Plant Fossil Assemblage from the Talchir . Formation, Auranga Coalfield, Bihar, India
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Pataco/)olani.fI 49 (2000) 23-30 003) -0) 74/2000/23-30 $2.00 Plant fossil assemblage from the Talchir . Formation, Auranga Coalfield, Bihar, India RAJNI TEWARI AND A.K. SRIVASTAVA Birbal Salmi Institute of Palaeobotany, 53 University Road. Luckllow 226 007. India. (Received 03 August 1999; revised version accepted 07 February 2000) ABSTRACT Tewari R & Srivastava AK 2000. Plant fossil assemblage from the Talchir Formation, Auranga Coal field, Bihar, India. Palaeobotanist49( I) : 23-30. Investigations on the Talchir sediments of Auranga Coalfield have yielded well preserved plant fossils from Jaitri river section situated about 1·5 km northeast of Latehar town of Palamau District, Bihar. The assemblage is represented by the species of Gangalllopteris (G. cyclopteroides, G. fibrosa, G. clarkeana, G. ma)ol; G. angusllfolia, G. karharbariensis, Gangalllopteris sp.) and Glossopteris (G. talchirensis, G. indica, G. communis, G. stenoneura, G. te11/./lfolia, G. spatulala) besides a number of scale leaves and cquisetalean stem axes. The known records of plal1l fossils from theTalchir Formation indicate dominance ofGangalllopteris leaves (10 sp.) whereas, Glossopteris leaves are recorded by only two species. The present report of occur rence of six species of Glossopteris and seven species of Gangamopteris dt'monstrates simulraneous settle ment and diversification 01 the I wo types ofglossopterid leaves i.e., midrib-less forms of Gangall10pteris and midrib possessing forms of Glossopteris. during the early phase (Ihe Talchir Formation) of Glossopteris !lora. Key-words- Talchir Formation. Glossopteris. Gangallwpteris, Auranga Coal field, India. ~~~~~~~~B~~~"tf~ ~ ~ ~q.ft ~ ~ C(Ci mu~T ~ ~ ~~ ~ Fcr~~ ~ ~ ~ ~-~ €1?r "mOO B ;;;;:rq7; cf; B ',5 FcBAI. 'i0 ~ ~~11 ~ ~~. ~ ~~ (l~ ~~ if ~ ~ 1't1 ~ B if "f.!q; qif (AT ~ A7$'R'Ii0(/4~A, ~ \lm ~ f/il/41tJRA (;;ft. ;;ft vit. 'kIfch4F!), ;;ft. JijFklq,/f?l4}, vit. ~ ~, <b?&?i41f?Qf'rm, fjil/lj'f0(fI qvnf(r) C(Ci idfmtJRfi (;;ft. f!&if)<PAfI, ;;ft. ;;ft. vit. &!I;f)1,IJ, ~ ~. ~ ~ ~ ,,~ ~ ;;ft. 21,{q,/f?t4l, ;;ft. e?i~~flc)) ~ B B fj'l/41tJRli cit (10 ~) ~ ~ ~ ~ ~, ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 'I1f id1?i!tJR?1 l1f01 G.T m1 ~ (l~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ,,~ ~.. If')]JlftJRfI ~ 7 'dfmtJRIi 6 wq.:m ft1irt B ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ (l~ Jdfm~RIi 'dfmtJRfI Cl1f4!?1J\ld cf; m fj"1/0tJRA "lUT RTn «\q ~ ~ ~ 1~'11(iI~Fl:s ~ ~ ~ ~ 1c1fcf~ ~ ~. "lumm gcRf «\q G.T !:!<fiIT C(Ci !:R11m ~ ~ ~-~~, 'dfm~RA, 1ilJ~RIi, 3frMT P3o{, 'l:lT\\1'. () Birbal Sahni Instilute of PalaeobOlany, India 24 THE PALAEOBOTANIST INTRODUCTION 84°130' LANT fossils from the Lower Gondwana succession of N .. .. .. .. PAuranga Coalfield are well known from the Karharbari, + .,. .,. .,. + + Barakar and Raniganj formations (Feistmantel, 1881; ++ +- Bhallacharyya, 1959; Bhallacharyya, 1963; Srivastava, 1977a, '," .. F __+ b, 1978, 1979, 1996; Srivastava & Tewari, 1996). In 23°(~~; -~~ t(!!!I!/f;;1. comparison, the Talchir FOlmation is poorly known by its fossil contents. Feistmantel (1881), for the first time reported equisetaceous stalks, Gangamopreris cyclopleroides, G. cyclopreroides var. subauriculala, G. cyclopreroides var. acul1linara, G. cyclopleroides var. aflenuata, G. cyclopreroides var. cordifolia, G. spalulaw, Noeggeralhiopsis hislopii and winged seeds of Samaropsis from Talchir shales of Latehar hill. Fragmentary leaf impressions and equisetaceous stems were reported by Bhallacharyya (1963) from Deogarh Reserve Forest. Present assemblage for the first time reports the presence Fig. I- Geological map of the area showing fossil locality. of seven species of Gangamopleris and six species of Glossopreris in the Talchir Formation of India. Glossopreris slenOneura, G. lenuifolia, G. spalulata alongwith, The Talchir Formation, representing the lower most earlier reported species of Gangamopleris and Glossopleris sequence ofGondwana comprises the earliest representatives in the Talchir Formation of Auranga Coalfield is indicative of of Glossopteris flora in India. Planl fossils from this formation the variety and richness ofGlossopteris flora in its early stage. are known from South Rewa Gondwana Basin (Ganguly, 1959; Surange & Lele, 1957; Chandra & Srivastava, 1982; Chandra MATERIAL AND METHODS el aI., 1992) Giridih Coalfield (Surange & Lele, 1956), Rikba beds of North Karanpura Coalfield, Auranga Coalfield Specimens were collected from the Talchir beds exposed (Feistmantel, 1881) and Singrauli Coalfield (Lele et aI., 1968). in laitri Riv€lr, a small tributary of Auranga River, situated Recently, Chandra and Singh (1996), while describing the about 1·5 km north-east of Latehar Town, Palamau District, assemblage from the type locality of the Talchir Formation Bihar (Fig. I). Geology and stratigraphic sequence of the area i.e. Talchir Coalfield, have provided a list of all the known are discussed by Raja Rao (1987) in detail. Plant fossils are records. Records of bryophytic remains from Talchir beds of preserved as impressions in brownish yellow Talchir needle South Rewa Gondwana Basin (Chandra 1995) have added new shales and sandstones. Identification of the species is based on dimensions towards the knowledge ofTalchir flora. external morphological features i.e. shape, size and venation represented by the known species of Floristic analysis ofTalchir Formation indicates presence pattern. Since the flora is Gangamopteris and Glossopteris, only a brief description and of 10 species of Gangamopleris, two species of Glossopteris comparison is provided along with photographs. All the type and one species each of Ollokaria, Arberia, Paranocladus, and figured specimens are preserved in the museum of Birbal Noeggeralhiopsis, Samaropsis, Cordaicarpus and Vertebraria. Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany, Lucknow. First record of Gangamopleris fibrosa, G. karharbariensis, PLATE 1 ;7" Glossopreris renuifil!ia Panl & Gupta, middle portion of linear-Ianceo trapezoidal meshes, which are short and broad near midrib and nar late leaf showing long, narrow meshes. Specimen no. BSfP 38333. x 2. rower near margin. Specimen no. BSIP 38336c. x 2 and 38338. x I 2 GWlj!,amopreris major Feistmantel, an almost complete spathulate leaf 5. Ganj!,amopreris cyc!opreroides Feistmantel, an incomplete leaf show showing obtuse apex, narrow base, median subparallel anastomosing ing tapering base, prominent subparallel median veins forming long, veins forming secondary veins with elongate, narrow meshes. Speci- trapezoidal narrow meshes. Specimen no. BSIP 38336b. x I. men' no. BSfP .18334. x 3. 7. Gatlj!,amopleris fibrosa McCoy, an incomplete leaf showing median 3. Gl{ls~{lp(eris srel10/leura Feistmantel, an incomplete leaf showing ob subparallel veins and arched, nexuous secondary veins forming elon tuse apex, nat. striated, evanescent midrib and arched, thin, dense sec- gate, polygonal meshes. Specimen no. BSIP .18339. x 2. ondary veins with narrow, trapezoidal, elongate meshes. Specimen no. 8. Gangamopreris (lI1!illsri{o!ia McCoy, an incomplete linear leaf show BSIP 38335. x 2 ing middle part with median subparallel veins and arched secondary 4 & 6.Glossopreris indica Schimper, incomplete portions of Ianceolate leaves veins with trapezoidal meshes. Specimen no. BSIP 38340. x 2. showing acute apex, persistent midrib, arched secondary veins forming TEWARI & SRIVASTAVA-PLANT FOSSIL ASSEMBLAGES FROM THE TALCHIR FORMATION 2~ PLATE 1 26 THE PALAEOBOTANJST SYSTEMATICS width are preserved; base narrow; thick median subparallel veins radiate from the basal region, bifurcate and form oblong Genus-GANGAMOPTERIS McCoy, 1847 meshes; secondary veins arise from median veins, arch back wards to meet margin and after dichotomising and anastomo GANGAMOPTERIS CYCLOPTEROIDES Feistmantel, 1876 sing form elongate, narrow, trapezoidal meshes. Comparison-The leaves are similar to C. clarkeana PI. 1·5 (Feistmantel, 1879; Maithy, 1965). Complete leaf is not preserved; different portions ofleaves ranging in size from 4'1-14 cm in length and 1·8-2·5 cm in Number ofspecimens-Two. width are preserved; apex not preserved, base narrow, taper GANGAMOPTERIS MAJOR Feistmantel, 1879 ing; median region occupied by a group of subparallel veins, PI. 1·2 prominent at base, forming meshes; secondary veins arise from these at acute angles, curve backwards to meet margin and Leaf measures 2·9 cm in length and 1·9 cm in width; shape after anastomosing and dichotomising, form long and broad spathulate, apex obtuse, base narrow, median region occupied meshes near median veins and narrow meshes towards mar by few subparallel veins; secondary veins arise from median gin. veins, curve backwards to meet margin and after anastomosing and dichotomising form elongate, narrow meshes. Comparison-The leaves descri bed here compare well with C cycLopteroides (Feistmantel, 1879; Maithy, 1965). Comparison-The leaf is comparable to C. major 1879; 1965). Number ofspecimens-Six. (Feistmantel Maithy, Number ofspecimen-One. GANGAMOPTERIS FIBROSA Maithy, 1965 GANGAMOPTERIS KARHARBARIENSIS Maithy, 1965 PI. 1·7 PI. 2-4 Leaf incomplete, measures 8·7 cm in length and 2·7 cm in width, shape') lanceolate, apex not preserved, base taper Leaf incomplete, only middle part is preserved which ing, median subparallel veins distinct, with anastomoses; sec measures 4·8 cm in length and 2·8 cm in width, base narrow; ondary veins arise at acute angles from median veins, follow a median region occupied by few weak subparallel veins with flexuous course to meet margin and after anastomosing and anastomoses; secondary veins arise from median veins at aClIte dichotomising,