Paleobiota from the Deccan volcano-sedimentary sequences of India: paleoenvironments,age and paleobiogeographic implications |
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Authors: | Ashu Khosla Omkar Verma |
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Institution: | 1. Centre of Advanced Study in Geology, Panjab University, Sector-14, Chandigarh 160 014, Indiakhosla100@yahoo.co.in;3. Geology Discipline Group, School of Sciences, Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi 110 068, India |
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Abstract: | Paleobiotic assemblages from the Deccan infra- and intertrappean beds are reviewed in great detail. Three distinct paleoenvironments (fluvio-lacustrine/terrestrial, brackish water and marine) have been identified within the infra- and intertrappean biotic assemblages of peninsular India. Recently, marine incursions have been recorded in a few of the Deccan intertrappean beds exposed in central and south-eastern India. The intertrappean beds have yielded marine planktic foraminiferans and freshwater/brackish water ostracods. The affinities of the paleobiotas are commonly considered to show a mixed pattern resulting from the addition of Gondwanan and Laurasian elements to endemic Indian taxa. During the last four decades, various biogeographic models (southern and northern connections) have been proposed to explain the presence of anomalous biogeographic biota in the Late Cretaceous of India. Based on the recovered fauna and flora assemblages, the Cretaceous–Paleogene boundary has been marked and a Late Cretaceous to Early Paleocene age has been assigned to these Deccan volcano-sedimentary sequences. |
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Keywords: | Deccan Traps biota paleoenvironments paleobiogeography Late Cretaceous Early Paleocene |
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