Annual Report 2011-2012 - Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany

EBIRBAL SAHNI INSTITUT
OF PALAEOBOTANY
1946
Annual Report 2011-2012
Additional Research Contributions
Systematics of the stromatolites of the Proterozoic
Kaladgi Basin is attempted. The diversity and distribution
of the various stromatolite forms occurring in the Bagalkot
Group of the Kaladgi Supergroup have been documented.
An assemblage of six taxa is recognized from the Bagalkot
Group. The forms Asperia digitata (=Yelma digitata),
Ephyaltes edingunnensis, Eucapsiphora leakensis,
Kussoidella karalundiensis, Pilbaria deverella and
Yandilla meekatharrensis are described. These forms
are not recorded from any other Proterozoic Sequence
of India of the Palaeoproterozoic age. Similar forms are
recorded from Africa, Australia, Canada and China.
Asperia digitata, a digitate stromatolite, is known from
the Proterozoic Sequence of the Palaeoproterozoic age
in other parts of the world. Poorly constrained age of the
Bagalkot Group of the Kaladgi Supergroup can be
ascertained on the basis of the reported assemblage as
Late Palaeoproterozoic to Early Mesoproterozoic
(Orosirian-Statherian to Calymmian Period).
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Mukund Sharma & S.M. Pandey
The study on the Owk Shale of the Kurnool Group
from the peninsular India reports occurrence of helically
coiled microfossil Obruchevella Reitlinger. The age of
the Kurnool Group is poorly constrained due to the
absence of direct radiometric dating and meager
palaeobiological data. Occurrence of Obruchevella is
considered as a typical Vendian marker genus recorded
mostly from close to the Precambrian–Cambrian
boundary successions. Hence, the present assemblage is
important to ascertain the age of the basin. In the Owk
Shale, four species of Obruchevella, viz., O. delicata,
O. parva, O. minor and O. valdaica are recorded as
organic walled microfossils. Among them O. valdaica is
the largest in terms of size parameters. On the global
scale, the recovered species occur in the Late
Neoproterozoic to Early Cambrian sediments. Therefore,
the occurrence of microfossil Obruchevella in the Owk
Shale and known burrow structures in the Narji Limestone
suggest Ediacaran age close to the Cambrian for the
Kurnool Basin and challenges the recently assigned
Mesoproterozoic age of the basin.
Mukund Sharma & Yogmaya Shukla
The plant fossil assemblages of Late Permian age
recovered from the Tatapani-Ramkola Coalfield pertaining
to the equisetalean cones have been described as
Tatapania- a new genus (fructifications of Schizoneura
gondwanensis). The megafossil assemblage of Korba
Coalfield belonging to genera Gangamopteris are also
observed for detailed morphotaxonomy and their diversity.
For both the studies, manuscripts along with the photodocumentation
have been prepared and finalized.
Anju Saxena & K.J. Singh
Research papers manuscripts related with the work
of Ph.D. thesis dealing with the Holocene palaeoclimate
reconstruction based on the macrofaunal assemblage
(ostracod and gastropod) and phytoliths have been
prepared and are being finalized, other manuscripts are
also under preparation.
Anju Saxena
Co-ordinated museum activities-day to day work,
educating visitors, organizing lectures, making database
of Museum holdings, Coordinated publication of exhibits/
hand outs/ bilingual Annual Report 2010-11. Coordinated
lecture series in the institute.
A. Rajanikanth
The bore-core containing plant mega fossil is
recovered from the Chintalpudi sub-basin of Pranhita
Godavari Valley. The fossils recorded at various depths
are mostly Ptilophyllum species. Conifers are reported
by Elatocladus and Pagiophyllum species, whereas
single species of genus Pachypteris has also been
reported. Pteridophyte is not been recorded. Overall the
flora is correlatable with Gollapalle flora of Godavari
Basin, Sehora flora of Jabalpur and flora of Gangapur
Formation.
Neeru Prakash & Neerja Jha
The flower Williamsonia along with Carpolithes
(seed) has been reported for the first time from the upper
part of the Callovian-Oxfordian of Washtawa Formation
(Nara Shale Member). This is an earliest record of genus
Williamsonia (Middle Oxfordian; based on ammonites
and nannofossil evidences). The other forms which are
made so far from other Indian basins are of Early
Cretaceous age. A paper has been finalized on the
aspect.
Neeru Prakash & Jyotsana Rai
Samples have been analysed for understanding the
palynoassemblages from Supra Barakar and Barakar
formations of Talcher Coalfield, Son-Mahanadi Basin.
Two palynoassemblages have been recovered through
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