Summary
Trace fossils occur abundantly in Middle Jurassic rocks of the Kachchh Basin. They are found in environments ranging from beach sequences down to central parts of the basin. For stratinomic reasons, they are particularly well preserved in storm deposits. Their distribution pattern exhibits a clear relationship to the hydrodynamic conditions and, secondarily, to bathymetry, and follows the classic ichnofacies concept ofSeilacher (1967). High energy nearshore areas and submarine shoals are represented by members of the Skolithos ichnofacies such asOphiomorpha nodosa, Arenicolites, Diplocraterion parallelum, andRhizocorallium jenense. The storm-influenced ramp contains both members of the Cruziana ichnofacies (e.g.Rhizocorallium irregulare, Thalassinoides suevicus, Taenidium serpentinum, Chondrites) and the Skolithos ichnofacies (in particularOphiomorpha). The former were produced during interstorm phases, the latter are of post-storm origin. Carbonate ramp environments of low to intermediate energy also contain members of the Cruziana ichnofacies, whilst equivalent siliciclastic environments are characterized by a low-diversity Zoophycos ichnofacies. Low energy basinal environments of fine-grained substrates contain an impoverished Cruziana ichnofacies consisting ofChondrites, Trichichnus andThalassinoides suevicus.
32 ichnotaxa are briefly described, among themSphaerichnus lobatus ichnogen. et ichnosp. nov.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Badve, R.M. &Ghare, M.A. (1978): Jurassic ichnofauna of Kutch. I.—Biovigyanam4, 125–140.
Bavde, R.M., Ghare, M.A. &Kulkarni, K.G. (1985): Ethological interpretation of ichnogenusZoophycos Massalongo.— Current Sci.54, 723–727.
Biswas, S.K. (1980): Mesozoic rock-stratigraphy of Kutch, Gujarat.— Quart. J. Geol. Min. Metall. Soc. India49, 1–52. (for 1977)
Biswas, S.K. (1982): Rift basins in western margin of India and their hydrocarbon prospects with special reference to Kutch Basin.—Am. Ass. Petrol. Geol. Bull.66, 1497–1513.
Biswas, S.K. (1991): Stratigraphy and sedimentary evolution of the Mesozoic basin of Kutch, Western India.—In:Tandon, S.K., Pant, C.C. &Casshyap, S.M. (eds.): Sedimentary basins of India. Tectonic context.—74–103. Nainital (Gyanodaya Prakashan)
Bottjer, D.J., Droser, M.L. &Jablonski, D. (1988): Palaeo-environmental trends in the history of trace fossils.—Nature3 33, 252–255.
Bradshaw, M.A. (1981): Paleoenvironmental interpretations and systematics of Devonian trace fossils from the Taylor Group (Lower Beacon Supergroup), Antarctica.—New Zealand J. Geol. Geophys.24, 615–652.
Branson, C.C. (1961): New records of the scyphomedusanConostichus.—Oklah. Geol. Notes21 (5), 130–138.
Buatois, L.A., Jalfin, G. &Aceñolaza, F.G. (1997): Permian nonmarine invertebrate trace fossils from southern Patagonia, Argentina: Ichnologic signatures of substrate consolidation and colonization sequences.—J. Paleont.71, 324–336.
D'Alessandro, A. &Bromley, R.G. (1987): Meniscate trace fossils and theMuensteria-Taenidium problem.—Palaeontology30, 743–763.
Föllmi, K.B. &Grimm, K.A. (1990): Doomed pioneers: Gravity flow deposition and bioturbation in marine oxygen-deficient environments.—Geology18, 1069–1072.
Frey, R.W. &Seilacher, A. (1980): Uniformity in marine invertebrate ichnology.—Lethaia13, 183–207.
Fu Shaoping (1991): Funktion, Verhalten und Einteilung fucoider und lophoctenoider Lebensspuren.—Cour. Forsch. Inst. Senckenberg135, 1–79.
Fürsich, F.T. (1975): Trace fossils as environmental indicators in the Corallian of England and Normandy.—Lethaia8, 151–172.
Fürsich, F.T. &Bromley, R.G. (1985): Behavioural interpretation of a rosetted spreite trace fossil:Dactyloidites ottoi (Geinitz).—Lethaia18, 199–207.
Fürsich, F.T. &Oschmann, W. (1993): Shell beds as tools in basin analysis: the Jurassic of Kachchh, western India.—J. geol. Soc. London150, 169–185.
Fürsich, F.T., Oschmann, W., Jaitly, A.K. &Singh, I.B. (1991): Faunal response to transgressive-regressive cycles: example from the Jurassic of western India.—Palaeogeogr., Palaeoclimatol., Palaeoecol.85, 149–159.
Fürsich, F.T., Oschmann, W., Singh, I.B. &Jaitly, A.K. (1992): Hardgrounds, reworked concretion levels, and condensed horizons in the Jurassic of Western India and their significance for basin analysis.—J. geol. Soc. London149, 313–331.
Fürsich, F.T., Pandey, D.K., Callomon, J.H., Oschmann, W. &Jaitly, A.K. (1994): Contributions to the Jurassic of Kachchh, Western India. II. Bathonian stratigraphy and depositional environment of the Sadhara Dome, Pachchham Island.— Beringeria12, 95–125.
Ghare, M.A. &Kulkarni, K.G. (1986): Jurassic ichnofauna of Kutch II: Wagad region.—Biovigyanam12, 44–62.
Gluszek, A. (1995): Invertebrate trace fossils in the continental deposits of an Upper Carboniferous coal-bearing succession, Upper Silesia, Poland.—Studia Geol. Polon.108, 171–202.
Han Yaojun &Pickerill, R.K. (1994): Taxonomic reassessment ofProtovirgularia M'Coy 1850 with new examples from the Paleozoic of New Brunswick, eastern Canada.—Ichnos3, 203–212.
Heinberg, C. (1973): The internal structure of the trace fossilsGyrochorte andCurvolithus.—Lethaia6, 227–238.
Howard, J.D. &Singh, I.B. (1985). Trace fossils in the Mesozoic sediments of Kachchh, Western India.-Palaeogeogr., Palaeoclimatol., Palaeoecol.52, 99–122.
Jensen, S. (1997): Trace fossils from the Lower Cambrian Mickwitzia sandstone, south-central Sweden.—Fossils & Strata42, 1–110.
Keighley, D.G. &Pickerill, R.K. (1994): The ichnogenusBeaconites and its distinction fromAncorichnus andTaenidium.— Palaeontology37, 305–337.
Keighley, D.G. &Pickerill, R.K. (1995): The ichnotaxaPalaeophycus andPlanolites: historical perspectives and recommendations.—Ichnos3, 301–309.
Kulkarni, K.G. &Ghare, M.A. (1989): Stratigraphic distribution of ichnotaxa in Wagad region, Kutch, India.—J. Geol. Soc. India33, 259–267.
Kulkarni, K.G. &Ghare, M.A. (1991): Locomotory traces (Repichnia) from the Jurassic sequence of Kutch, Gujarat.—J. Geol. Soc. India37, 374–387.
Kumar, A., Bartarya, S.K. &Bisht, K. (1982): Distribution of trace fossils in the Mesozoic rocks of Kutch, India.—N. Jb. Geol. Paläont. Mh. 1982, 36–40.
McBride, E.F. &Picard, M.D. (1991): Facies implications ofTrichichnus andChondrites in turbidites and hemipelagites, Marnoso-arenacea Formation (Miocene), northern Apennines, Italy.—Palaios6, 281–290.
Nara, M. (1995).Rosselia socialis: a dwelling structure of a probable terebellid polychaete.—Lethaia28, 171–178.
Reineck, H.-E. &Singh, I.B. (1975): Depositional sedimentary environments.—439 p., Berlin (Springer).
Seilacher, A. (1967): Bathymetry of trace fossils.—Marine Geology5, 513–528.
Seilacher, A. &Seilacher, E. (1994): Bivalvian trace fossils: A lesson from actuopaleontology.—Cour. Forsch.-Inst. Senckenberg169, 5–15.
Shringarpure, D.M. (1986): Trace fossils at omission surfaces from the Mesozoic of Kutch, Gujarat, western India.—Bull. Geol. Min. Met. Soc. India54, 131–148.
Singh, C.S.P., Jaitly, A.K. &Pandey, D.K. (1982): First report of some Bajocian-Bathonian (Middle Jurassic) ammonoids and the age of oldest sediments from Kachchh, W. India.— Newsl. Stratigr.11, 37–40.
Tunis, G. &Uchman, A. (1996): Trace fossils and facies changes in Cretaceous-Eocene flysch deposits of the Julian Prealps (Italy and Slovenia): consequences of regional and world-wide changes.—Ichnos4, 169–190.
Uchman, A. (1995): Taxonomy and palaeoecology of flysch trace fossils: The Marnoso-arenacea Formation and associated facies (Miocene, Northern Apennines, Italy).—Beringeria15, 3–115.
Volk, M. (1968):Trichophycus thuringicum, eine Lebensspur aus den Phycodes-Schichten (Ordovizium) Thüringens.— Senckenbergiana lethaea49, 581–585.
Walter, M.R., Elphinstone, R. &Heys, G.R. (1989): Proterozoic and Early Cambrian trace fossils from the Amadeus and Georgina Basins, central Australia.—Alcheringia13, 209–256.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Fürsich, F.T. Environmental distribution of trace fossils in the Jurassic of Kachchh (Western India). Facies 39, 243–272 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02537019
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02537019