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Analysis of Temporal Variation of Climate During Holocene Based on Pollen Data from Subsurface Sediments of Tripura

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Analysis of Temporal Variation of Climate During Holocene Based on Pollen Data from Subsurface Sediments of Tripura Changing Scenario in Palaeobotany and Allied Subjects ANALYSIS OF TEMPORAL VARIATION OF CLIMATE DURING HOLOCENE BASED ON POLLEN DATA FROM SUBSURFACE SEDIMENTS OF TRIPURA Abha, Santosh K. Shah & Amalava Bhattacharyya Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany, 53 University Road, Lucknow-226007, India A great deal of work on Quaternary vegetational history vis-à-vis climate change, based on pollen data, has been carried out from the northern (mainly Himalayas), central and southern parts of India, but little work has been done from the northeastern region. Tripura, one of the small states of northeastern India, is an ideal area to pursue Quaternary palynology. Several sites in this region are suitable for the collection of peat from bogs and marshes. Sediments from relatively shallow lakes, where sedimentation rates are high, provide an opportunity to recover samples with high temporal resolution. The long-term climatic changes would provide database for the effective management of water resources of this region by realistic estimation of the impact of the climatic changes in watershed management, especially in understanding the long-term temporal behavior of floods and droughts of this region. The present exploratory analysis is aimed to reconstruct vegetational history vis-à-vis climate change during Holocene from the region. This study is based on the analysis of pollen and spores from the subsurface sediments collected from southern part of Tripura. These sediments are dated 7 to 3 ka BP. Detailed analysis for the temporal variations in vegetation and corresponding climate changes are under progress. 1 Abstract Volume—Diamond Jubilee International Conference, 15-17 November 2006, BSIP, Lucknow FIRST RECORD OF TERMINALIA LINN. FROM THE WARKALLI BEDS (MIOCENE), CANNANORE DISTRICT, KERALA, INDIA Anil Agarwal1 & K. Ambwani2 1Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany, 53 University Road, Lucknow-226007, India E-mail: [email protected] 2Department of Botany, Lucknow University, Lucknow-226007, India A number of plant megafossils are known from the lignite of Warkalli Formation (Miocene), exposed at Payangadi Clay Mine in Cannanore District, Kerala. The fossil bearing lignite bed is about 5 m thick and overlies the coarse sandstone. The study reveals occurrence of a new fossil fruit that resembles Terminalia foetidissima Griff. of family Combretaceae. The carbonized fruit is well preserved, black in colour, drupe with one elliptical seed. It is obovate in shape and measures 3.2 cm in length, 2.1 cm in breadth and 1.5 cm in thickness. Its surface is glabrous and slightly undulated. Epicarp is thin and mesocarp is spongy and about 0.5 cm broad consisting of cells of variable nature, including sclerieds. Cells of endocarp are slightly elongate, thick walled and with a small lumen. Seed is enclosed in a papery thin testa. Cells of the endosperm are small, rounded and compact. Starch globules are present in the endosperm. The fossils, referable to the family Combretaceae, are represented by fruits, woods and leaves. They are also known from different Indian Tertiary sediments. Comparable extant species (Terminalia foetidissima Griff.) grows in the rain forests of Malayan peninsula, Myanmar, Borneo, Sumatra and India. Occurrence of Terminalia-like fruit indicates presence of littoral swamp forests with warm humid climate around Payangadi during the time of deposition. The present fossil fruit constitutes first record of Terminalia from the Miocene beds of Kerala. 2 Changing Scenario in Palaeobotany and Allied Subjects CONIFER WOOD FROM KALLAMEDU FORMATION, CAUVERY BASIN Anil Agarwal & A. Rajanikanth Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany, 53 University Road, Lucknow-226007, India E-mail: [email protected] The terminal Cretaceous event has a significant bearing on perpetuation of plant life. Cauvery Basin, the southern-most of the east-coast Cretaceous basins, is known for non-marine and marine sediments and related flora and fauna. The Kallamedu Formation (Late Maastrichtian), the youngest formation of Ariyalur Group, is known for dinosaurian remains. This non-marine formation is characterized by sandstones, siltstones and mudstones and exhibits large variations in lithology. Plant fossil contents in the form of spore/pollen and associated dinoflagellates are known and are important to understand plant evolution during the Maastrichtian times. The present paper reports occurrence of silicified wood taxa from these deposits and establishes existence of conifer growth near the depositional site. Further, presence of growth rings in the studied wood suggests seasonal demarcation. Plant evidences of Kallamedu Formation have been evaluated for palaeoecological implications. 3 Abstract Volume—Diamond Jubilee International Conference, 15-17 November 2006, BSIP, Lucknow GEOCHEMICAL APPROACH: A CONTEMPORARY TREND IN PALAEOBOTANY A. K. Arya, S. Chakraborty & C. M. Nautiyal Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany, 53 University Road, Lucknow-226007, India E-mail: [email protected] In this age of cross disciplinary studies, the application of geometric, geochemical and other parameters is helping in making palaeobotany a more contemporary science. Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany has been a prime centre for radiocarbon dating in the country and has played an important role in palaeoclimatic reconstruction for the late Quaternary Period. Keeping in step with the international trend, it is planned to combine radiocarbon dating, grain size analysis, petrography, mineral separation using heavy density and isodynamic magnetic method and atomic absorption spectrometry and mineralogical analysis, etc. with the new techniques and approaches. They include elemental analysis using HCNS-O Analyzer and stable isotope data for carbon and nitrogen. The range of material to be analyzed is really large and includes modern and sub-fossil plant material, marine and terrestrial sedimentary deposits (both fluvial and lacusterine), biogenic carbonates, etc. The ultimate aim is to build up finer scale palaeoclimate model for the range covered by radiocarbon dating including atmospheric CO2 variation and comparison of inferences based on marine and terrestrial climatic proxy records. In addition to the existing methods of radio carbon dating, grain-size separation, some new methods of elemental analyses using HCNS-O analyzer and stable isotope data are planned to be added. The progress in the work done, its scope and data acquired will be presented. 4 Changing Scenario in Palaeobotany and Allied Subjects SEQUENCE BIOSTRATIGRAPHY OF KAIKALUR-LINGALA AREA, KRISHNA- GODAVARI BASIN, INDIA H. S. Aswal, S. N. Uniyal & Kamla Singh Palynology Laboratory, K. D. M. Institute of Petroleum Exploration, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited, Dehradun-248195, India High-resolution sequence biostratigraphic studies in Kaikalur–Lingala area, Krishna–Godavari Basin has been attempted for age, depositional environment and III order depositional sequences. Four III order depositional sequences have been identified in Kanukollu Sandstone (136–112 Ma), fourteen sequences in Raghavapuram Shale (112–75 Ma) and three sequences in Tirupati Sandstone (75–71 Ma). The dinoflagellate cyst studies suggest that Kanukollu Sandstone was deposited under inner neritic to marginal marine depositional environment. Of the three distinguishable lithounits in Raghavapuram Shale, the lower HG-HR shale unit was deposited under outer to middle neritic environment (bathymetry up to 100 m); the middle limestone unit in lagoonal conditions and the upper HG-NR shale unit was deposited under fluctuating inner to outer neritic depositional conditions (bathymetry 30 to 200 m). Biochronostratigrahic studies suggest presence of two hiatuses, one at the top of Early Albian of 8–10 Ma span and other at Cenomanian top of 3 Ma span. Geohistory analyses establish the presence of Kaza-Kaikalur high before the deposition of Kanukollu Sandstone. Marine incursion in the studied area commenced from W–SW during the deposition of seq. 4a but slowly shifted to W–NW direction to S–SE direction during the deposition of Sequence 9c. 5 Abstract Volume—Diamond Jubilee International Conference, 15-17 November 2006, BSIP, Lucknow PROTEROZOIC BIOCOMMUNITIES FROM THE SOUTHEASTERN PART OF CHHATTISGARH BASIN Rupendra Babu & Manoj Shukla Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany, 53 University Road, Lucknow-226007, India E-mail: [email protected] The origin of life on the terrestrial planet is still considered a complicated and puzzling problem owing to concepts/ theories given by many philosophers and scientists. The signatures of life are known in the form of chemical and biological fossils from the Precambrian strata. The structural evidences of fossils show that single celled life appeared 3500 Ma ago and the abundant multicelled biological forms ~540 Ma ago. The micro-macrofossils (prokaryotes and eukaryotes) and eukaryotic origin substances have been reported from well-dated Palaeoproterozoic sediments. Their significance in understanding the history of life, evolutionary trends and relationship with environs during the sedimentation has been inferred. About 400 m thick sedimentary sequence of Singhora Group is exposed in southeastern part of Chhattisgarh Basin. This group, comprising mildly deformed and weakly metamorphosed rocks mixed with siliciclastics-carbonate-arenaceous sediments, has been classified into four formations. It overlies the basement rocks belonging to Sambalpur granitoids and Sonakhan volcanics
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