Paul, an Independent Stratigraphic Palynologist, Has 31 Years of Palynological Experience

Biodata (in brief) MADHAV KUMAR Scientist – F BIRBAL SAHNI INSTITUTE OF PALAEOBOTANY 53, UNIVERSITY ROAD, LUCKNOW-226007 E-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]

Date of appointment to the post of Scientist (Junior Scientific Assistant) at Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany, Lucknow: 20th October, 1981.

Academic qualifications from graduation onwards: Year Degree University Institution Subjects 1978 B. Sc. Gorakhpur University, Buddha P.G. College, Zoology, Botany Gorakhpur (UP) Kushinagar and Chemistry

1980 M. Sc. Banaras Hindu University, Banaras Hindu University Botany Varanasi (UP) 1986 Ph.D. Kanpur University, Birbal Sahni Institute of Botany Kanpur (UP) Palaeobotany, Lucknow (Palynology) 1986 B.Sc., Lucknow University, Lucknow University Geology (Condensed Lucknow (UP) Course)

5. Ph. D. Thesis Title

Palynostratigraphy of the Tertiary sediments in Northeast India

Experience: 32 years of the Research experience in Stratigraphic Palynology of Mesozoic and Tertiary sediments in: a) Northeast India - Palynofloral and palynofacies analyses of various sedimentary sequences are:

i) Subsurface in Nahorkatiya well -1, 263, 268, Duarmara -2, Tenali well-7, Bihpuria well–A, of Upper Assam and Kharsang 2 and 3 of Arunachal Pradesh, under collaboration with Oil India Limited, Duliajan (Assam). ii) Palynological analysis of subsurface rock samples from Namphuk # 7 (Arunachal Pradesh), Jagun # 4 & # 11 (Assam), provided by Northeast Wing of the Coal India Limited, Margherita (Assam). iii) Exposed sections of the Lakadong Sandstone Formation (Late Palaeocene) in various coalfields of Khasi Hills and Jaintia Hills, Meghalaya (Late Palaeocene), Mikir Formation (Early Eocene, Assam) and Tikak Parbat Formation of (Late Oligocene) in Tirap etc., mines of Upper Assam. b) Other regions of India Palynostratigraphical and palynofacies analyses of:

i) Out crops of Early Cretaceous sediments (Jabalpur Formation) in Satpura and Bansa Beds of South Rewa basins, Madhya Pradesh

ii) Akali Lignite (Early Eocene) of Rajasthan iii) Miocene sediments of Trans-Himalaya exposed on Kargil-Batalik Road, Jammu and Kashmir

i) Amberiwadi Lignitic Clay Beds (Miocene) of Maharashtra ii) Pliocene sediments of Mahuadanr Valley (Jharkhand) iii) Miocene sediments of Trans-Himalaya exposed on Kargil-Batalik Road, Jammu and Kashmir iv) Modern sediments of Kerala Mud Banks c) Actuopalynology i) Morphological details (including effects of thermal and chemical alterations on palms and other angiosperm pollengrains) based on light, scanning electron and transmission electron microscopic analyses c) Other than Indian Territory i) Deep Sea Drilling Project Site-218, Indian Ocean ii) Palynofacies of the Lashly Formation (Middle to late Triassic) of Allan Hills, Antarctica

The experience in Stratigraphic Palynology includes: 1) Routine quantitative and qualitative analyses of spore-pollen (Early Cretaceous to Pliocene), fresh water algal spores, fungal fruiting bodies, dinoflagellate cysts and microforaminiferal linings etc., 2) Palynofacies analysis based on all types of plant derived organic matter, its structured to biodegraded phases (non-altered–microbially altered, mineralised and thermally radiated). Determination of preservation potential of various types of sedimentary organic matter (SOM) in

2 oxic/dysoxic/anoxic burial conditions. Characterization and differentiation of fossiliferous facies based on SOM and palynomorphs. 3) Determining depositional environments in both terrestrial and marine realms. 4) Multi section (both surface and subsurface) correlation and relative dating based on palynological (spore-pollen, dinoflagellate cysts, palynofacies) contents. 5) X-Ray diffraction analysis of sedimentary organic matter and estimation of mineralization in the associated sediments. 6) Analysis of charcoal occurs in micro and megascopic forms in the sediments. 7) Determination of Thermal Alteration Index (TAI) based on the spore colour.

Member (Life) of the following academic bodies:

1) The Palaeobotanical Society, Lucknow 2) The Palaeontological Society of India 3) Electron Microscope Society of India

Visits abroad: i) Visited Hungary in 1997 and 2002 under INSA Exchange Program. ii) Prague, Czech Republic to attend 7th European Palaeobotany and Palynology Conference – 2006 iii) China during May and August 2011

Convener of the Committees at BSIP: 1. Scanning Electron Microscopy 2. Maceration facilities of rocks

Honours/Distinctions in the recognition of the research work:

In the year 2000

I) Awarded ‘Diploma of the Cell Biology and Evolutionary Micropalaeontology Laboratory of the Josef Attila University, Szeged, Hungary for promoting Joint Research under International Collaboration.

II) H.S. Pareek Award (received jointly with other authors) for the best paper published on Coal Science in the Journal of the Geological Society of India, Vol. 56:315-319.

13. Publications:

1) 1986 – Kar, R.K.and Kumar, M. - Palaeocene Palynostratigraphy of Meghalaya. Pollen et Spores 28 (2): 177-218. France

2) 1986 – Kar, R.K.and Kumar, M. - Neocouperipollis – A new name for Couperpollis Venkatachla and Kar. Palaeobotanist 35(2): 171-174. India

3) 1991–Ambwani, K. and Kumar, M. - Occurrence of viscin threads in Daemonoropes rubber BL.

3 Palmae. Phytomorphology 41(1&2): 95-97. India

4) 1991–Ambwani, K. and Kumar, M. - SEM studies of pollen in Nypa fruticans Wurmb. Phytomorphology 41(1&2): 95-97.

5) 1992 – Venkatachla, B.S. Kar, R.K., Suchindan, G.K., Ramchandran, K.K. & Kumar, M. - Study on the sedimentary facies, spore-pollen and palynodebris of mud banks and Vembanad Lake, Kerala. Geophytology 22: 245-254. India

6) 1993 – Ambwani, K. and Kumar, M. - Pollen morphology of Pseudophoenix (Arecaceae) H. Wendel. Phytomorphology 43(1&2): 71-74.

7) 1993 – Ambwani, K. and Kumar, M. - Pollen morphology of the Coryphoid genus Licuala (Palmae). Grana 32:164-168. Sweden

8) 1993- Ambwani, K. and Kumar, M. - Pollen morphology and aperture evolution in Agave Linn. Geophytology 23 (1):173-176.

9) 1994 – Ambwani, K. and Kumar, M. - Pollen morphology of Ammandra decasperma Cook. Phytelephantoideae. Phytomorphology 44 (1&2): 89-93.

10) 1994 - Kumar, M. - Palynological and palaeoecological studies of Palaeocene coalseams in Jarain and Laitrymbai areas, Jaintia Hills, Meghalaya, India. Geophytology 23(2):203-207.

11) 1994 - Kar, R.K., Handique, G.K., Kalita, C.K.,. Mandal, J, Sarkar, S., Kumar, M. & Gupta, A. - Palynostratigraphical studies on subsurface Teriary sediments in Upper Assam Basin, India. Palaeobotanist 42(2): 183-198. 12) 1994 - Kar, R.K., Mandal, J., Sarkar, S. & Kumar, M. - Pilatrisyncolpites triangulus gen et sp. nov. from the Oligocene of Upper Assam, India. Geophytology 32 (2): 287-289.

13) 1995 - Kumar, M. - Pollen tetrad from Palaeocene sediments of Meghalaya, India: comments on their morphology, botanical affinity and geological records. Palaeobotanist 43(1): 68-81.

14) 1996 - Venkatachala, B.S., Saxena, R.K., Singh, H.P., Kar R.K., Tripathi, S.K.M., Kumar, M., Sarkar, S., Mandal, J., Rao, M.R. Singh, R.S., Mandaokar, B.D. & Ambwani, K.- Indian Tertiary angiosperm pollen: A critical assessment. Palaeobotanist 43(2): 106-138.

15) 1996 - Kumar, M. - Palynostratigraphy and palaeoecology of Early Eocene palynoflora of Rajpardi Lignite, Bharuch District, Gujarat. Palaeobotanist 43(3): 110-121.

16) 1997 - Chandra, A. and Kumar, M. - Palynology of Late Tertiary sediments (DSDP site 218) in the Bengal fan, Indian Ocean. Palaeobotanist 46 (3): 51-69.

17) 1997 - Mandal, J. and Kumar, M. – Distribution of palynofossils across the Palaeocene-Eocene Boundary in north-east and western India. Palaeobotanist 46: 172-176.

18) 1998 - Guleria, J.S., Saini, D.C., Sekar, B., Bera, S.K. & Kumar, M.- A preliminary study of indicator plants of Copper and Manganese occurring in the ore rich areas of Balaghat District, Madhya Pradesh, India. Geophytology 26(2):27-31.

4 19) 1998 - Dutta, S.K., Bhuyan, D, & Kuamr, M. - Record of palynodebris from Upper Disang – Lower Barail groups around Kohima District, Nagaland. Geophytology 27:61-65.

20) 1998 - Saxena, R. K., Kumar, M. & Chandra, A. - A new inaperturate pollen genus from Late Miocene sediments of site 218 of DSDP Leg 22 in the Central Bengal fan, India Ocean. Palaeobotanist 47: 134- 137.

21) 2000 - Kedves, M., Borbola, A., Tripathi, S.K.M. & Kumar, M. - 15. Thermal effect on some extant palm pollen. Plant Cell Biology and Development 11: 166-183. Hungary

22) 2000 - Kedves, M., Borbola, A., Tripathi, S.K.M. & Kumar, M.- Transmission Electron Microscopic studies on partially degraded pollen grains of Phoenix sylvestris Linn. Plant Cell Biology and Development 12:93-103.

23) 2000 - Mandal, J. and Kumar, M.- Stratigraphical significance of some angiosperm pollen from Tinali Oilfeild, Upper Assam, India. Palaeobotanist 49:197-207.

24) 2000 - Kumar, M., Anand-Prakash, Srivastava, G.P. & Shukla, M. - Dispersed organic matter (DOM) types and depositional environment of Neogene sediments of Mahuadanr valley. Palamu, Bihar. Journal Geological Society of India, 55:317-325.

25) 2000 – Shukla, M. Kumar, P., Anad-Prakash, Srivastava, G.P. & Kumar, M. - Resin embedded insects and other organic remains from Warkali Formation, Kerala Coast, India. Journal Geological Society of India 56:315-319. India

26) 2000 – Shukla, M., Kumar, P., Anad-Prakash, Srivastava, G. P. & Kumar, M. - Record of resin embedded insects and related organic remains from Mahuadanr Valley, Bihar. Current Science 78(4):385- 386. India

27) 2001 – Kedves, M. Horvoth, A. Tripathi, S.K.M. & Kumar, M. - Symmetry operations on the quasi- crystalloid biopolymer system of the Sporopollen of Phoenix sylvestris Linn. From India. Plant Cell Biology and Development, 13:76-86. 28) 2001- Bajpai., U., Kumar, M., Shukla, M. Anand-Prakash & Srivastava, G.P. -Nature and composition of pyrite framboids and organic substrate from degraded leaf cuticles of Late Tertiary sediments, Mahuadanr Valley, Palamu, Bihar. Current Science 81(1):102-106.

29) 2001- Kumar, M., Mandal, J., Dutta, S.K., Bhuyan, D. Das, B & Saikia, B. - Palynostratigraphy of the subsurface sediments of Upper Assam Basin, India, GEOBIOS 34(3): 241-251.France

30) 2001- Tewari, R., Kumar, M. Anand-Prakash, Shukla, M. & Srivastava, G.P. - Dispersed angiosperm cuticles from a lignitic clay bed, Sindhudurg Formation, Maharashtra: an interpretation on taxonomy, biodegradation and environment of deposition. Golden Jubilee Volume, Palaeobotanist, 50:369-380.

31) 2002 - Kedves, M., Priskin, K., Tripathi, S.K.M. & Kumar, M. – Variation in LM morphology of partially degraded Palm pollen grains from India. Plant Cell Biology and Development, 14:75-84.

32) 2003- Kedves, M., Priskin, K., Tripathi, S.K.M. & Kumar, M. – Biopolymer structure of the partially degraded cuticles of Cycas rumphii: A preliminary report. Plant Cell Biology and Development, 15:43-47.

33) 2003 - Tripathi, S.K.M., Kumar, M., Kedves, M. & Jacso, D. – SEM investigations on the partially degraded pollen grains of family, Malvaceae. Plant Cell Biology and Development, 16:56-65.

5 34) 2004 - Kumar, M., Saxena, R.K. & Chandra, A.- Dispersed organic matter from Neogene and Pleistocene sediments of Site 218 of Deep Sea Drilling Project, Leg 22, Bengal fan, Indian Ocean. Palaeobotanist 53: 155-160.

35) 2004 - Tipathi, S.K.M., Kumar, M. & Kedves, M. – Advantages of the use of C60 fullerene/benzol solution in ultrastructure investigations: A case study of Cycas rumphii Miq. Pollen. Current Science, vol. 87 (6): 769-771.

36) 2004 - Prakash, N. and Kumar, M.- Occurrence of Ginkgo Linn. In Early Cretaceous deposits of South Rewa Basin, Madhya Pradesh. Current Science, vol. 87 (11): 1512-1515.

37) 2004 - Kumar, M. Bajpai, U. Prakash,N Shukla, NM & Srivastava, G.P. – Biodegradation of leaf cuticles during fossilization: a preliminary study. Journal of the Palaeontological society of India, vol. 49:151-157.

38) 2005 - Kumar, M. and Borgohain, R. – Palynofacies analysis and depositional environment of Bihpuria Well-A, north bank of Brahmputra River, Upper Assam Basin. Journal of the Geological Society of India, vol. 65:70-82.

39) 2005 - Ram-Awatar, Kumar, M. & Prakash, N. – Palynological analysis of Lower Gondwana sediments exposed along the Umrar River, South Rewa Basin, Madhya Pradesh. Palaeobotanist 54: 87-97.

40) 2006 - Srivastava G.P., Shukla, M., Kumar, P., Kumar, M. & Prakash, A. - Record of Pillbug (Armadillidium) and Millipede (Polyxenus) Remains from the Resin Lumps of Warkali Formation (Upper Tertiary), Kerala Coast. Journ. Geol. Soc. India, vol. 67:715-719.

41) 2009 - Tripathi, S.K. M., Kumar, M. & Srivastava, D. – Palynology of Lower Palaeogene (Thanetian-Ypresian) coastal deposits from the Barmer Basin (Akli Foemation, Western Rajasthan, India: Palaeoenvironmental and palaeoclimatic implications. Geologica Acta, vol. 7, no. (1-2): 147-160. Spain. 42) 2009 - Tewari, R. Kumar, M. & Prakash N. - Early Cretaceous Megaspores from Sher River Section, Sehora, Satpura Gondwana Basin, Madhya Pradesh, India. Phytomorphology, 59 (1 & 2):7-20. 43. 2010 - Kumar, M and Ram-Awatar- Early to Late Jurassic Palynofossils from South Rewa Gondwana Basin, Madhya Pradesh, India. Earth Science Frontiers, Vol. 17:215-216, Short Paper, Spl. Issue August, 2010.

44. 2011 - Kumar, M., Tewari R, Chatterjee, S. & Mehrotra, N. C. - Charcoalified plant remains from the Lashly Formation of Allan Hills, Antarctica: Evidences of Forest Fire during the Triassic Period. Episodes, 34 (2):109-118. 45. 2011 - Sarkar, S., Ghosh, A.K & Kumar, M. - Recognition of algal rich facies from Umlatdoh Limestone of Shella Formation belonging to the Jaintia Group, Meghalaya. Palaeobotanist, 60 (2): 315-321. 46. 2011 - Prakash, N. and Kumar, M. Morphological variations of Bennettitalean leaves of the Indian Gondwana. Palaeobotanist, 60 (2):369-376. 47. 2011 - Kumar M. - Palynofloral and sedimentary organic matter analyses of Early Cretaceous sediments exposed along Sher River in Satpura Basin, Madhya Pradesh. India. Geophytology

6 41 (1-2):9-23. 48. 2011- Kumar, M., Ghosh, A.K., Ram-Awatar & Mehrotra, R.C. - Palynomorphs of Gondwanic affinities in the Oligocene-Miocene sediments of Kargil Molasse Group, Ladakh, India. Palaeobotanist 61:165-176.

49. 2012- Srivastava, G., Spicer, A., Mehrotra, R., Kumar, M., Spicer, T.E., and Mehrotra, N. - Megaflora and Palaeoclimate of a Late Oligocene Tropical Delta, Makum Coalfield, Assam: Evidence for the Early Development of the South Asia Monsoon. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 342-343, 130–142. An Elsevier Journal

50. 2012- Kumar, M., Spicer, A., Spicer, T.E., Mehrotra, R., & Mehrotra, N.- Sedimentology, palynostratigraphy and palynofacies of the late Oligocene Makum Coalfield, Assam,India: A window on lowland tropical vegetation during the most recent episode of significant global warmth. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 342-343, 143-162. An Elsevier Journal

51. 2012 - Patnaik, R., Gupta A.K., Naidu, P.D., Yadav, R.R., Bhattacharyyaa, A. & Kumar, M. - Indian Monsoon Variability at Different Time Scales: Marine and Terrestrial Proxy Records. Proceeding Indian National Science Academy 78 No. 3, 535-547.

52. 2012 - Mehrotra, N.C., Shanmukhappa, M, Babu, R., Kumar, M., Singh, A., Singh, B.D. & Kapoor, P.N. - Development of Palynology in Fossil Fuel Exploration in India with Emphasis on Recent Significant Contributions from Western-Offshore, Krishna-Godavari Basin and Frontier Areas. Proceeding Indian National Science Academy 78 No. 3, 457- 473.

53. 2014 – Mehrotra, R.C., Kumar, M., Ghosh, A.K., Kumar, K. and Arya, R.- Plant remains from the Tharumsa Formation of Ladakh, India. Journ. Geol. Soc. India, vol. 83:647-652.

54. 2014 - Monga, P., Srivastava, G., Kumar, K. and Mehrotra, R.C.- Further palynological investigation of coaliferous sequences of Tura Formation of Nangwalbibra, East Garo Hills, Mehgalaya : inferences on palaeovegetation and palaeoclimate. Palaeobotanist 63:79-85.

55. 2014 - Shukla, A., Mehrotra, R.C., Spicer, R.A., Spicer, T. E.V. and Kumar, M.- Cool equatorial terrestrial temperatures and the South Asian monsoon in the Early Eocene : Evidences from the Gurha Mine, Rajasthan, India. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 412: 187-198. An Elsevier Journal

56. 2015 - Monga, P., Kumar, M., Prasad, V. and Joshi, Y. - Palynostratigraphy, palynofacies and depositional environment of a lignite-bearing succession at Surkha Mine, Cambay Basin, north-western India. Acta Palaeobotanica 55(2): 183–207.

57. 2015 - Monga P., Kumar, M. and Joshi,Y., 2015. Morphological variations and depositional processes of microforaminiferal linings in the early Tertiary sediments of northeastern and northwestern India. Palaeobotanist 64(2015): 129–138.

(Abstracts and reports are not included)