocene age is therefore assigned to the lower part of the well, based on the presence of the chocolate brown calcareous clays of the Paleonile of the late Pliocene age. In addition, the occurrence of alternating conglomerates and sands deposits characteristic of the Paleonile/Protonile Armant Formation (late Pliocene-early Pleistocene) in the upper part of the well section, suggests a late Pliocene-early Pleistocene age for this part. Consequently, from the biostratigraphic and lithostratigraphic discussions provided herein, we attest that the studied section is of a late Pliocene to early Pleistocene age. Well no, 3 (Wadi Al-As: Most of the palynomorphs recorded in this well (samples no. 1-12) are found in Well no. 2, The general aspect of this microflora is therefore Miocene toEnvironmental and paleoclimatic significance of organic-walled microfossils. 217 Pliocene/Pleistocene. By analogy, as Well no. 3 is located in the same area of Well no. 2 and it shows the same lithologic and lithostratigraphic criteria, a late Pliocene to early Pleistocene age is also suggested for the section of Well no. 3. Paleoecological interpretation Several spores and pollen grains of palecenvironmental significance may be very useful in recognizing ecological as well as climatic conditions. Thus, studying vertical fluctuations in the defined palynomorph percentages can clearly indicate paleoclimatic and paleovegetation variability (e.g. MacDonald, 1988; Traverse, 2007). As there was no permanent low area or geological structure during the Pliocene-Pleistocene to store some of the Nile water received at Wadi Al-Assiuti and the Cement Company farm for long time in comparison to the Nile Delta to support more or less permanent vegetation in the wadi. So, most of the Palynofloral association (Cyatheaceae, Polypodiaceae, Hepaticae, Gramineae, Taxodiaceae, and Malvaceae) recovered in this study is regarded as mainly allochthonous material that have been largely brought by the Nile water coming from the tropical headwaters at Ethiopia and from the passed by Sudanese vegetation (Leroy, 1992; Cheddadi and Rossignol-Strick, 1995; Kholeif, 2004). After cessation of the Nile flooding water, these allochthonous spore and pollen grains must have grown along the Egyptian Nile banks and in wadies and continued to thrive by the aid of seasonal (monsoon) rainfall (e.g. Feakins and deMenocal, 2010). Despite that the freshwater algae are mostly brought by the Nile water to the study areas, but they are considered here as autochthonous, because they are connected to the local water bodies. The fungal spores are also deemed as autochthonous material, because they are associated with local ecological conditions, i.e. local drying out of water bodies and fungal attack of biological matter (Elsik, 1966; Fernandez, 1993). The warm and dry indicator pollen grains of Cheirolepidiaceae and Ephedraceae are also recognized herein as autochthonous, because they thrived in unfavourable, dry and hot conditions of the paleosubtropical African regions. They were recorded from ancient Egyptian rocks dated as old as Cretaceous and older (e.g. Mahmoud and Deaf, 2007; Deaf et al, 2014, 2016; El-Soughier et al, 2014). Chenopodiaceae is probably another autochthonous vegetation element of the Egyptian late Quaternary-Holocene deserts (Leroy, 1992; Kholeif, 2004). In our study, the palynomorph content is diverse and consists exclusively of terrestrial land plants and reflects the vegetation of grasses and tree/shrub plant communities. The majority of taxa are extracted from the late Pliocene “Paleonile sediments" and late Pliocene-early Pleistocene “Paleonile/Protonile sediments” clay sections. The palynomorph content has been differentiated into six main phytoecological groups on the basis of their botanical affinities and possible ecological preference as follows: 1- Hepaticae spores, i.e. Taurocusporites and Ricciaceae (freshwater swamps and riverbanks), 2- Cyatheaceae, Polypodiaceae and other ferns (freshwater swamps), 3- Gramineae (Poaceae) and Chenopodiaceae pollen (dry grassland or savanna vegetation), 4- Taxodiaceae and Malvaceae (arborescent vegetation), 5- Zygnemataceae (freshwater algae mainly Ovoidites), 6- Fungal palynomorphs.