1996-97 - Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany

BSIP
Fifty six samples from Umrangso section of Kopili Formation were studied.
Only three samples yielded pollen and spores which were assigned to : Striatriletes,
Dellsiverllpollenites, Polypodiaceaesporites, MOllolites, Todisporites major, T minor,
Diporodicellaesporites and few fungal bodies.
A draft manuscript entitled "Palynology of the Kopili Formation (Upper Eocene)
in the type area, Khorungma, Assam, India" was finalized.
Visited North-Central Hill District, Assam for the collection of samples for
palynological studies.
Programme 6.10 :
Biodiagenesis of Tertiary coals from Nagaland and kerogen
study from Tertiary sequence of Assam-Arakan
Basin
B.K.
Misra
Fluorescence microscopic investigation on 25 coal samples from four coal seams
of Changki Valley Coalfield, Nagaland was carried out. The coals contain high to very
high proportions of fluorescing macerals. Of the total fluorescing macerals, perhydrous
vitrinite constitutes up to 50 per cent. The liptinite macerals (up to >30%), in order of
decreasing abundance, are liptodetrinite, resinite, cutinite, suberinite, sporinite and
exsudatinite, besides 'minor amount of alginite (BotryococcllS) and f1uorinite. In
petrographic composition, under fluorescence mode, these coals are similar to the other
Late Palaeocene and Oligocene coals from Meghalaya, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
Programme 6.11: Palynostratigraphy and correlation of Tertiary sediments
of Meghalaya
R.K. Saxena, S.K.M. Tripathi & Vandana Prasad
Recovered a rich palynofloral assemblage consisting of dinoflagellate cysts,
fungal remains, pteridophytic spores and angiospermic pollen from the Tura Formation
(Palaeocene-Eocene) exposed along Tura-Dalu Road Section in West Garo Hills District.
Dinoflagellate cysts are represented by Operculodinium spp. and Homotryblium spp.
Fungal remains are constituted by spores and fruiting bodies. Angiospermous pollen
are the dominant constituents of the assemblage. The palynoflora indicates a tropicalsubtropical
climate sustaining wet evergreen forest in the vicinity of the area. Deposition
of the studied sequence is inferred to have taken place under shallow marine conditions
as the assemblage shows presence of dinocysts. The palynofloral assemblage exhibits
a similarity with known Palaeocene-Eocene assemblages recorded from the Cherra
and Therria Formations of Meghalaya, Mikir Formation of Assam and Matanomadh
Formation of Kutch, Gujarat.
Rich palynofloral assemblage has also been recorded from the Rewak Formation
exposed along Siju-Baghmara Road in South Garo Hills District. The assemblage
consists of dinoflagellate cysts, fungal remains, pteridophytic spores and angiospermic
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