Palynostratigraphical evaluation of outcropping units of the Eze-Aku Formation in the Afikpo basin, South Eastern Nigeria

A total of thirty-one samples from three outcropping units of the Eze-Aku Formation at the Julius Berger Quarry site, after Akpoha, Afikpo Basin, in Ebonyi State South Eastern Nigeria was subjected to lithological/ Sedimentological descriptions and palynological analysis to determine the fossil assemblage of the samples in relation to its lithological variations in order to determine the age of deposition. The samples were further subjected to conventional maceration technique for recovering of an acid insoluble organic-walled microfossil The results from the lithological/ Sedimentological descriptions showed that the samples varied from grey to brown Sandy Shale. From the maceration technique, thirty-three species of pollen and spores was identified and the palynomorphs forms include the following: Laevigatosporites sp, Fungal Spores, Verrucosisporites sp, Pseudoschizaea sp, Triletes and Charred Graminae Cutile. Land derived forms such as pollen and spores and fungal spores in most of the samples suggest that the depositional environment is a marshy/swampy environment in a marine setting. The wet sieve analysis done on the samples showed a high value of shale to sand ratio all of which further depicts a marginal marine to marine depositional environment.