1996-97 - Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany

BSIP
Samampollenites, Brachysaccus, Callialasporites and equates with the Late Triassic
palynoflora.
Archana Tripathi & K.L. Meena
The bore cores of Bore hole TCP-39, TCP-41 and TNA-7 from Talcher Coalfield
were palynologically studied. The qualitative assessment of spore-pollen in TCP-39
(depth 381.70 m) and TCP-41 (470.25 m) shows palynocomposition typical of Late
Permian palynoflora having dominance of striate bisaccates and Weylandites,
Cu"ulapolieniles, Kamthisacciles, Densipolieniles spp. and stray occurrence of
Arcualipolieniles. In the bore-hole TNA-7 the samples investigated at 27.20 to 87.25
m shows the composition similar to that from TCP-39 and TCP-41 in addition to
Striatosporites, Quadrisporites and Leiosphaeridia.
K.L.
Meena
The palynodata of bore-hole IBSH-6 from Ib-River Coalfield, Orissa was
studied. The age of bore core sediments compares to Raniganj. Processing of samples
from bore-holes IBT-2, IBT-3 and IBT-6 for palynodating have been completed.
Visited Geological Survey of India, Calcutta for scientific discussion and
consultation of library. Visited Sohagpur Coalfield (M.P.) and collected the bore core
as well as outcrop samples for palynological analysis.
Programme 2.5 :
Morphological study of plant megafossils from Raniganj,
Karanpura and RajmahaI Coalfields and ultrastructure
of megaspores, cuticles, seeds and in situ pollen/spores
H.K. Maheshwari & Usha Bajpai
Further investigated the ultrastructure of the cuticular membrane recovered from
healthy and fungi-infected leaves of Thinnfeldia indica Feistmantel, in order to
understand the nature of changes brought about in the cuticular membrane by the fungi
and how cuticle is lost from the compression fossils. In general, the structural
configuration of both cuticular membranes is similar. In the infected leaf, precursors
of cutin accretions are irregularly present at the sub-cuticular surface. These accretions
are interpreted as possible result of breakdown of cutin due to the secretion of an
enzyme by the fungi infecting the leaf. The study on the cuticular membrane of infected
leaf of Thinnfeldia indica under Transmission Electron Microscope shows various
stages of degradation of amorphous matrix by the release of enzyme (cutinase). The
upper portion of cuticular membrane is completely intact. It thus seems that fungi,
besides edaphic factors, do playa role in the break-down of the cutin and thus constrain
the preservation of the cuticular membranes.
Transmission electron micrographs of the cuticular membrane of Dicroidium
sp., a Late Triassic leaf collected from the Tiki Formation of Madhya Pradesh, exhibit
a 'herring bone' structure which possibly is an indicator of environmental stress. On
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