− | Pollen and spores are the organic-walled microfossils most commonly used for gauging paleotemperature. Fossil color, which changes with heating, is used to estimate a [[thermal alteration index]], or TAI.<ref name=ch17r82>Staplin, F., L., 1969, Sedimentary organic matter, organic metamorphism, and oil and gas occurrence: Bulletin of Canadian Petroleum Geology, vol. 17, no. 1, p. 47–66.</ref><ref name=ch17r56>Lerche, I., McKenna, T., C., 1991, Pollen translucency as a thermal maturation indicator: Journal of Petroleum Geology, vol. 14, no. 1, p. 19–36, DOI: 10.1111/jpg.1991.14.issue-1</ref><ref name=ch17r62>Marshall, J., E., A., 1991, Quantitative spore colour: Journal of the Geological Society of London, vol. 148, p. 223–233, DOI: 10.1144/gsjgs.148.2.0223</ref> The use of pollen and spores lets us examine in situ fossils rather than evaluate an aggregate “kerogen soup.” Other organic-walled fossils—acritarchs, chitinozoans, graptolites, scolecodonts (annelid worm jaws), and dinoflagellates—have been examined for their visual and reflected values, but these fossil groups have not been rigorously calibrated to the standard vitrinite reflectance scale.<ref name=ch17r16>Bertrand, R., Heroux, Y., 1987, [http://archives.datapages.com/data/bulletns/1986-87/data/pg/0071/0008/0950/0951.htm Chitinozoan, graptolite and scolecodont reflectance as an alternative to vitrinite and pyrobitumen reflectance in Ordovician and Silurian strata, Anticosti Island, Quebec, Canada]: AAPG Bulletin, vol. 41, p. 951–957.</ref> | + | Pollen and spores are the organic-walled microfossils most commonly used for gauging paleotemperature. Fossil color, which changes with heating, is used to estimate a [[thermal alteration index]], or TAI.<ref name=ch17r82>Staplin, F., L., 1969, Sedimentary organic matter, organic metamorphism, and oil and gas occurrence: Bulletin of Canadian Petroleum Geology, vol. 17, no. 1, p. 47–66.</ref><ref name=ch17r56>Lerche, I., McKenna, T., C., 1991, Pollen translucency as a thermal maturation indicator: Journal of Petroleum Geology, vol. 14, no. 1, p. 19–36, DOI: 10.1111/jpg.1991.14.issue-1</ref><ref name=ch17r62>Marshall, J., E., A., 1991, Quantitative spore colour: Journal of the Geological Society of London, vol. 148, p. 223–233, DOI: 10.1144/gsjgs.148.2.0223</ref> The use of pollen and spores lets us examine in situ fossils rather than evaluate an aggregate “[[kerogen]] soup.” Other organic-walled fossils—acritarchs, chitinozoans, graptolites, scolecodonts (annelid worm jaws), and dinoflagellates—have been examined for their visual and reflected values, but these fossil groups have not been rigorously calibrated to the standard vitrinite reflectance scale.<ref name=ch17r16>Bertrand, R., Heroux, Y., 1987, [http://archives.datapages.com/data/bulletns/1986-87/data/pg/0071/0008/0950/0951.htm Chitinozoan, graptolite and scolecodont reflectance as an alternative to vitrinite and pyrobitumen reflectance in Ordovician and Silurian strata, Anticosti Island, Quebec, Canada]: AAPG Bulletin, vol. 41, p. 951–957.</ref> |