Annual Report 2011-2012 - Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany

EBIRBAL SAHNI INSTITUT
1946
OF PALAEOBOTANY
Annual Report 2011-2012
Additionally, maceration of sub-surface samples of
palaeolake near Dwarahat village, Kumaon, lesser
Himalaya has been done (by PSR) and the palynological
study is in progress. This work is in collaboration with
IISc, Bangalore.
P.S. Ranhotra & A. Bhattacharyya
Investigated samples of botanical remains from well
stratified layers of NBPW, Pre-NBPW with iron and Pre-
NBPW without iron (Chalcolithic) periods of a
protohistoric site Raipura in Belan Valley, Sonbhadra
district (UP). The site is located very close to Kaimur
hills and on a small Nala connecting Belan river. The
samples were sent by Dr. Prabhakar Upadhyay of Dept.
of A.I.H.C. & Archaeology, BHU, Varanasi for retrieval
of seed/fruit remains to be used for AMS dating
Chanchala Srivastava
Revised a prior submitted paper entitled ‘Pollen and
phytoliths from fired ancient potsherds as potential
indicators for deciphering past vegetation and climate in
Turpan, Xinjiang, NW China’ as per the suggestions.
Ruby Ghosh
Paper on Normal mode analysis of POCB
Modification I with phonon dispersion in the first Brillouin
Zone using Urey Bradley force field incorporating
interaction of water molecule was published. Further work
on thermal degradation of PGGA also progressed.
Subodh Kumar & C.M. Nautiyal
Sediment samples have been collected from Chilka
Lagoon during the visit to attend the Indian Science
Congress at Bhubaneswar (Odisha). Sediment samples
have also been collected from the Mandovi Estuary, Goa
during the visit to attend the Arctic Team selection
Meeting. The study of these samples will provide some
important basic data required for the initiation of project
work in next plan period.
Vartika Singh
Finalized a manuscript on ‘An evaluation of the
Late Palaeozoic floras of India’. Distribution of the
Glossopteris floral elements through various Lower
Gondwana horizons has been analysed in the light of recent
researches.
Rajni Tewari & S.S.K. Pillai
A field trip has been undertaken to various
Carboniferous (Gund), Permian and Triassic localities
(Nishatbagh, Khunamuh, Mamal, Zewan and Pahalgam)
of Kashmir region for collection of plant and animal
fossils, and rock samples for the recovery of micro- and
megaspores, etc. The Late Carboniferous section showing
diamictite base with alternation of shales and sandstones
exposed near the Gund village on Jammu-Kashmir
national highway is visited and a rich assemblage of plant
fossils comprising a variety of lycopsid axes with wellpreserved
leaf scars are collected. Animal fossils like
insect, insect wing, traces, invertebrates belonging to the
Annelida group are recorded from the Nishatbagh section
exposed 1 km East of Nishatbagh Garden, Srinagar.
Visited the type locality of Mamal Formation
situated near Mamal village (Pahalgam) in Liddar valley
area. However, plant mega fossils are not found in this
area. The samples for the study of megaspores and sporepollens
are collected. Besides, the type locality of Zewan
Formation (Late Permian) situated near the Zewan village,
Srinagar is visited. Mamal Formation is also exposed in
this section. Well preserved animal mega remains like
Bivalves, Gastropods, Bryozoans are collected.
Equisetalean axes are found from the Mamal Formation
of this section. Additionally, the well known Guryul Ravine
section of Permo-Triassic boundary exposed near the
Khunamuh village, Srinagar is also visited and
palynological samples are collected from different intervals
of this contact.
Grouping sorting, cleaning and photo-documentation
of lycopsid axes collected from Gund Formation
(Carboniferous) of Kashmir region has been carried out.
The axes have been tentatively categorised on the basis
of structure of leaf scars under the genera
Lepidodendron, Tomeodendron, Sigillaria and
Archaeosigillaria. Equisetalean stems along with some
stem barks and insect wing have also been recorded from
the shales. The samples are macerated for the recovery
of megaspores and spores-pollen. Monosaccate spores,
mesosporium of megaspores and algal remains belonging
to the Chaetophora group are recorded from these
samples. Animal fossils belonging to the groups
aschehelmenthes, annelids, brachiopods and arthropods
are recovered from the Carboniferous shales of
Nishatbagh Formation (Early Permian), Nishatbagh. Rich
charcoalified plant remains indicating occurrences of
palaeofire along with spore-pollen grains have also been
recorded from samples of Nishatbagh Formation.
Rajni Tewari, Ram Awatar, Rupendra Babu, S.S.K. Pillai &
Deepa Agnihotri (with S.K. Pandita & G.D. Bhat)
Carried out photo-documentation of animal remains,
and prepared and finalized a manuscript on Bdelloid
Rotifera reported from Chamba Valley.
Neerja Jha & Neha Aggarwal
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