Integrated analysis of palynology and vertebrate fossils in the Early Triassic Panchet Formation, Eastern India

Article Type

Research Article

Publication Title

Indian Journal of Geosciences

Abstract

The Permo-Triassic Mass Extinction (PTME) wiped out a handsome number of species, both flora and fauna. Sediments around the world host evidence of post-extinction recovery and faunal turnover. Here we report a number of palynofloral assemblages from the Panchet Formation of the Damodar Valley Basin of eastern India and compared the same with other Early Triassic formations of India and precisely demarcate the Permo-Triassic boundary based on palynological evidence. Huge sampling from the yielding localities of Panchet Formation reveals especially the presence of gymnosperms and pteridophytes signifying their reradiation and diversification. The dominance of Late Permian palynomorphs in the Raniganj Formation such as Protohaploxypinus and Faunipollenites and dominance of Early Triassic palynomorphs in the Panchet Formation like Gondwanipollenites bengalensis, Alisporites indicus, Lunatisporites ovatus, and Striatites levistriatus infer the age of the succession to be Late Permian and Early Triassic. Additionally, the presence of long-ranging taxa from the Early Triassic is probably due to the non-precipitous PTME episode rather than being a catastrophe. Sandstone and mudstone of the Panchet Formation are known to yield fragmentary but diverse terrestrial vertebrate fossil assemblages that include fishes, amphibians, dicynodonts, cynodonts, and archosauriform. These assemblages are particularly important for correlation with their global counterparts. In the present work, fragmentary remains of actinopterygian fishes, temnospondyls, Lystrosaurus sp., cynodont, and a few, hitherto unknown, postcranial elements of archosauriform proterosuchians have been recovered. This paper for the first time in India forms a basis for integrative analysis of palynomorphs and vertebrate fossils from same and/or close localities of the Panchet Formation for a better understanding of the biotic realm of the Indian Gondwana.

First Page

323

Last Page

356

Publication Date

10-1-2024

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