Skip to main content
Log in

Palynofloral study of the intertrappean bed exposed at a new locality in Kutch district, Gujarat and its implications on palaeoenvironment and age

  • Published:
Journal of the Geological Society of India

Abstract

A palynofloral assemblage has been recorded from the intertrappean bed exposed at a new locality, near Naredi, on Naliya-Narayan Sarovar Road in western Kutch, Gujarat. This intertrappean bed (ca. 0.6 m thick) of grey laminated clay is underlain and overlain by the volcanic traps. The assemblage recovered from this bed includes algal and fungal remains, pteridophytic spores, angiospermous pollen as well as cuticles of terrestrial plants. Important palynotaxa recovered are Azolla sp., Lygodiumsporites lakiensis, Polypodiaceaesporites intrapunctatus, Compositoipollenites argutus, C. conicus, Graminidites media, Ladakhipollenites minutus, Lakiapollis ovatus, Matanomadhiasulcites sp., etc. Besides, a variety of fungal remains belonging to the genera Dictyosporites, Frasnacritetrus (Tetraploa), Kutchiathyrites, Palaeomycites (VAM fungi), Papulosporonites, Parmathyrites, Phragmothyrites, Polycellaesporonites (Alternaria), etc have been recorded. It has been deduced that this intertrappean bed was deposited in a shallow depression over the trap during short interval of quiescence in a tropical-subtropical climate. The age of the intertrappean bed is suggested as Early Palaeocene.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alexander, P.O. (1981) Age and duration of Deccan volcanism: K-Ar evidence. In: K.V. Subbarao and R.N. Sukheswala (Eds.), Deccan volcanism and related basalt provinces in other parts of the world. Mem. Geol. Soc. India no.3, Rashtrothana Press, pp.244–258.

  • Bajpai, S. and Prasad, G.V.R. (2000) Cretaceous age for Ir-rich Deccan intertrappean deposits: Palaeontological evidence from Anjar, western India. Jour. Geol. Soc. London v.157, pp.257–260.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bande, M.B., Chandra, A., Venkatachala, B.S. and Mehrotra, R.C. (1988) Deccan intertrappean floristics and its stratigraphic implications. In: H.K. Maheshwari (Ed.), Palaeocene of India: Proceedings of the Symposium on Palaeocene of India: limits and subdivisions Lucknow 1986. Indian Association of Palynostratigraphers, Lucknow, pp.83–123.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bhandari, A. and Colin, J.-P. (1999) Limnic ostracods from the inter-trappean sediments (uppermost Maastrichtian-basal Paleocene) near Anjar (Kachchh, Gujarat State), India: Systematics, palaeoecology and palaeobiogeographical affinities. Rev. de Micropaléontologie v.42, no.1, pp.3–20.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Courtillot, V., Besse, J., Vandamme, D., Montigny, R., Jaeger, J.J. and Capetta, H. (1986) Deccan flood basalt at the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., v.80, pp.361–374.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Courtillot, V., Feraud, G., Maluski, H., Vandamme, D., Moreau, M.G. and Besse, J. (1988) Deccan flood basalt at the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary. Nature, v.333, pp.843–846.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Courtillot, V., Gallet, Y., Rocchia, R., Feraud, G., Robin, E., Hofmann, C., Bhandari, N. and Ghevariya, Z.G. (2000) Cosmic markers, 40Ar/39Ar dating and palaeomagnetism of the KT section in the Anjar area of the Deccan large igneous province. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., v.182, pp.137–156.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dogra, N.N., Singh, Y.R. and Singh, R.Y. (2004) Palynological assemblage from the Anjar intertrappeans, Kutch district, Gujarat: Age implications. Curr. Sci., v.86(12), pp.1597.

    Google Scholar 

  • Guleria, J.S. and Srivastava, R. (2001) Fossil dicotyledonous woods from the Deccan intertrappean beds of Kachchh, Gujarat, Western India. Palaeontographica Abt. B, v.257, pp.17–33.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kar, R.K. and Kumar, M. (1986) Palaeocene palynostratigraphy of Meghalaya. Pollen Spores, v.28, pp.177–217.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kar, R.K., Sahni, A., Ambwani, K. and Singh, R.S. (1998) Palynology of Indian onshore-offshore Maastrichtian sequences in India: implication for correlation and palaeobiogeography. Indian Jour. Petrol. Geol., v.7, pp.39–49.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kar, R.K. and Srinivasan, S. (1998) Late Cretaceous palynofossils from the Deccan intertrappean beds of Mohgaon-Kalan, Chhindwara district, Madhya Pradesh. Geophytology, v.27, pp.17–22.

    Google Scholar 

  • Khadkikar, A.S., Sant, D.A., Gogte, V. and Karanth, R.V. (1999) The influence of Deccan volcanism on climate: insights from lacustrine intertrappean deposits, Anjar, western India. Palaeog. Palaeocl. Palaeoeco., v.147, pp.72–80.

    Google Scholar 

  • Khanna, S.N. and Mohan, M. (1965) Intertrappean Beds of Kutch, western India. Bull. Geol. Soc. India, v.2(2), pp.48–51.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mathur, Y.K. and Sharma, K.D. (1990) Palynofossils and age of the Ranipur intertrappean bed, Gaur river, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. In: A. Sahni and A. Jolly (Eds.), Cretaceous event stratigraphy and the correlation of the Indian non-marine strata. Contribution Sem. Wokshop IGCP -216, 245, Chandigarh, pp.58–59.

  • Mehrotra, N.C. (1983) Palynology of Mikir Formation in the type area. Geosci. Jour., v.4(1), pp.1–34.

    Google Scholar 

  • Prakash, T., Singh R.Y. and Sahni, A. (1990) Palynological assemblage from the Padwar Deccan intertrappean (Jabalpur), M.P. In: A. Sahni and A. Jolly (Eds.), Cretaceous event stratigraphy and the correlation of the Indian non-marine strata. Contribution Sem. Wokshop IGCP-216, 245, Chandigarh, pp.68–69.

  • Saxena, R.K. (1978) Palynology of the Matanomadh Formation in type area, north-western Kutch, India (Part 1). Systematic description of pteridophytic spores. Palaeobotanist, v.25, pp.448–456.

    Google Scholar 

  • Saxena, R.K. (1979) Palynology of the Matanomadh Formation in type area, north-western Kutch, India (Part 2). Systematic description of gymnospermous and angiospermous pollen grains. Palaeobotanist, v.26(2), pp.130–143.

    Google Scholar 

  • Singh, R.S. and Kar, R. (2003) Palynological assemblage from the Deccan intertrappean sediments, Lalitpur, U.P., India. Gondwana Geol. Mag. Spec. Vol., no.6, pp.217–223.

  • Singh, R.S., Kar, R. and Prasad, G.V.R. (2006) Palynological constraints on the age of mammal-yielding Deccan intertrappean beds of Naskal, Rangareddi district, Andhra Pradesh. Curr. Sci., v.90, pp.1281–1285.

    Google Scholar 

  • Singh R.Y. (1977) Stratigraphy and palynology of the Tura Formation in the type area-Part II (Descriptive palynology). Palaeobotanist, v.23(3), pp.189–205.

    Google Scholar 

  • Srivastava, J.P., Salil, M.S. and Pattanayak, S.K. (2000) Clay mineralogy of Ir-bearing Anjar intertrappean, Kutch, Gujarat, India: Inferences on palaeoenvironment. Jour. Geol. Soc. India, v.55, pp.197–206.

    Google Scholar 

  • Subbarao, K.V., Chandrasekharam, D., Navaneethakrishnan, P. and Hooper, P.R. (1994) Stratigraphy and structure of parts of the central Deccan basalts province: eruptive models. In: K.V. Subbarao (Ed.), Volcanism. Wiley Eastern, New Delhi, pp. 321–332.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tripathi, S.K.M. and Singh, H.P. (1985). Palynology of the Jaintia Group (Palaeocene-Eocene) exposed along Jowai-Sonapur Road, Meghalaya, India (Part I). Systematic palynology. Geophytology, v.15(2), pp.164–187.

    Google Scholar 

  • Venkatesan, T.R., Pande, K. and Ghevariya, Z.G. (1996) 40Ar-39Ar ages of the Anjar traps, western traps, western Deccan province (India) and its relation to the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary event. Curr. Sci., v.70, pp.990–996.

    Google Scholar 

  • Venkatesan, T.R., Pande, K. and Gopalan, K. (1993) Did Deccan volcanism pre-date the Cretaceous / Tertiary transition? Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., v.119, pp.181–189.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Whatley, R. and Bajpai, S. (2000) Further nonmarine Ostracoda from the Late Cretaceous intertrappean deposits of the Anjar region, Kachchh, Gujarat, India. Rev. de Micropaléontologie, v.43,Issue 1, pp.173–178.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Widdowson, M., Pringle, M.S. and Fernandez, O.A. (2000) A post K- T boundary (Early Palaeocene) age for Deccan — type feeder dykes, Goa, India. Jour. Petrol., v.41, pp.1177–1194.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to R. K. Saxena.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Saxena, R.K., Ranhotra, P.S. Palynofloral study of the intertrappean bed exposed at a new locality in Kutch district, Gujarat and its implications on palaeoenvironment and age. J Geol Soc India 74, 690–696 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12594-009-0185-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12594-009-0185-7

Keywords

Navigation