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Coralline Algae from the Late Pleistocene Miliolite Formation of Kachchh, Western India

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Journal of the Geological Society of India

Abstract

Coralline algae of the Late Pleistocene Miliolite Formation of Kachchh region, Gujarat, western India are studied in terms of taxonomy and their paleoenvironmental implications. The Quaternary bio-clastic sediments belonging to the Late Pleistocene Miliolite Formation are well exposed in Kachchh, western India and these sediments consist of sandy limestones and calcareous sandstones. The present paper deals with the study of coralline algae from the sediments of the Late Pleistocene Miliolite Formation. Twenty two species of coralline algae are being recorded for the first time from these sediments. Out of twenty two species, eight belong to non-geniculate coralline algae and fourteen belong to geniculate coralline algae. The geniculate coralline algal species are: Lithophyllum incrustans Philippi, Lithophyllum sp.1, Lithopyllum sp.2, Lithoporella melobesioides Foslie, Lithothamnion sp.1, Lithothamnion sp.2, Lithothamnion sp.3 and Lithothamnion sp.4 and geniculate coralline algal species are: Amphiroa anchiverricosa Johnson and Ferris, A. fortis Johnson, A. rigida Lamouroux; Arthrocardia cretacica Raineri, A. indica Kundal and Humane, A. konitaensis Ishijima; Calliarthron antiquum Johnson; Corallina grandis Rao, C. prisca Johnson, C. typica Ishijima; Jania guamensis Johnson, J. mengaudi Lemoine, J. sripadaraoi Kundal and Humane; J. vetus Johnson. The present coralline algal assemblage suggests that the sediments containing algae from the Miliolite Formation were deposited in the shallow water marine/beach environment.

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Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank Dr. M G. Thakkar for this support and Dr. Gaurav Chauhan for helping during the fieldwork from Department of Earth and Environmental Science, K.S.K.V. Kachchh University, Kachchh, Bhuj, India. The authors (SNM and SDR) are thankful to Principal, Fergusson College (Autonomous), Pune and Head, Department of Geology for constant encouragement and support.

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  1. Department of Geology, Fergusson College (Autonomous), Pune, 411 004, India

    Shyam N. Mude & Shashikant D. Raut

  2. Department of Geology, RTM Nagpur University, Nagpur, 440 001, India

    Pradeep Kundal

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Mude, S.N., Kundal, P. & Raut, S.D. Coralline Algae from the Late Pleistocene Miliolite Formation of Kachchh, Western India. J Geol Soc India 97, 1355–1364 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12594-021-1874-0

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