American Journal of Earth Sciences

2015; 2(6): 206-210

Published online November 10, 2015 (http://www.openscienceonline.com/journal/ajes)
ISSN: 2381-4624 (Print); ISSN: 2381-4632 (Online)

Palynological Evidence of a
Campanian-Maastrichtian Age of the Shendi
Formation (Shendi Basin, Central Sudan)
Ali A. M. Eisawi
Faculty of Petroleum and Minerals, Al Neelain University, Khartoum, Sudan

Email Address
eisawiali@gmail.com

To cite this article

Ali A. M. Eisawi. Palynological Evidence of a Campanian-Maastrichtian Age of the Shendi Formation (Shendi Basin, Central Sudan).
American Journal of Earth Sciences. Vol. 2, No. 6, 2015, pp. 206-210.

Abstract
This paper presents for the first time, palynological results from the subsurface part of the Shendi Formation, in central Sudan.
The study is based on eight samples of grey mudstones collected from three shallow water wells penetrated the Shendi Formation.
Standard palynological preparation technique, which involves inorganic acids was used to extract the organic matter from the
enclosed sediments. The recovered material is characterized by well preserved and fairly diversified miospores in which
angiosperm pollen form the major constituent; gymnosperms and bryophyte/ptridophyte spores are relatively fewer. The
coexistence of marker species such as Monocolpopollenites spheroidites Zlivisporis blanensis, Longapertites sp. 3, Proteacidites
sigalii, Echitriporites trianguliformis, Syncolporites schrankii, Retidiporites magdalenensis indicates a
Campanian-Maastrichtian age for the subsurface part of the Shendi Formation. The palynomorph assemblage encountered herein,
is characteristic of the Senonian Palmae province.
Keywords
Palynostratigraphy, Spore/Pollen, Campanian-Maastrichtian, Shendi Formation, Central Sudan

1. Introduction
The study area lies within the Shendi Basin in the River
Nile State, it covers a strip that extends along the eastern
side of the Nile between Shendi and Umm Ali village (Fig.
1). The Shendi-Atbara Basin is now considered as an
important target for hydrocarbon exploration in central
Sudan. In the last decades, the increasing demand for
energy resources boosts the search for additional
hydrocarbon reserves in intra-cratonic basins. Among other
tools needed to achieve this goal, palynology has been
proved indispensable for age determination and correlation
of subsurface units. Moreover, important conclusions on
paleoecologic and paleoclimatic developments can be
drawn using sporomorph taxa that can be compared to
extant plants of known botanical affinity. Such information
are essential for the prediction of depositional environment
and source rock potentiality.
Fig. 1. The location of the studied wells.
 American Journal of Earth Sciences 2015; 2(6): 206-210
Although several geological studies have been carried out
in the study area (e.g. [1]; [2]; [3]; [4]) the stratigraphic
position of the Shendi Formation remains debatable. Hitherto
the Shendi Formation is correlated with the
Albian-Cenomanian Omdurman and Wadi Milk Formations
([4]; [3]). This correlation was primarily based on lithological
similarities and on few, long-range macroflora elements from
the outcrops. The presumed Albian-Cenomanian age of the
Wadi Milk Formation was made based on spores/pollen
assemblages recovered from a number of wells between Wadi
Muqadam and Dongola area [5]. Therefore, the present study
aims at providing a more reliable and accurate age assignment
for the Shendi Formation using palynology.
2. Material and Palynological Methods
In this study, eight cutting samples from three shallow water
wells, north of Shendi town have been analyzed for their
palynological content (Fig. 1). The studied successions are
dominated by mudstones of variable colours and thin
sandstone beds indicating lacustrine to fluvio-lacustrine
depositional settings.
A routine palynological preparation scheme, which
involves washing of sample, treatment with hydrochloric
Fig. 2. The stratigraphic ranges of selected marker species outside the study area.
Previous records of Zlivisporis blanensis has been made
from the Coniacian-Maastrichtian of West Africa basins ([6],
[7] and [8]). It has also been reported from the Maastrichtian
of Somalia [9], Late Cretaceous of Nigeria [10] and from the
Turonian to Early Maastrichtian of the Sudan ([11] and [12]).
The first record of Longapertites sp. 3 has been made from
the Campanian-Maastrichtian of Nigeria [13]. [14]
considered the coexistence of Echitriporites, Retitriporites,
and Longapertites sp. 3 to indicate a species Proteacidites sigalii was originally described from
Campanian-Maastrichtian age for the sediments in northern
Kordofan, Sudan. Cristaecolpites echinaceus has been
reported for the first time from the Maastrichtian of Somalia
and later from the Campanian–Maastrichtian of the Sudan
([9] and [12]). African records of Foveomonocolpites
bauchiensis range from the Maastrichtian of Somalia and
Sudan ([9] and [15]) to the Paleocene of West Africa ([16]
and [8]) and Sudan ([17] and [12]). Previous African records
207
acid (35%) and hydrofluoric acid (40%), was followed.
Oxidation was not employed for any of the analyzed
material. A target of 150 specimens count has been set, but
most of the samples were proved practically far less
productive, therefore, absolute count has to be made.
Processing of palynological samples was carried out at the
Petroleum Laboratories, Researches and Studies (PLRS) in
Khartoum, formerly (CPL).
3. Palynostratigraphy
The analyzed material from the Shendi Basin is dominated
by angiosperm pollen; gymnosperms and spores are
relatively less represented. Palynodebris are dominated by
dark brown to black woods, cuticles, membranous tissues
and very little amorphous matter. Characteristic elements of
the Palmae province e. g. Zlivisporis blanensis,
Longapertites sp.3, Retidiporites magdalenensis and
Echitriporites trianguliformis form the bulk of the recovered
sporomorphs. The stratigraphic ranges of these forms in
relevant basins of Northern South America, North and West
Africa are depicted in Figure 2 and discussed in the
following paragraphs.
of Monocolpites marginatus range from the
Campanian-Maastrichtian of Nigeria and Sudan ([13], [11]
and [15]) to the Paleocene and Eocene of Nigeria [15].
Periretisyncolpites giganteus is known from the
Maastrichtian of Nigeria ([18], [19] and Somalia [9]), the
Campanian-Maastrichtian of West Africa and Egypt
(Salard-Cheboldaeff, 1990; [20] and the
Campanian-Paleocene of Sudan [21], [12]). The marker
the Senonian (Coniacian to Maastrichtian) of Gabon [22] and
later reported from the Coniacian to Maastrichtian of a
number of West African basins [8]. Additional records are
from the Campanian–Maastrichtian of Egypt ([23] and [24])
and the Maastrichtian of Nigeria ([25] and [13]), Egypt ([26]
and [20]) and Sudan ([11], [12] and [15]). Previous records
of Retidiporites magdalenensis are from the Maastrichtian of
Nigeria [13], Egypt and Somalia ([20] and [9]), respectively,
208 Ali A. M. Eisawi: Palynological Evidence of a Campanian-Maastrichtian Age of the Shendi Formation
(Shendi Basin, Central Sudan)

the Maastrichtian to Paleocene of Nigeria ([27] and [7]) and

Sudan ([11] and [15]) and the interval Maastrichtian to
Eocene of the Caribbean [27], Colombia [28] and several
West African basins [8]. The species was also reported from
the Campanian-Maastrichtian of Nigeria [29] and the late
Campanian-Maastrichtian of Sudan [9]. Scabratriporites
samoilovitchii was recorded from the
Coniacian-Maastrichtian (Senonian) of Gabon [6] and the
Maastrichtian of Nigeria and Sudan ([10] and [15]),
respectively. The most abundant and biostratigraphically
important among angiosperm taxa encountered herein is the
Echitriporites trianguliformis which is restricted to the
Campanian-Maastrichtian to Eocene of Sudan ([11] and
[12]), Campanian-Maastrichtian of Nigeria [30] and Egypt
([20]. African records of Ctenolophonidites costatus range
from Maastrichtian of Somalia [9] to the Eocene-Miocene of
Cameron [25]. The combined stratigraphic ranges of the
aforementioned palynomorphs in Africa and northern South
America (Fig. 2) and the absence of earliest Late Cretaceous
forms such as Droseridites senonicus Cretacaeiporites spp.,
Foveotricolpites spp., support a Campanian-Maastrichtian
age for the subsurface part of the Shendi Formation.

4. Comparison of the Shendi Material

with Neighboring Areas
The spores/pollen assemblages encountered herein are
comparable with those recovered from the Maastrichtian
Gedaref Formation [15] and the youngest zone
(Campanian-Maastrichtian) of North Kordofan [14]. They are
all dominated by angiosperm pollen of the palmae group.
Plate 1. Campanian-Maastrichtian Spores and pollen.
However, some older forms such as Longapertites sp. 3,
which is indicative of the Campanian are lacking in the
Fig. 1. Zlivisporis blanensis Pacltova 1961.
Gedaref Formation but are reported in the North Kordofan
Well No. 1, sample 2
material. The pre Campanian form Droseridites senonicus,
Fig. 2. Foveomonocolpites bauchiensis Adegoke & Jan du
characteristic of the Turonian-Santonian (Coniacian) of Kosti
Chêne 1979.
Basin [11] has not been encountered herein.
Well No. 2, sample 1
Fig. 3. Monocolpopollenites spheroidites Jardiné &
5. Conclusions Magloire
1965 sensu Awad 1994.
Well preserved and fairly diversified miospores from the
Well No. 1, sample 1
subsurface strata of the Shendi Formation have been
Fig. 4. Retimonocolpites retifossulatus Lorente 1986.
encountered in two shallow wells. The assemblage is
Well No. 1, sample 1
dominated by angiosperm pollen, with minor representatives
Fig. 5. Spinizonocolpites kostinensis Awad 1994.
of gymnosperm pollen and spores.
Well No. 3, sample 1
Age determination of the studied interval has been made by
Fig. 6. Spinizonocolpites baculatus Muller 1968.
comparison of the stratigraphic ranges of the recovered taxa
Well No. 1, sample 3
with their previous records in contemporaneous African and
Fig. 7. Tubistephanocolpites cylindricus Salami 1984.
north South American basins. Accordingly a
Well No. 3, sample 1
Campanian-Maastrichtian age has been assigned for the
Figs. 8 and 22. Proteacidites sigalii Boltenhagen 1978
subsurface part of the Shendi Formation. The central Sudan
sensu Kaska 1989.
was part of the Senonian Palmae province as indicated by the
Well No. 3, sample 2
occurrence of characteristic taxa such as Longapertites,
Well No. 2, sample 1
Retidiporites, Echitriporites, Proteacidites within the studied
Fig. 9. Scabratriporites Samoilovtichii Boltenhagen 1976.
material.
Well No. 3, sample 2
Fig. 10. Proxapertites operculatus Van der Hammen 1956.
 American Journal of Earth Sciences 2015; 2(6): 206-210 209

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