Abstract
The Indian stratigraphic record with well documented Mesozoic and Early Tertiary terrestrial biotas is now adequate to shed light on the geodynamic chronology of the subcontinent during the rift, drift and collision phases. The record provides one of the best examples of the response of a biota that is undergoing considerable latitudinal displacement, dispersal, origination, evolution and extinction.
This paper restricts itself to terrestrial biotic events related to the drift of India from the Middle and Late Cretaceous to the end of the Early Eocene, between approximately 90 and 50 Ma with the main focus centering on the Deccan Trap associated sedimentary sequences (DTASS). Affinities of the marine biota to that of Madagascar are known on the basis of Cretaceous ammonites but landmass contiguity is best established on the basis of large terrestrial vertebrates that require stable corridors for dispersal. In this context, the report of gigantic sauropod dinosaurs along with putative angiosperm remains in a mangrove ecosystem setting in the Nimar Formation is of great interest as similar environments have been reported from Egypt during the Cenomanian-Turonian.
For palaeobiogeographical implications, the DTASS is the most interesting and informative as this highly fossiliferous sequence has yielded several important faunal (mammals, dinosaurs and ostracodes) and floral (pollen, charophyte, and diatom) assemblages. The sudamericid gondwanathere mammals clearly have an affinity with similar forms known from Madagascar and South America implying a strong connection possibly extending to Africa. The other mammals of the Deccanolestes group are presently hard to characterize in terms of their closest relatives but have been nested with the Asian proteutherian clade. South American-Madagascan affinities are also borne out by the common presence of large carnivorous abelisaurid dinosaurs, Rajasaurus narmadensis, the most completely known Indian Maastrichtian abelisaurid which is strikingly similar to Majungatholus from the coeval Maevarano Formation of Madagascar. The distribution of sauropod titanosaurids is more cosmopolitan (South America, India and Southern Europe, and North America) and is matched by the similarity in titanosaurid oospecies wherever described. The ostracode assemblage have recently been well studied and suggest some degree of endemism at the species level, much more than was previously suspected with only a few forms of Central and East Asiatic affinity. The pollen assemblages from the sedimentary sequences associated with the Deccan Traps are dominated by Aquilapollenites, a characteristic marker for Euramerican Maastrichtian palynostratigraphy. Kurmademys and Sanchuchemys are two pleurodiran bothremyidid turtles from the Cretaceous of Tamil Nadu and the Jogeshwari Intertrappeans of Mumbai respectively, which together with other contemporary pelomedusids indicate a great biodiversity of the group. The frogs, on the other hand, need to be thoroughly re-studied in the context of their origins and affinities as recent data has shown a remarkable disjunct distribution between the recent family Sooglossidae from the Seychelles and Nasikabatrachidae from the Western Ghat regions of India. This implies a common ancestry in the late Mesozoic that predates the separation of the Seychelles from western India at about 65 Ma. Fossil snakes from this time are much generalized and probably represent basal lineages. Two lineages of freshwater fish, the Lepisosteidae and the Osteoglossidae are fairly cosmopolitan in their global distribution. The ray Igdabatis is now known from the Maastrichtian of Spain, Niger and India.
Several evolutionary originations as indicated by their oldest stratigraphic record, took place when the Indian landmass was a drifting island subcontinent. The best examples are the oldest global occurrence of Maastrichtian freshwater diatoms, and of grasses represented at least by five taxa of living subclades. The oldest and most diversified Asian record of bats occurs in the Lower Eocene (about 52 Ma) and the origination of whales and sea cows at about the same time is now a classic example of macro-evolution in a penecontemporaneous collision phase.
More work needs to be undertaken in those cases where the geophysical constraints do not match the conclusions based on palaeobiogeographic affinities. At least two factors may account for the perceived discrepancies: (a) poor sampling in intervening landmasses of coeval time; and (b) differing ecological constraints controlling the dispersal of different-sized forms and the incompleteness of the stratigraphic record.
Keywords
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsReferences
Ambwani, K, Sahni, A, Kar, R, Dutta, D (2003) Oldest known non-marine diatoms (Aulacoseira) from the Deccan Intertrappean Beds and Lameta Formation (Upper Cretaceous of India). Rev Micropaleontol, 46:67–71.
Bajpai, S, Gingerich, PD (1998) A new Eocene Archaeocete (Mammalia, Cetacea) from India and the time of origin of whales. Proc Natl Acad Sci, 95:5464–5468.
Bajpai, S, Kapur, VV (2004) Oldest known gobiids from Vastan Lignite Mine (Early Eocene), Surat. Curr Sci, 87:433–435.
Bajpai, S, Kapur, VV, Das, DP, Tiwari, BN, Saravanan, N, Sharma, R (2005) Early Eocene land mammals from the Vastan Lignite Mine, District Surat (Gujarat), western India. J Palaeontol Soc India, 50:101–113.
Bajpai, S, Thewissen, JGM (2002) Vertebrate fauna from Panandhro Lignite field (Lower Eocene), district Kachchh, western India. Curr Sci, 82:507–508.
Bajpai, S, Thewissen, JGM, Kapur, VV, Tiwari, BN, Sahni, A (2006) Eocene and Oligocene Sirenians (Mammalia) from Kachchh, India. J Vertebr Paleontol, 26:400–410.
Baksi, SK, Deb, U (1976) On new occurrence of Aquilapollenites from Eastern India. Pollen Spores, 18(3):399–406.
Bardhan, S, Gangopadhyay, TK, Mandal, U (2002) How far did India drift during the Late Cretaceous?-Placenticeras kaffrarium Etheridge 1904 (Ammonoidea) used a measuring tape. Sed Geol, 147:193–217.
Biju, SD, Bossuyt, F (2003) New frog family from India reveals an ancient biogeographical link with the Seychelles. Nature, 425:711–714.
Bossyut, F, Milinkovitch, MC (2001) Amphibians as indicators of early Tertiary ‘out of India’ dispersal of vertebrates. Science, 291:93–95.
Briggs, JC (2003) The biogeographic and tectonic history of India. J Biogeogr, 30:381–388.
Buffetaut, E (1978) Crocodilians from the Eocene of Pakistan. N J Geol Palaeontol Abh, 156: 262–283.
Buffetaut, E (1994) A new crocodilian from the Cretaceous of Southern Morocco. C R Acad Sci, 19:1563–1568.
Cappetta, H (1972) Les poisson Cretaces et Tertiaires Du Basin des Iullemmeden (Republic du Niger). Palaeovertebr Montp, 5:179–251.
Chatterjee, S, Scotese, LR (1999) The breakup of Gondwana and the evolution of the Indian plate. Proc Indian Natl Sci Acad, 65A:397–425.
Cione, AL, Prasad, GVR (2002) The oldest known catfish (Teleostei: Siluriformes) from Asia (India, Late Cretaceous). J Paleontol, 76:190–193.
Clyde, WC, Khan, IH, Gingerich, PD (2003) Stratigraphic response and mammalian dispersal during initial India-Asia collision: evidence from the Ghazij Formation. Baluchistan, Pakistan. Geology, 31:1097–1100.
Das Sarma, DC, Anantharaman, S, Vijayasarathi, G, Nath, TT, Rao, CV (1995) Palaeontological studies for the search of micromammals in the infra- and inter-trappean horizons of Andhra Pradesh. Rec Geol Surv India, 128:223.
Datta, PM, Ray, S (2006) Earliest lizard from the Late Triassic (Carnian) of India. J Vertebr Paleontol, 26:795–800.
Fredrikson, NO (1994) Middle and Late Palaeocene angiosperms pollen from Pakistan. Palynology, 18:91–137.
Gaffney, ES, Chatterjee, S, Rudra, DK (2001) Kurmademys, a new side-necked turtle (Pelomedusoides: Bothremydidae) from the Late Cretaceous of India. Am Mus Novit, 3321: 1–16.
Gaffney, ES, Sahni, A, Schleich, H, Singh, SD, Srivastava, R (2003) Sankuchemys, a new side-necked turtle (Pelomedusoides:Bothremydidae) from the Late Cretaceous of India. Am Mus Novit, 3405:1–10.
Gaffney, ES, Tong, H, Meylan, PA (2006) Evolution of the side-necked turtles: The Families Bothremydidae, Euraxemididae and Araripemydidae. Bull Am Mus Nat Hist, 300:1–698.
Garzanti, E, Critelli, S, Ingersoll, RV (1986) Paleogeographic and paleotectonic evolution of the Himalayan Range as reflected by detrital modes of Tertiary sandstones and modern sands (Indus transect, India and Pakistan). Geol Soc Am Bull, 108:631–642.
Gayet, M, Rage, JC, Rana, RS (1984) Nouvelles ichthyofaune et herpetofaune de Gitti Khadan le plus ancient gisement connu du Deccan (Cretace/Paleocene) a Microvertebres. Implications palaeogeographiques. Mem Geol Soc Fr NS, 147:55–67.
Gheerbrant, E (1990) On the early biogeographical history of African placentals. Hist Biol, 4: 107–116.
Gingerich, PD, Abbas, SG, Arif, M (1997) Early Eocene Quettacyon parachai (Condylarthra) from the Ghazij Formation of Baluchistan (Pakistan): oldest Cenozoic land mammal from South Asia. J Vertebr Paleontol, 17:629–637.
Hora, SL (1939) On some fossil fish scales from the Intertrappean Beds at Deothan and Kheri, Central Provinces. Rec Geol Surv India, 73:267–297.
Jaeger, JJ, Courtillot, V, Tapponier, P (1989) Palaeontological view of the Deccan Traps, the Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary and the India-Asia Collision. Geology, 17:316–319.
Jain, SL (1986) New pelomedusid turtle (Pleurodire: Chelonia) from the Lameta Formation (Maastrichtian) of Dongargaon, central India and a review of Pelomedusids from India. J Palaeontol Soc India, 31:63–75.
Jain, SL, Bandyopadhyay, S (1997) New titanosaurid (Dinosauria: Sauropoda) from the Late Cretaceous of central India. J Vertebr Palaeontol, 17:114–136.
Jain, SL, Sahni, A (1983) Some upper Cretaceous vertebrates from central India and their palaeogeographic implications. Indian Association of Palynostratigraphers, Symposium Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, pp. 66–83.
Karanth, KP (2006) Out of India Gondwanan origin of some tropical Asian biota. Curr Sci, 90: 789–792.
Khajuria, CK, Prasad, GVR (1998) Taphonomy of a Late Cretaceous mammal-bearing microvertebrate assemblage from the Deccan inter-trappean beds of Naskal, peninsular India. Palaeogeogr Palaeoclimatol Palaeoecol, 137:153–172.
Khosla, A, Kapur, VV, Sereno, PC, Wilson, JA, Dutheil, D, Sahni, A, Singh, MP, Kumar, S, Rana, RS (2003) First dinosaur remains from the Cenomanian- Turonian of the Nimar Sandstone (Bagh Beds), District Dhar, Madhya Pradesh, India. J Palaeontol Soc India, 48:115–127.
Khosla, A, Prasad, GVR, Verma, O, Jain, AK, Sahni, A (2004) Discovery of a micromammal yielding Deccan intertrappean site near Kisalpuri, Dindori District, Madhya Pradesh. Curr Sci, 87:380–383.
Khosla, A, Sahni, A (2003) Biodiversity during the Deccan volcanic eruptive episode. J Asian Earth Sci, 21:895–908.
Krause, DW, Gottfried, MD, O’Connor, PM, Roberts, EM (2003) A Cretaceous mammal from Tanzania. Acta Palaeontol Polonica, 48:321–330.
Krause, DW, Maas, MC (1990) The biogeographic origins of Late Paleocene – Early Eocene mammalian immigrants to the western Interior of North America. Geol Soc Am Spec Pap, 243:71–105.
Krause, DW, Prasad, GVR, Koenigswald, WV, Sahni, A, Grine, FG (1997) Cosmopolitanism among Gondwana Late Cretaceous mammals. Nature, 390:504–507.
Kumar, K (2001) Distribution and migration of Paleogene terrestrial mammal faunas in the Indian subcontinent. International Conference on Distribution and Migration Tertiary Mammals in Eurasia, The University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands, pp. 29–31.
Kumar, K, Loyal, RS (1987) Eocene icthyofauna from the Subathu Formation, Northwestern Himalaya, India. J Palaeontol Soc India, 32:60–84.
Kumar, K, Sahni, A (1985) Eocene mammals from the upper Subathu Group, Kashmir Himalaya, India. J Vertebr Paleontol, 5:153–168.
McKenna, MC (1973) Sweepstakes, filters, corridors, Noah’s Arc and beached Viking funeral Ships in paleogeography. In: Tarling, DH, Runcorn, SK (eds) Implications of continental drift to the Earth Sciences, Vol. 3. Academic Press, New York, NY.
Mckenna, MC (1995) The mobile Indian raft: a reply to Rage and Jaeger. Syst Biol, 44:265–271.
Mehrotra, RC (2003) Status of plant megafossils during the Early Palaeogene of India. Geol Soc Am Spec Pap, 369:413–423.
Mohabey, DM (1996) Depositional environments of Lameta Formation (Late Cretaceous) of Nand-Dongargaon Inland Basin, Maharashtra: the fossil and lithological evidences. In: Sahni, A (ed) Cretaceous stratigraphy and palaeoenvironments – Rama Rao Volume, Mem Geol Soc India, 37:363–386.
Prakash, T, Singh, RY, Sahni, A (1990) Palynofloral assemblage from the Padwar Deccan intertrappeans (Jabalpur), M. P. In: Sahni, A, Jolly, A (eds) Cretaceous event stratigraphy and the correlation of the Indian nonmarine strata (IGCP 216 and 245). Panjab University, Chandigarh, India, pp. 68–69.
Prasad, GVR (2005) Mammalian perspective of Late Cretaceous palaeobiogeography of the Indian subcontinent. Gondwana Geol Mag Nagpur, 8:111–122.
Prasad, GVR, Cappetta, H (1993) Late Cretaceous selachians from India and the age of the Deccan traps. Palaeontol, 36:231–248.
Prasad, GVR, De Lapparent de Broin, F (2002) Late Cretaceous crocodile remains from Naskal (India): comparisons and biogeographic affinities. Ann Paléontol, 88:19–71.
Prasad, GVR, Khajuria, CK (1995) Implications of the infra- and inter-trappean biota from the Deccan, India for the role of volcanism in Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary extinctions. J Geol Soc Lond, 152:289–296.
Prasad, GVR, Khajuria, CK (1996) Palaeoenvironment of the Late Cretaceous mammal-bearing Intertrappean beds of Naskal, Andhra Pradesh, India. In: Sahni, A (ed) Cretaceous stratigraphy and palaeoenvironments – Rama Rao Volume, Mem Geol Soc India, 37:337–362.
Prasad, GVR, Khajuria, CK, Manhas, BK (1995) Palaeobiogeographic significance of the Deccan infra- and intertrappean biota from peninsular India. Hist Biol, 9:319–334.
Prasad, GVR, Rage, JC (1991) A discoglossid frog in the Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) of India: Further evidence for a terrestrial route between India and Laurasia in the latest Cretaceous. C R Acad Sci, 313:273–278.
Prasad, GVR, Rage, JC (1995) Amphibians and squamates from the Maastrichtian of Naskal, India. Cret Res, 16:95–107.
Prasad, GVR, Rage, J-C (2004) Fossil frogs (Amphibia: Anura) from the Upper Cretaceous Intertrappean beds of Naskal, Andhra Pradesh. Rev Paléobiol, 23:99–116.
Prasad, GVR, Sahni, A (1988) First Cretaceous mammal from India. Nature, 332:638–640.
Prasad, V, Strőmberg, CAE, Alimohammadian, H, Sahni, A (2005) Dinosaur coprolites and the early evolution of grasses and grazers. Science, 310:1177–1180.
Prasad, GVR, Verma, O, Sahni, A, Krause, DW, Khosla, A, Parmar, V (2007) A new Late Cretaceous Gondwanatherian Mammal from Central India. Proc Indian Natl Sci Acad, 73:17–24.
Rage, J-C, Bajpai, S, Thewissen, JGM, Tiwari, BN (2003) Early Eocene snakes from Kutch, Western India, with a review of the Palaeophiidae. Geodiversitas, 25:695–716.
Rage, JC, Prasad, GVR (1992) New snakes from the Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) of Naskal, India. N J Geol Paläontol Abh, 187:83–97.
Rage, J-C, Prasad, GVR, Bajpai, S (2004) Additional snakes from the uppermost Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) of India. Cret Res, 25:425–434.
Rana, RS (1988) Freshwater fish otoliths from the Deccan Traps associated sedimentary (Cretaceous-Tertiary transition) beds of Rangapur, Hyderabad District, Andhra Pradesh, India. Geobios, 21:465–493.
Rana, RS (2005) Lizard fauna from the Intertrappean (Late Cretaceous-Early Palaeocene) beds of Peninsular India. Gondwana Geol Mag Nagpur, 8:123–132.
Rana, RS, Kumar, K, Loyal, RS, Sahni, A, Rose, KD, Mussell, J, Singh, H, Kulshreshtha, SK (2006) Selachians from the early Eocene Kapurdi Formation (Fullers Earth), Barmer District, Rajasthan, India. J Geol Soc India, 67:509–522.
Rana, RS, Kumar, K, Singh, H (2004) Vertebrate fauna from the subsurface Cambay Shale (Lower Eocene), Vastan Lignite Mine, Gujarat, India. Curr Sci, 87:425–427.
Rana, RS, Sati, KK (2000) Late Cretaceous-Palaeocene crocodilians from the Deccan Trap associated sedimentary sequences of peninsular India. J Palaeontol Soc India, 45:123–136.
Rana, RS, Singh, H, Sahni, A, Rose, KD, Saraswati, PK (2005) Early Eocene chiropterans from the Vastan lignites, Gujarat, western peninsular: oldest record of bats from Asia. J Palaeontol Soc India, 50:93–100.
Rana, RS, Wilson, GP (2003) New Late Cretaceous mammals from the intertrappean beds of Rangapur, India and palaeobiogeographic framework. Acta Palaeontol Polonica, 48:331–348.
Requero, MA, Sergio, AM, Santillana, SN (2002) Antarctica Peninsula and South America (Patagonia) Paleogene Terrestrial Faunas and Environments: biogeographic relationships. Palaegeogr Palaeoclimatol Palaeoecol, 179:189–210.
Roelants, K, Jiang, J, Bossuyt, F (2004) Endemic ranid (Amphibia: Anura) genera in southern mountain ranges of the Indian subcontinent represent ancient frog lineages: evidence from molecular data. Mol Phylogenet Evol, 31:730–740.
Rose, KD, Smith, T, Rana, RS, Sahni, A, Singh, H, Missiaen, P, Folie, A (2006) Early Eocene (Ypresian) continental vertebrate assemblage from India, with description of a new anthracobunid (Mammalia, Tethytheria). J Vertebr Paleontol, 26:19–25.
Russell, DE, Gingerich, PD (1981) Lipotyphla, Proteutheria (?), and Chiroptera (mammalia) from the early – middle Eocene Kuldana formation of Kohat (Pakistan). Contr Mus Paleontol Univ Michigan, 25:277–287.
Sahni, A (1999) India-Asia collision: ecosystem changes. J. B. Auden Lecture. Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dehra Dun, Uttarakhand, pp. 1–27.
Sahni, A (2006) Biotic response to the India-Asia Collision: changing palaeoenvironments and vertebrate faunal relationships. Palaeontographica (Stuttgart, Germany), 278A:15–26.
Sahni, A, Jolly, A (1993) Eocene mammals from Kalakot, Kashmir Himalaya: community structure, taphonomy and palaeobiogeographical implications. Kaupia, 3:209–222.
Sahni, A, Kumar, V (1974) Palaeogene palaeobiogeography of the Indian subcontinent. Palaeogeogr Palaeoclimatol Palaeoecol, 13:209–226.
Sahni, A, Kumar, K, Hartenberger, JL, Jaeger, JJ, Rage, JC, Sudre, J, Vianey-Liaud, M (1982) Microvertẻbrẻs nouveau des Traps du Deccan (Inde): mise en ẻvidence d’une voie de communication terrestre probable entre la Laurasie et l’ Inde a la limite Crẻtacẻ-Tertiaire. Bull Soc Gẻol Fr, 24:1093–1099.
Sahni, A, Rana, RS, Loyal, RS, Saraswati, PK, Mathur, SK, Rose, KD, Tripathi, SKM, Garg, R (2004) Western margin palaeocene-lower Eocene lignite: biostratigraphic and palaeoecological constraints. Proceedings of the 2nd associations of petroleum geology, ONGC, Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh, pp. 1–18.
Sahni, A, Saraswati, PK, Rana, RS, Kumar, K, Singh, H, Alimohammadian, H, Sahni, N, Rose, KD, Singh, L, Smith, T (2006) Temporal constraints and depositional palaeoenvironments of the Vastan Lignite Sequence, Gujarat: analogy for the Cambay Shale Hydrocarbon Source Rock. Indian J Petroleum Geol, 15:1–20.
Sahni, A, Tandon, SK, Jolly, A, Bajpai, S, Sood, A, Srinivasan, S (1994) Upper Cretaceous dinosaur eggs and nesting sites from the Deccan Volcano- Sedimentary province of Peninsular India. In: Carpenter, K, Hirsch, KF, Horner, JR (eds) Dinosaur eggs and babies. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, MA.
Sahni, A, Venkatachala, BS, Kar, RK, Rajanikanth, A, Prakash, T, Prasad, GVR, Singh, RY (1996) New palaeontological data from the Intertrappean beds: implications for the latest record of dinosaurs and synchronous initiation of volcanic activity in India. In: Sahni A (ed) Cretaceous stratigraphy and palaeoenvironments – Rama Rao Volume, Mem Geol Soc India, 37:267–203.
Samant, B, Bajpai, S (2001) Fish otoliths from the subsurface Cambay Shale (Lower Eocene), Surat Lignite Field, Gujarat, India. Curr Sci, 81:758–759.
Samant, B, Mohabey, DM (2003) Palynology study of Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) sediments of Nand-Dongargaon area: palaeoclimate and palaeoenvironment. Proceedings of the 19th Indian colloquium on micropalaeontology and stratigraphy: sympsoium on recent development in Indian Ocean palaeoceanography and palaeoclimate, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, pp. 63–64.
Serra-Kiel, J, Hottinger, L, Caus, E, Brobne, K, Ferrandez, C, Jauhari, AK, Less, G, Pavlovec, R, Pignatti, J, Samso, JM, Schaub, H, Sirel, E, Struogo, A, Tambareau, Y, Tosquella, J, Zakrevskaya, E (1998) Larger foraminiferal biostratigraphy of the Tethyan Paleocene and Eocene. Bull Geol Soc Fr, 169:281–299.
Smith, JB, Lamanna, MC, Lacovara, KJ, Dodson, P, Smith, JR, Poole, JC, Geigengack, R, Attia, Y (2001) A giant sauropod dinosaur from an Upper Cretaceous Mangrove deposit in Egypt. Science, 292:1704–1706.
Smith, T, Rana, RS, Rose, KD, Sahni, A (2006) Earliest bats from India. J Vertebr Paleontol (Abs), 26:127A.
Soler-Gijon, R, Martinez, NL (1998) Sharks and rays (Chondrichthyes) from the Upper Cretaceous red beds of the south-central Pyrenees (Lleida, Spain): indices of an India-Eurasia connection. Palaeogeogr Palaeoclimatol Palaeoecol, 141:1–12.
Spinar, ZV, Hodrova, M (1985) New knowledge of the genus Indobatrachus (Anura) from the Lower Eocene of India. Amphibia-Reptilia, 6:363–376.
Tandon, SK, Sood, A, Andrews, JE, Dennis, PF (1995) Palaeoenvironment of the dinosaur bearing Lameta Beds (Maastrichtian), Narmada Valley, Central India. Palaeogeogr Palaeoclimatol Palaeoecol, 117:153–184.
Thewissen, JGM, Roe, LJ, O’Neil, JR, Hussain, ST, Sahni, A, Bajpai, S (1996) Evolution of Cetacean osmoregulation. Nature, 381:379–380.
Thewissen, JGM, Williams, EM, Hussain, ST (2001) Eocene mammal faunas from northern Indo-Pakistan. J Vertebr Paleontol, 21:347–366.
Whatley, RC, Bajpai, S (2000a) Further nonmarine ostracoda from the Late Cretaceous Intertrappean deposits of the Anjar region, Kachchh, Gujarat, India. Rev Micropaleontol, 43:173–178.
Whatley, RC, Bajpai, S (2000b) Zoogeographical relationships of the Upper Cretaceous nonmarine ostracoda of India. Curr Sci, 79:694–696.
Wible, JR, Rougier, GW, Novacek, MJ, Asher, RJ (2007) Cretaceous eutherians and Laurasian origin for placental mammals near the K/T boundary. Nature, 447:1003–1006.
Wilson, JA, Sereno, PC, Srivastava, S, Bhatt, DK, Khosla, A, Sahni, A (2003) A new abelisaurid (Dinosauria, Theropoda) from the Lameta Formation, (Cretaceous, Maastrichtian) of India. Contr Mus Paleontol Univ Michigan, 31:1–42.
Acknowledgments
This article is financially supported by an INSA senior scientist project no: INSA-SP/SS/2006/2841 to the author who would also like to thank Drs. Caroline Stromberg and Vandana Prasad for their help in drafting Fig. 6.1. He further acknowledges the detailed efforts of the reviewers in making general improvements of the article.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2010 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Sahni, A. (2010). Indian Cretaceous Terrestrial Vertebrates: Cosmopolitanism and Endemism in a Geodynamic Plate Tectonic Framework. In: New Aspects of Mesozoic Biodiversity. Lecture Notes in Earth Sciences, vol 132. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-10311-7_6
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-10311-7_6
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-10310-0
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-10311-7
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)