PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION OF PALYNOLOGY ACROSS THE K-PG BOUNDARY IN THE JACKSON PURCHASE REGION OF KENTUCKY

The recently re-located Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) boundary site in western Kentucky contains a relatively complete record of deposition in terrestrial environments from the upper McNairy Formation (Cretaceous) through the lower Clayton Formation (Paleocene). The formations are separated by an iridium-enriched zone located above the iron concretion bed previously thought to demarcate the boundary. Sedimentology and geochemistry-based restudy of the boundary have recently been completed. However, the palynology, which was originally used to determine the boundary position, has not been re-examined for more than 40 years. Here, we present a new palynological study that evaluates both paleoecological and paleoclimatological conditions present at the time of deposition using tandem studies of both plant and fungal remains. At this site, preliminary data suggest a seasonally wet and dry subtropical to warm-temperate climate in a terrestrial setting. This study improves the palaeoecological record of the Jackson Purchase region during the K-Pg Boundary interval and sheds light on the terrestrial ecology of a rarely studied region.