There is probably something buried deeply within the human genome that urges man to collect, sort, and classify. How else is it possible to explain a child's collection of matchbook covers or Mendeleev's periodic classification of the elements? Systematic palaeontology and biostratigraphy turn this natural urge to very practical purposes, for the geologist and the evolutionist are dependent on the results. However, anyone reading the pages of certain palaeobiological journals, or a certain type of article on extinction, might be forgiven for concluding that we now have reached the point where further systematic description of fossils and further refining of our biostratigraphic classification had reached the point of diminishing returns.

The James Ross Island area is recognized as one of the geological treasures of Antarctica. It exposes a section of 5–6 km of Cretaceous and Tertiary marine sedimentary strata with an important content of reworked Upper Jurassic rocks near the base. This succession is probably one of the most important Cretaceous sequences in the Southern Hemisphere.

A sedimentary sequence, c. 5–6 km thick, extending from the Kimmeridgian–Upper Eocene crops out in the James Ross Island area, northern Antarctic Peninsula. This succession is the most important onshore Late Cretaceous–Tertiary sequence in Antarctica and is probably one of the most significant Cretaceous sequences in the Southern Hemisphere. However, the understanding of the geological and palaeontological evolution of the area has been limited by an incomplete knowledge of the biostratigraphy of this region. Palynological studies are providing a finer resolution biostratigraphical zonation scheme than previously possible. This paper reviews the stratigraphy of the basin fill succession and provides a framework for the papers published in this Special Issue.

An allochthonous block of the Nordenskjöld Formation from north-west James Ross Island, Antarctic Peninsula has yielded a diverse marine palynoflora. Dinoflagellate cyst assemblages from the 185 m thick sequence are described and compared with similar microfloras previously described from Australia, Papua New Guinea and Madagascar. A mid Tithonian (Late Jurassic) age is suggested for the section. One new genus, Helbydinium gen. nov. and four new species, Helbydinium scabratum sp. nov., Leptodinium acneum sp. nov., Leptodinium posterosulcatum sp. nov. and Rhynchodiniopsis foveata sp. nov. are described.

Palynomorph assemblages are reported from the Kotick Point and Whisky Bay formations in west and north-west James Ross Island, Antarctic Peninsula. The microfloras, particularly the dinoflagellate cyst florules, indicate an Aptian to early/mid Albian age for the Kotick Point Formation and a mid Albian to Turonian age for the Whisky Bay Formation on the basis of comparison with records from other Southern Hemisphere localities. The ages adduced broadly corroborate those previously derived from macrofaunas. The dinoflagellate cyst floras are closely comparable with those previously reported from Australasia to the extent that recognition of certain microplankton zones is possible. The miospore flora is largely composed of long ranging taxa of limited age diagnostic value. The palynoflora comprises 77 dinoflagellate cyst, 52 miospore and 7 acritarch, chlorophyte and prasinophyte taxa.

Palynomorph assemblages from the Lachman Crags Member of the Santa Marta Formation, north-west James Ross Island, Antarctic Peninsula are described. By basis of comparison with other Southern Hemisphere localities, particularly southern Australia, an early Santonian–early Campanian age is indicated. The results broadly corroborate previous stratigraphical interpretations based on macrofaunal evidence, although the presence of a significant thickness of Santonian strata, not previously recognized, is suggested. The dinoflagellate cyst floras allow the recognition of the local equivalents of the Australian Odontochitina porifera, Isabelidinium cretaceum, Nelsoniella aceras and Xenikoon australis Interval Zones. Some recycling of mid Cretaceous (and possibly Late Jurassic) taxa is also indicated. The miospore flora is composed of relatively long-ranging species, although the local appearance of certain taxa may be of stratigraphical significance. Ranges recorded support previous interpretations of heterochroneity in Southern Hemisphere floras. The palynoflora comprises 76 dinoflagellate cyst, 40 miospore and 7 acritarch, prasinophyte and chlorophyte taxa. Six undescribed species of dinoflagellate cyst are recorded and placed in open nomenclature.

Palynomorph assemblages dominated by dinoflagellate cysts are described from seventeen samples from the Rabot Member of the Santa Marta Formation at Ekelöf Point, eastern James Ross Island, Antarctic Peninsula. Although the assemblages are of relatively low diversity, the dinoflagellate cyst taxa recorded indicate a mid to late Campanian (Late Cretaceous) age. Changes in species diversity, dominance and gonyaulacacean ratio suggest a gradually reducing distance from shore during deposition, with a return to more offshore conditions towards the section top. A new species of dinoflagellate cyst, Isabelidinium papillum, is described.

Palynological analyses of the Marambio Group sediments of Humps Island (Santa Marta and López de Bertodano formations) indicates that there is minor displacement across a prominent NW–SE trending normal fault which passes beneath the southern bluff. No major compositional differences were perceived between the palynomorph assemblages either side of the fault. A late Campanian age is suggested for both sequences, based on comparison with Australasian dinoflagellate cyst zonations. A new species of the dinoflagellate cyst Bourkidinium has been recorded from strata on either side of the fault. A significant number of recycled Permian and Early Cretaceous palynomorphs were recorded. Most are miospores and exhibit significant variation in preservational states, implying derivation from several sources. More thermally mature Permian gymnosperm pollen is most likely derived from the nearby Trinity Peninsula Group, exposed on the Antarctic Peninsula. The source of the relatively well preserved Permian pollen is problematic.

Thirty samples from two sections on south-western Humps Island, James Ross Basin, northern Antarctic Peninsula, contain moderately diverse dinoflagellate cyst assemblages deposited in shallow shelf, open marine conditions. Assemblages contain common Isabelidinium spp., including I. cretaceum and I. pellucidum, Cerodinium diebelii, common Odontochitina spp., including O. operculata, O. porifera and O. spinosa, plus Nelsoniella cf. aceras, Octodinium askiniae and rare Chatangiella tripartita, C. victoriensis, Isabelidinium cf. belfastense and I. korojonense. This association includes species with Santonian and Campanian (to Maastrichtian) distribution in Australia and New Zealand. Some of these species may be recycled. A Campanian age is suggested for the Humps Island sections.

Samples from the lower Cape Lamb Member, López de Bertodano Formation, Cape Lamb, Vega Island, Antarctic Peninsula have yielded rich and diverse marine palynofloral assemblages. The overall character of the palynofloral assemblages indicate a latest Campanian–earliest Maastrichtian age. Four new dinoflagellate cyst species Canninginopsis ordospinosa sp. nov., Microdinium ? gymnosuturum sp. nov., Phelodinium exilicornutum sp. nov. and Operculodinium radiculatum sp. nov. are described. Certain key dinoflagellate cyst taxa such as Operculodinium radiculatum sp. nov., Manumiella n. sp. 3 and Isabelidinium cretaceum allow a correlation of the lower Cape Lamb Member with the upper palynomorph zone 1/lower zone 2 on nearby Seymour Island.

Twenty two samples collected from the Tertiary La Meseta Formation of Cape Wiman, Seymour Island, Antarctic Peninsula yielded abundant and moderately diverse assemblages of marine palynoflora, dominated by dinoflagellate cysts, together with acritarchs and chlorophyta. The assemblages can be divided into three association: Association 1, characterized by low diversity dinoflagellate assemblage of late Early Eocene age which are dominated by Enigmadinium cylindrifloriferum; Association 2 characterized by more diverse dinoflagellate cyst assemblages, which show a marked decrease in the dominance of E. cylindrifloriferum, and an increase in relative abundance of Areosphaeridium cf. diktyoplokus; and Association 3 which is characterized by a decrease in dinoflagellate cyst diversity up section. Changes in dinoflagellate cyst dominance and diversity throughout the section suggests a gradation from a stressed, shallow marine palaeoenvironment to a more open near-shore, shallow marine system becoming progressively more nearshore up section. The assemblages are no older than late Early Eocene in age, and possibly as young as Mid–Late Eocene.