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Palynostratigraphy and depositional environment of Vastan Lignite Mine (Early Eocene), Gujarat, western India

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Early Eocene sedimentary successions of south Asia, are marked by the development of extensive fossil-bearing, lignite-rich sediments prior to the collision of India with Asia and provide data on contemporary equatorial faunal and vegetational assemblages. One such productive locality in western India is the Vastan Lignite Mine representing approximately a 54–52 Ma sequence dated by the presence of benthic zone marker species, Nummulites burdigalensis burdigalensis. The present study on Vastan Lignite Mine succession is based on the spore-pollen and dinoflagellate cyst assemblages and documents contemporary vegetational changes. 86 genera and 105 species belonging to algal remains (including dinoflagellate cysts), fungal remains, pteridophytic spores and angiospermous pollen grains have been recorded. On the basis of first appearance, acme and decline of palynotaxa, three cenozones have been recognized and broadly reflect changing palaeodepositional environments. These are in ascending stratigraphic order (i) Proxapertites Spp. Cenozone, (ii) Operculodinium centrocarpum Cenozone and (iii) Spinizonocolpites Spp. Cenozone. The basal sequence is lagoonal, palm-dominated and overlain by more open marine conditions with dinoflagellate cysts and at the top, mangrove elements are dominant. The succession has also provided a unique record of fish, lizards, snakes, and mammals.

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Acknowledgements

The authors appreciate the efforts of all the members of the National Geographic Society team who helped in the measurement of the section and collection of the samples. They are thankful to Dr N C Mehrotra, Director, Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany, Lucknow for providing facilities. The authors are also thankful to Dr Samir Sarkar, for his help in identifying the dinoflagellate cysts. They are also thankful to the anonymous reviewers for their critical comments and suggestions that improved the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany, 53 University Road, Lucknow, 226 007, India

    M R RAO & POONAM VERMA

  2. CAS in Geology, Lucknow University, Lucknow, 226 007, India

    ASHOK SAHNI

  3. Department of Geology, H.N.B Garhwal University, Srinagar, 246 175, Uttarakhand, India

    R S RANA

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  1. M R RAO
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  4. POONAM VERMA
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Correspondence to M R RAO.

Appendix 1

Appendix 1

1.1 Algal remains

Botryococcaceae: Botryococcus braunii

1.2 Dinoflagellate cysts

Dinophyceae: Operculodinium centrocarpum (Deflandre and Cookson) Wall (1967); Homotryblium abbreviatum Eaton (1976); Polysphaeridium subtile Davey and Williams (1966), Polysphaeridium sp., Heteraulacacysta granulate Jan Du Chene and Adediran (1985); Kenleyia sp.; Glaphyrocysta sp.; Spiniferites sp.; Achomosphaera sp.; Lejeunecysta hyalina (Geroch) Kjellstrom (1972).

1.3 Fungal remains

Microthyriaceae: Phragmothyrites eocaenica Edwards emend. Kar and Saxena (1976); Trichothyrites setiferus (Cookson) Saxena and Misra (1990); Siwalikiathyrites ramanujamii Saxena and Singh (1984).

1.4 Fungal spores

Melanconidiaceae: Meliola sp.

Dematiaceae: Frasnacritetrus sp.

1.5 Pteridophytic spores

Polypodiaceae: Polypodiaceaesporites sp.; Polypodiisporites repandus Takahashi (1964).

Schizaeaceae: Schizaeoisporites palanaensis Sah and Kar (1974); Lygodiumsporites lakiensis Sah and Kar (1969); L. eocaenicus Dutta and Sah (1970).

Lycopodiaceae: Lycopodiumsporites parvireticulatus Sah and Dutta (1966).

Matoniaceae: Dandotiasporites telonata Sah et al. (1971); D. plicata Sah et al. (1971); Garotriletes assamicus Singh and Singh (1978).

Cyatheaceae: Cyathidites australis Couper (1953).

Osmundaceae: Todisporites major Couper (1953); Intrapunctisporis intrapunctis Krutzsch (1959); Osmundacidites cephalus Saxena (1978).

Hymenophyllaceae: Biretisporites spp.

Pteridaceae: Pteridacidites sp.

1.6 Angiosperm pollen grains

Potamogetonaceae: Clavainaperturites clavatus van der Hammen and Wymstra (1964).

Liliaceae: Liliacidites microreticulatus Dutta and Sah (1970); Matanomadhiasulcites maximus (Saxena), Kar (1985); Retimonosulcites ovatus (Sah and Kar) Kar (1985); R. ellipticus (Venkatachala and Kar) Kar (1985).

Arecaceae: Retipollenites confuses Gonzalez- Guzman (1967); Proxapertites operculatus, van der Hammen (1956); P. assamicus (Sah and Dutta) Singh (1975); P. crassimurus (Sah and Dutta) Singh (1975); P. reticulatus (Kar and Saxena) Kar (1985); Neocouperipollis brevispinosus (Venkatachala and Kar) Kar and Kumar (1986); N. kutchensis (Venkatachala and Kar) Kar and Kumar (1986), Neocouperipollis sp.; Spinomonosulcites achinatus (Sah and Kar) Singh and Misra (1991); Acanthotricolpites kutchensis (Kar and Kumar) Singh and Misra (1991); Spinizonocolpites baculatus Muller (1968); S. echinatus Muller (1968); Palmidites major Couper (1953); Palmaepollenites kutchensis Venkatachala and Kar (1969); Arengapollenites ovatus Kar and Bhattacharya (1992); Longapertites sp., Quilonipollenites sahnii Rao and Ramanujam (1978); Retitrilatiporites kutchensis (Venkatachala and Kar) Singh et al. (1996) and Dorreenipites distinctus Navale and Misra (1979).

Bombacaceae: Lakiapollis ovatus Venkatachala and Kar (1969); Tricolporopollis matanomadhensis (Venkatachala and Kar) Tripathi and Singh (1985); T. decoris Dutta and Sah (1970).

Caesalpiniaceae: Margocolporites tsukadii Ramanujam (1966); Periretitricolpites anambraensis Jan Du Chene et al. (1978).

Polygalaceae: Polygalacidites rhomboides Kar and Bhattacharya (1992).

Gunneraceae: Tricolpites reticulates Cookson (1947).

Dipterocarpaceae: Dipterocarpuspollenites retipilatus Kar (1992).

Euphorbiaceae: Minutitricolpites minutus Kar (1985).

Anacardiaceae: Rhoipites pilatus, R. kutchensis Sah and Kar (1974).

Alangiaceae: Lanagiopollis tetracolporites Kumar (1996); L. ruguloverrucatus Morley (1982); L. rugularis Morley (1982).

Rhizophoraceae: Paleosantalaceaepites ellipticus; P. minutus Sah and Kar (1974).

Lecythidaceae: Barringtoniapollenites retipilatus Kar and Sharma (2001).

Lythraceae: Yeguapollis indicus Mandal and Guleria (2006).

Lamiaceae: Occimumpollenites indicus Kar (1996).

Plumbaginaceae: Plumbaginacipites sp.

Araliaceae: Araliaceoipollenites descretus Venkatachala and Rawat (1973).

Ctenolophonaceae: Ctenolophonidites costatus van Hoeken-Klinkenberg (1966), Retistephanocolpites kutchensis Saxena (1979), R. flavatus (Sah and Kar) Kar (1985), R. ornatus (Dutta and Sah) Saxena (1982).

Proteaceae: Proteacidites protrudes Sah and Kar (1970).

Thymeliaceae: Clavaperiporites jacobii Ramanujam (1966).

Droseraceae: Droseridites sp.

Unidentified: Inapertisporites kedvesii Elsik (1968), Inapertisporites sp.; Diporicellaesporites sp., Foveotriletes sp.; Leptolepidites sp.; Verrumonocolpites sp., Albertipollenites crassireticulatus (Dutta and Sah) Mandal and Rao (2001); Trichotomosulcites sp.; Echitricolpites communis De Silva Pares Regali et al. (1974); Tribrevicolporites eocenicus Kar (1985), Tribrevicolporites sp., Tricolpites sp., Foveotricolpites sp.; Verrutricolpites sp., Sastriipollenites trilobatus Venkatachala and Kar (1969); Striacolporites striatus, S. ovatus Sah and Kar (1970); Triangulorites bellus Kar (1985); Dermatobrevicolporites dermatus (Sah and Kar) Kar (1985); D. exaltus Kar (1985); Angulocolporites microreticulatus Kar (1985); Verrutricolporites cambayensis Mandal and Guleria (2006); Intectocolporites baculatus Mandal and Guleria (2006); Verrustephanocolpites sp.; Polycolpites sp.; Polybrevicolporites cephalus Venkatachala and Kar (1969); Pseudonothofagidites kutchensis Venkatachala and Kar (1969) and Triporopollenites parviannulatus Frederiksen (1994).

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RAO, M.R., SAHNI, A., RANA, R.S. et al. Palynostratigraphy and depositional environment of Vastan Lignite Mine (Early Eocene), Gujarat, western India. J Earth Syst Sci 122, 289–307 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12040-013-0280-4

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