1995-96 - Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany

1995-96
Major Achievements
and Activities of the Institute
Research
The Birbal Sahni Institute has commitment to develop scientific knowledge
and expertise in the field of Palaeobotany and related disciplines. An integrated
and multidisciplinary approach is adopted to complete thc targets of different
programmes undertaken for fulfilling the objectives of the Institute.
During the year 1995-96, some of the salient results achieved at the Institu
te are as follows
Early Life
The continued efforts to understand the early life during Precambrian and
Cambrian time have brought significant results. The biota from argillaceous sediments
of Rohtas Formation in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh has
shown presence of Chlorophyta even before 1000 Ma years. Maiden record of
shelly fauna from Sahabad Limestone Formation has been made from Bhima
Basin. From the present state of knowledge on organic remains from Bhima Basin
it is concluded that these sediments belong to latest part of terminal Proterozoic.
Well developed stromatolites were recorded from the Iron Ore Group representing
Kashia Formation from Barbil-Noamundi area. The inferred environment
of deposition for the Kashia Formation is intertidal to subtidal zone. The sandstone
dykes were recorded from Kashia Formation. This is the first record of sandstone
dyke from Archaean of India.
Gondwana Sequence and associated coals
Studies of plant fossil assemblages from Auranga, Jharia, Karanpura and
Hura coalfields and Hinjrida Ghati (Orissa) have been carried out on Permian
(250-280 million years old) sediments. For the first time the male fructification
Nesowalesia is reported from India which is known only from Australia. The assemblage
indicates that very much disturbed conditions prevailed in the
preservational and depositional environment of Karanpura and Hura coalfields.
The megafloral assemblage of Mesozoic deposits of Murlipahar, Balidih
and Sitalpura localities of Rajmahal Basin and Gangapur Formation (Pranhita­
Godavari Basin) has been analysed. Phyllopteroides laevis-an index Neocomian
species of Eastern Australia has been- recorded from Murlipahar of RajmahaJ
Basin.
The palynodating apd correlation of coal-bearing strata is an important
aspect of research at the Institute. Palynological investigations are being carried
out on the bore-core materials of the drillings made by G.S.I., M.E.C.L. and Singreni
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