1995-96 - Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany

BSIP
Programme 3.9
Objective
Programme 3. J 0
Objective
lignite and relate them with extant plants
To deduce palaeoenvironmental, palaeoecological and phytogeographical
information
Twenty-cight carbonised woods were cut and studied. Preservation of 16 woods was
too poor to reveal any anatomical structure. One of them scems to bclong to the family
Combretaceae and remaining woods identified as duplicates of already known taxa from
Neyveli. About 30 blocks of carboni sed woods were prepared to study under reflectance
nllcroscope. Besides, clearing and photography of the leaves were done and their study is in
progress.
Anil Agarwal
Organic petrology of Kutch lignites, Gujarat
To evaluate Panandhro lignite for various industrial uses
condi­
To understand genesis of lignite and palaeoenvironmental
tions
Qualitative study and quantitative assessment of lignite microconstituents have
been made (under normal incident mode) on particulate pellets from Old Minc scction of
Panandhro lignitefield. Lignite is dominated by huminite group of maccrals with the higher
proportions ofhumotelinitc and humodetrinite. Macerals ofliptinite group, recorded in subordinatc
amount, show less morphological variations and lower frequency in comparison
to that observed under fluorescence modc, possibly due to their association with dispcrsed
mincral matter. The data generated (both under normal and fluoresccnce modes)
reveal that the lignites of all the lateral sections are more or less similar in respect to
maceral composition.
B.K. Misra & Alpana Singh
A paper entitled "Fluorescence microscopic investigations of thc main lignite seam
from Neyveli Lignitefield, Tamil Nadu, India" was finalized.
Alpana Singh & B.K. Misra
Palynostratigraphy of the Tertiary sediments of Gujarat
To correlate Tertiary formations oj'Kutch with those in Broach
and adjacent areas
To decipher the palaeoecological condition of deposition
To compare thefossil pollen with the living ones
A rich Early Eocene palynoassemblage was recovered from the Waghapadar section.
The middle part of the section, dominated by carbonaceous shale, yielded maximum
pollen-spores. Thc asscmblage consists of a variety of spores, pollen and fungal remains.
Two distinct palynological assemblage zones have been recognised, viz., Cheilanthoidspora
enigmata Assemblage zone and Tricolpites crassireticulatus Assemblage zone in asccnding
order. Record of Pilatrisyncolpites in this basin, which is known only from subsurface
younger rocks of Uppcr Assam, appears to be phytogeographically important. A few tetrad
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