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Studies on the Upper Gondwana of Cutch- 1. Mio

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Studies on the Upper Gondwana of Cutch- 1. Mio STUDIES ON THE UPPER GONDWANA OF CUTCH­ 1. MIO- AND MACROSPORES* H. P. SINGH, S. K. SRIVASTAVA & S. K. ROY Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany, Lucknow ABSTRACT flora of Cutch, have shown that the age of Umia-plant-beds (Bhuj Series) extends up The present paper describes mio- and macrospores obtained from the Umia-beds (Uppermost Gondwana to Post-Aptian or Middle Cretaceous. Sahni horizon) in Cutch (W. India). They are referred (1932, p. 322) has reported the occurrence to 48 genera and 82 species, of which four genera viz. of Palmoxylon mathuri in the Umia-beds Baculareticulosporis, Crassimonoletes, Umiaspora, and has supported the same view. Rajnath Auriculozonospora, and 40 species are new. The spore-flora is rich' in pteridophytic spores and (1952) believes that the Bhuj Series has coniferous pollen grains. It has been compared got at least three horizons, viz., Zamia-beds with the other known assemblages from com­ at the bottom, Ptilophyllum-beds in the parable strata. Finally a discussion on the probable middle and Palmoxylon-beds at the top. age of Umia-beds, based on the study of Sporae dispersae, has been given indicating that these beds The present study on the dispersed spores closely correspond to the \Vealden (Lower Cre­ in the Umia-beds has been carried out taceous) age. with a view to throw light on the geo­ logical age of these beds. INTRODUCTION Spores from the other Upper Mesozoic formations in India have been described by HE stratigraphical position and the Vishnu-Mittre (1954). Sah (1955). Rama­ age of Umia-beds, in Cutch (West nujam (1959), and Dev (1961). Balme T India). considered as the Upper­ (1957) and Cookson & Dettmann (1957, most limit of the Gondwana formations, 1958 & 1959) have given an elaborate has been studied by earlier workers with account of dispersed spores and pollen the help of animal and plant fossils. Im­ grains from the Upper Mesozoic deposits portant workers in this field have been of Australia. Some of the notable contri­ Blanford (1867), Wynne (1869, 1872). Grant butions dealing with the dispersed spores (1840) and Feistmantel (1876). Among in the Mesozoic strata, from the northern these, the work of Feistmantel (loc. c£t.) hemisphere, have been made by Bolcho­ on the Oolitic flora of Cutch is very compre­ vitina (1956), Radforth and Rouse (1954), hensive. The other works relating to the Couper (1958), Delcourt & Sprumont (1955), palaeontological and geological aspects of Lantz (1959), Rouse (1957) and Pocock Umia-beds and other related formations (1962). have been chiefly done by Oldham (1869), The available literature on the fossil Blanford (1869). Waagen (1873-76). Kitchin megaspores of the Mesozoic strata, as com­ (1900, '1903), Spath (1924) and Rajnath pared to the Palaeozoic age, is much p,oorer. (1942, 1952). Out of these, the work of However, workers like Harris (1926, 1945, Rajnath (loc. cit.) on the geology of Cutch 1946). Miner (1932, 1935), Murray (1939), is quite significant. Feistmantel (1876), Dijkstra (1949,1951), Hughes (1955), Miidler on the records of the plant megafossils, (1954), Cookson & Dettmann (1958), lung has concluded that the age of Umia-beds is (1958) and others have reported the occur­ Lower Oolitic (Bathonian) Later on, Spath rence of fossil megaspores in the Mesozoic (1924) and Rajnath (1952), on the basis sediments. They have vividly described of compa,rative study of the fauna and the morphographical details of these mega- ·PREFATORY NOTE - In the present paper, the isolation of miospores and their taxonomic study from the coal samples has been done by me. The shale samples have been investigated by one of us (RoY) for their miospore content and morphographic study. The other co-author (SRIVASTAVA) has studied the megaspores out of the shale samples. For the purpose of publicationwe (SINGH, SRIVASTAVA & Roy) have compiled the data together, as it is presented here. The finalization of this work has been done by me.- H. P. SINGH. 282 SINGH et al. - UPPER GONDWANA OF CUTCH: 1 MIO- AND MACROSPORES 283 spores and have also laid stress upon their DESCRIPTION OF stratigraphical significance. SPORAE DISPERSAE Anteturma Sporites H. Pot. 1893 MATERIAL AND METHODS Turma Triletes (Reinsch) Pot. & Kr. 1954 Coal and carbonaceous shale samples, Subturma Azonotriletes Luber 1935 Infraturma Laevigati (B. & K.) rot. 1956 for the present sporological study, were collected by Dr. U. Prakash and one of uS Genus Deltoidospora (Miner) Pot. 1956 (Srivastava) of the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany, Lucknow in 1958 from two Deltoidospora pseudoretl;wlata sp. nov. localities namely Trambau and Ghuneri which lie in the Umia-beds of Cutch in PI. 1, Fig. 1 India. The Trambau coal seam is exposed along Holotype - PI. 1, Fig. '1; Sl. No. 1626. the right bank of the rocky river-cutting Diagnosis - Trilete miospore, size 110­ at a distance of about three furlongs, south­ 120 fL' triangular contour, with ± rounded west of Trambau village. It lies above angles, sides ± straight; Y-mark extending the blue clay with carbonaceous markings up to the equator; exine thin, ± smooth, and is overlain by a layer of carbonaceous irregularly folded, appearing structured. shale. The samples out of this coal seam Comparison - The spore specimen de­ as well as the overlying carbonaceous shale scribed and figured here shows a close were taken for sporological investigation. resemblance with D. hallii Miner (1935, The second coal seam is located, lying PL. 24, FIG. 7) but the latter is much smaller exposed at a depth of 15' from the ground in size and lacks ornamented exine of the level, along a dried stream cutting at a spore and hence is not comparable. distance of about 400 yards, south-west of Occurrence - Trambau carbonaceous shale. Ghuneri village. The coal samples as well as the carbonaceous shale samples out of Genus Cyathld/tes Coup. 1953 the under- and overlying layers of this seam were taken for study. Cyathidites australis Coup. 1953 The necessary precautions to avoid contamination were taken and the samples PI. 1, Figs. 2, 3 were packed in brown paper bags and sepa­ rately stored in card-board boxes. Diagnosis - See Couper 1953. Coal and shale samples were treated with Description of our specimens - Triangular nitric acid for 3-7 days. the oxidized miospore, size 50-80 fL, sides ± straight; material was washed acid-free and further Y-mark reaching i of the radius, open; treated with 5 per cent solution of KGB. angles rounded; exine laevigate to faintly The resulting dark brown liquid was washed infragranulose, ± 1·5 fL thick. and the macerate sieved. Megaspores were Occurrence - Trambau carbonaceous shale. picked from the macerate, while in wet condition, under the low power binocular Cyathidites minor Coup. 1953 microscope and mounted as such in the glycerine jelly medium. Slides for mio­ PI. 1, Figs. 4, 5 spores were separately made in the gly­ cerine jelly medium. Diagnosl;s 0- Description - See Couper The coal samples from both Trambau and 1953, p. 28. Ghuneri localities failed to yield any intact Remarks - Miospores referable to C. minor megaspore types, but the carbonaceous Coup., are found quite abundantly in shales of these localities yielded well pre­ the present assemblage. Morphographically serv:ed megaspores. Miospores were abun­ these spores are comparable to the spores of dantly found in all the coal samples as Coniopteris hymenophylloides figured by well as carbonaceous shales. Hamshaw-Thomas (1911, PL. 3, FIG. 6) and The taxonomic arrangement of the mio­ Couper (1958, PL. 20, FIG. 5). and macrospores in this work has been done Occurrence - Trambau coal, carbona­ according to the classification suggested ceous shale, Ghuneri coal and underlying by Potonie (1956, 1958 and 1960). carbonaceous shale. 284 THE PALAEOBOTANIST Cyathidites pseudopunctatus sp. nov. Cyathidites ghuneriensis sp. nov. PI. 1, Figs. 6, 7 PI. 1, Figs. 12, 13 Holotype-PI. I, Fig. 6; 51. No. 1780. Holotype - PI. 1, Fig. 12; 51. No. 1787. Diagnosis - Miospores 62-96 p. in size, Diagnosis - Miospores 80-110 fl. in size, holotype 80 fl., triangular with concave holotype 94 fl., triangular with concave sides and broadly rounded angles; Y-rays sides, apices usually round sometimes longish­ ! of the radius, labra thin, ray-ends rarely round. Y-mark distinct, i radius long, bifurcating, proximal as well as distal thin, usually open, ray-ends sometimes exine densely intrapunctate, more dense at bifurcating; proximal as well as distal exine intragranulose, about 1 fJ. thick; the periphery, exine ± 1 fl. thick; proximal and distal faces convex. extrema lineamenta slightly rough. Compar·ison - Tohe exine in C. australis Comparison - The specimens of C. ghune­ Coup., differs from C. pseudopunctatus by riensis differ from rest of the species in having not being densely intrapunctate, while C. concave sides and intragranulose orna­ minor Coup., is much smaller in size. mentation of the exine. Some specimens Occurrence ~ Ghuneri coal. described as Cyathidites sp. by Dev (1959) from the Jabalpur Series of India agree Cyathidites cutchensis sp. nov. very much to the diagnosis of C. ghuneriensis, excepting that they are much smaller in size. PI. 1, Figs. 8-9 Remarks - The spore type described by Sah (1953, PL. 1, FIG. 6) under Leiotriletes Holotype - PI. 1, Fig. 8; 51. No. 1784. is comparable with C. ghuneriensis in having Diagnosis - Miospores 80-90 fl. in size, intragranulose exine and deeply concave holotype 80 fl., triangular, dark brown, sides sides; and can probably be included here. concave, corners round; Y-mark ! of the Occurrence - Trambau carbonaceous shale radius, ± undulating, apex low; exine dark and Ghuneri coal. brown, ± thick, proximally and distally intrapunctate; proximal surface concave Genus Alsophilidites (Cooks.) Pot. 1956 and distal surface convex. Comparison - The specimens of C. cut­ Alsophilidites densus sp. nov. chensis differ from C. australis in possessing PI.
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