Did the Benue Trough connect the Gulf of Guinea with the Tethys Ocean in the Cenomanian? New evidence from the palynostratigraphy of the Yola Sub-basin

Abstract The Yola Sub-basin represents the lower portion of bifurcated Upper Benue Trough, whose origin has been linked to opening Atlantic Ocean in Mesozoic. sub-basin fill consists predominantly siliciclastic and carbonate deposits, ages which have remained controversial until now. This work employs field observations integrated with palynostratigraphy refine stratigraphy these Cretaceous deposits. We delineate five palynozones, spanning upper Albian–Cenomanian, middle Cenomanian, Turonian Coniacian–Santonian. palynology indicates that rocks previously thought be are fact Cenomanian. Further, species Florentinia berran, khaldunii, Subtilisphaera senegalensis all low latitude dinocysts only reported from Tethyan realm. Their presence here, together sedimentology, implies there was an influx waters into epeiric sea Trough collective sedimentary palynological evidence Cenomanian transgression well established Sub-basin, more broadly connecting Tethys Gulf Guinea.