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Significance of Calcareous Algae Across the Cretaceous- Tertiary

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Significance of Calcareous Algae Across the Cretaceous- Tertiary Significance of calcareous algae across the Cretaceous­ Tertiary sequence of Cauvery Basin in Tiruchirapalli District, Tamil Nadu Arnit K. Ghosh, B.N. lana & P.K. Maithy Ghosh AK, Jana BN & Maithy PK 1997. Significance of calcareous algae across the Cretaceous-Tertiary sequence of Cauvery Basin in Tiruchirapalli District, Tamil Nadu. Palaeobolanisl46 0,2) : 161-167. Calcareous skeletal algae belonging to Cyanophyta (Cyanobacteria), Chlorophyta and Rhodophyta are known from Uttatur, Trichinopoly, Ariyalur and Niniyur groups of Tiruchirapalli District, Tamil Nadu. An artempt has been made to analyse the algal assemblages across the Cretaceous-Tertiary sequence in Tiruchirapalli District, Tamil Nadu. The distribution partern of algal taxa indicales that there is a gradual change in algal nora from Cretaceous to Tertiary. Key-words--calcareous algae, Distribution pattern, Cretaceous -Tertiary sequence, India. Amil K. Ghosh, BN Jana & P.K. Mailhy, Birbal Sahni InslilUle ofPalaeobolany, 53 Universiry Road, LucJmow 226007, India. ~ ~ ~~ ~ ..R''''5';» ~ R1~f..HtqR'f) ~ it ~ sUuit ~ all?;~(l~-~ it CliT 31ftrn ~<Wr, ~ 1J'lT~~ ~~_ ~ ~ Ri~Rl{lqR'fj ~ ~, ~ ~ ~ ~ <M~lhl$21 ~ 1t F:ii:l OJ IqR'fj , 1l1fcfi -tr m4oi)'3i1ClI(jJ, ~ ~-tr ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~I ~ ~ ~-mm ~~ ~:Sl'h1$211l1fcfi 1t 31Jlfil1-tr ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ q;r 'fiG q;r >rm1 M 1f4T I CflfcR f«<RuT -tr 3Cfii CfiR11t Cl'PAru'S1l (j 1t m: m: ~mar%1 SINCE 1931, calcareous algae have been reported Group and reported 31 species of fossil algae from the Cretaceous-Tertiary sediments of belonging to 17 genera ofCyanophyta (Cyanobacte­ Tiruchirapalli District, Tamil Nadu. Rama Rao and ria), Chlorophyta and Rhodophyta. From the Ariyalur Prasannakumar (932) described Lithothamnium Group, Mamgain et at. (968) have reported from the Kallakkudi (Dalmiapuram) limestone mines Sporoltthon (Archaeoltthothamntum) sp., (Dalmiapuram Formation) belonging to Unatur Lithothamntum sp. and Mesophyllum sp. from south­ Group. Narayan Rao 0944, 1946) reported two new west of Ariyalur town. Porostromata algae consisting species, namely, Solenopora coromandelensisand S. ofRivularta li.~avtensts, R. ptae, R. theodort, Rtvularta jurassica and Rama Rao and Gowda (954) described sp. d. R. dianae and Garwoodta toomeyt have been Solenopora sahnii and Sporolithon described by Ghosh and Maithy (995) from the (Archaeolithothamnium) lugeontt (sensu Ghosh & Cretaceous sediments of Sendurai, Tiruchirapalli Maithy, 1996) from the same beds. Gowda (978) District. Rama Rao (931) reported Sporoltthon recorded Solenopora sp. and Amphtroasp. from the (Archaeoltthothamntum) torulosum from Niniyur Varagapaudy Limestone of Unatur Group. Varma beds. In the classical contribution on fossil algae (952), for the first time, reported the occurrence of from Niniyur Group, Rama Rao and Pia (936) Clypenia sahntt from the Trichinopoly Group of described 11 taxa belonging to Dasycladaceae, rocks. In recent times, Misra and Kumar (988) Chaetophoraceae, Solenoporaceaeand Corallinaceae. investigated the Varagur limestones ofTrichinopolly Rama Rao 0938,1956,1958) described few dasyclads 162 THE PALAEOBOTANIST from the Niniyur Group and reviewed the previous argillaceous limestone and limestone is overlain work done on fossil algae from this group. Varma unconformably by the Garudamangalam Formation 0952, 1954) reported Clypenia, Neomeris and which consists of ferruginous sandstone, grey shale, Acicularia(Dasycladaceae) and Gowda 0953, 1959) limestone and, in turn, is followed by current bedded described Holosporella and Piania niniyurenstsfrom sandstone. TheTrichinopoly Groupis unconformably the Niniyur beds. From the Palaeocene (Danian) of overlain by Ariyalur Group, consisting two sandstone Niniyur Group, Rama Rao and Gowda (1954) reponed bodiesseparated by a limestone. The basal Sillakkudi Solenopora tiruchiensis, and Pal (972) reported Formation of Ariyalur Group comprises ferruginous Sporolithon (A rchaeolithothamnium) arkosicsandstone and limestone bands. The overlying pondicherriensis, S. zonatum and DiStichoplax raoi. Kallankurichi Formation consists of grainstone to In the present paper an attempt has been made to wackestone with LepidorbitOidesbryozoans, echinoid analyse the algal assemblages from different outcrop and molluscan shells. The lower part of the upper areas ofCretaceous-Teniarysequence in Tiruchirapalli sandstone body, composed of megafaunal rich buff District and to ascertain the significance ofcalcareous coloured calcareous sandstone is well developed in algae in biostratigraphy. the central part which is designated as Ottakovil Formation (Sastry et al., 1972). The upper part GEOLOGICAL SETTING comprising argillaceous sandstone and ferruginous claystone ofcontinental origin is known as Kallamedu Cretaceous-Tertiary sediments in the Cauvery Sandstone. The topmost lithohorizon of the Basin,' classified into four groups, viz., Unatur, Cretaceous-Tertiary Sequence, conformably overly­ Trichinopoly, Ariyalur and Niniyur, occur as isolated ing the Ariyalur Group is represented by Niniyur patches outcropping in the western margin fringing Group of Danian age and is characterised by fossil­ the Archaean (charnokite/gneiss) basement. The iferous, white to cream coloured marls and calcareous first geological mapping of the area was carried out clays. by Blanford (862). Later, significant contributions on micropalaeontology and sedimentology (Rama A gem., <!lised lithostratigraphic sequence is rep­ Rao, 1956; Pascoe, 1959; Sastry et al., 1968, 1972; resented in Table 1 (modified after Govindan et al., Sundaram & Rao, 1966; Banerji, 1966, 1972, 1973; 1996) Chiplonkar & Tapaswi, 1975; Jain, 1977; Govindan, 1977, Govindan et al., 1996, and others) along with ALGAL ASSEMBLAGES FROM CRETACEOUS­ detailed geological mapping and band-by-band aerial TERTIARY SUCCESSION OF TIRUCHIRAPALLI photomapping (Venkataraman & Rangaraju 1965, in AREA Govindan et al., 1996) gave a clear picture of the A. Algal Assemblage from the Uttatur Group stratigraphy of Tiruchirapalli area. Cyanophyceae (Cyanobacteria) The marine Cretaceous-Tertiary sequence of Cauvery Basin in Tiruchirapalli District is represent­ Rivularia (Cayeuxia) jruticulosa, Rivularia sp. ed at its base by Uttatur Group which lies Dasycladaceae unconformably over the Kaolinite-Smectite domi­ nantTherani plant bedsofUpper Gondwana (Therani Acicularia antiqua, Larvaria occidentalis, Bed lies unconformably over the Archaean). Neomeris sp., Halimeda sp. Lithologically the Uttatur Group comprises basal Solenoporaceae conglomerates, greyshale (Su bbaraman, 1968), algal­ coralline limestone (Banerji, 1972) and Karai Shale. Solenopora jurassica, S. coromandelensis, S. sahnii and Sporolithon (Archaeolithothamnium) Govindan et al. (996) identified Maravathur Clay as lugeonii. a facies variation of Karai Shale and grouped it in Unatur..An unconformity of small duration exists In addition to the above listed algal taxa record­ between the Unatur Group and basal Paravay ed from the Kallakkudi Limestone (Dalmiapuram Formation of Trichinopoly Group. The Paravay Formation), from Varagapaudy Limestone of Unatur Formation comprising calcareous sandstone, Group Gowda (978) reported the occurrence of GHOSH ef ai-SIGNIFICANCE OF CALCAREOUS ALGAE ACROSS THE CRETACEOUS-TERTIARY SEQUENCE 163 Table 1 Solenoporaceae OUTCROP AREA SOlenoporafiliformis, S. tiruchiensis, cf. Solenopora AGE GROUP A., FORMATION sp. Solenoporasp., Parachaetetessp., P. asvapatii, Thaumatoporella incrustrata. DANIAN NINIYUR NINIYUR Squamariaceae KALLAMEDU A Sandstone Ethelta sp., E. alba. R I OTTAKOVIL Corallinaceae (Melobesoideae, Crustose J\1AASTRI- Y Corallines) CHTIAJ'l A KALLANKURICHI L Limestone Sporolithon (Archaeoltthothamnium) lugeontt, U S. nonsteinensis, S. pm'tsiense, S. rude, cf. Sporoltthon R SILLAKKUDI -------- sp., Mesophyllum sp. cf. M. daviesi, M. varians, cf. CA.l\1 PA NIAN ------------------- Archaeoltthophyllum sp., Lithophyllum sp. A., GARUDAJ\'IANGALAM Lithophyllumsp. S., cf. Lithophyllumsp., Distichoplax TRICHI- ~------------------ SANTONIAN PARAVAY biseriales. NOPOLY ~------------------ Corallinoideae, articulated coral-lines CONIACIAN MARAVATTUR ------- Clay Amphiroa elliotii, A. guatemalense, A. varagurense. TURONIAN ------------------- K C. Algal Assemblage from the Ariyalur group U A CENOMANIAN T R From the Ariyalur Group Rama Rao (931) and T A KALLAKUDDI Mamgain et al. (968) reported the occurrence of ALBIAN A I Limestone T Shale Lithothalnnium. Sporolithon (Archaeolith­ U Grey Shale othamniwn) and Mesophyllum belonging to R APTIAN Conglomerate Corallinaceae (Melobesoideae, Crustose Corallines) of Rhodophyta. Recently Porostromata algae have EARLY been recorded by Ghosh and Maithy (995) from the CRETACEOUS THERANI PLANT Cretaceous sediments (equivalent to Ariyalur Group) LATE BEDS JURASSIC of Sendurai, Tiruchirapalli District. The assemblage ~-------- -------- ------------------ consists of the following taxa: ARCHAEAN CRYSTALLINES Cyanophyceae (Cyanobacteria) Red algae Solenopora belonging to Solenoporaceae Rivularia ltssaviensis, R. piae, R. theodori, Rivularia and Amphiroa belonging to Corallinaceae sp. cf. R. dianae. (Corallinoideae, articulated corallines). Codiaceae B. AlgalAssemblagefrom theTricrunopolygroup Garwoodia toomeyi. Cyanophyceae (Cyanobacteria) D. Algal Assemblage from the Niniyur Group RilJularia sp. cr. R. kurdistanensis, Dasycladaceae Palaeomastigocladus indicus. Acicularia sp., A. dyumatsenae, A. indica, Siphonoc1adaceae Acttabularia sp., Clypenia sahnii, Disocladella sp., PycnopOridium lobatum. D.
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