1995-96 - Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany

1995-96
Carboniscd wood of Chrysophyllum roxbllrghii, an evergreen clement, from Nepal Siwaliks; I, cross
section (X 80); 2, tangential longitudinal secliol1.
Six fossil woods collected from Siwalik sediments of Tanakpur have been studied
and tentatively identified with extant taxa Cassia and Ormosia of the family Fabaceae,
'l'erminalia of Combretaceae and a lauraceous wood. Twenty fossil woods collected from
Siwalik sediments of Kalagarh area in Pauri Garhwal District of Uttar Pradesh have been
studied. Of these. two fossil woods seem to be new belonging to the genus Dalbergia anu
Bi"chofia of the, families Fabaeeae and Euphorbiaceae, respectively.
A number of leaf-impressions recovered from Siwalik sediments of eastcrn Nepal
have been investigated and identified with the extant genus Bambllsa of Poaceae,
Dipterocarp"s and Hopea of Dipterocarpaceae, Leea of Ampelidaceae, Ardisia of
Myrsinaceae and Diospyros of Ebenaceae. A draft manuscript "Observations on the plant
fossils from the Siwalik sediments of eastern Nepal" was prcpared.
The overall study on plant megafossils from the Siwalik sediments suggcsts the
cxistence of a tropical forest all along the Himalayan foot-hills during deposition. On the
basis of habit and habitat of modem equivalents as well as physiognomic characters of the
fossils existence of tropical climate during Siwalik period has been suggested.
M. Prasad
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