Bandana Samant

Palynology and clay mineralogy of the Deccan volcanic associated sediments of Saurashtra, Gujarat: Age and paleoenvironments

The intertrappean sediments associated with Deccan Continental Flood Basalt (DCFB) sequence at Ninama in Saurashtra, Gujarat yielded palynoassemblage comprising at least 12 genera and 14 species including Paleocene taxa such as Intrareticulites brevis, Neocouperipollis spp., Striacolporites striatus, Retitricolpites crassimarginatus and Rhombipollis sp. The lava flows of Saurashtra represent the northwestern most DCFB sequence in India. It is considered that the Saurashtra lava flows represent the earliest volcanic activity in the Late Cretaceous of the Reunion Mantle Plume on the northward migrating Indian Plate. The present finding of the Paleocene palynoflora from Ninama sediments indicate Paleocene age for the associated lava flows occurring above the intertrappean bed which suggests that the Saurashtra plateau witnessed eruption of Deccan lava flows even during Paleocene. The clay mineral investigation of the Ninama sediments which are carbonate dominated shows dominance of low charge smectite (LCS) along with the presence of mica and vermiculite. Based on the clay mineral assemblage it is interpreted that arid climatic conditions prevailed during the sedimentation. The smectite dominance recorded within these sediments is in agreement with global record of smectite peak close to the Maastrichtian–Paleocene transition and climatic aridity.

Microflora from sauropod coprolites and associated sediments of Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) Lameta Formation of Nand-Dongargaon basin, Maharashtra

Micofloral study of Lameta sediments and associated sauropod coprolites in the Nand-Dongargaon basin in Maharashtra was conducted to understand the diet and habitat of sauropods. The study revealed the presence of pollen, spores, algal and fungal remains, well-preserved cuticles of Poaceae, and testate amoebae. Vegetation during Lameta included tall arboreal taxa, such as conifers (Podocarpus and Araucaria), Cycads (Cycas), Euphorian and Barringtonia and herbs and shrubs, such as Cheirolepidiaceae (Classopollis), Arecaceae (Palmaepollenites), Poaceae (Graminidites), Asteraceae (Compositoipollenites), Caryophyllaceae (Cretacaeiporites and Periporopollenites), and Acanthaceae (Multiareolites). Data suggest that the sauropods ate soft tissues of angiosperms and gymnosperms. The intake of testate amoeba, algal remains, sponge spicules, and diatoms might be through water intake.

Report on International Workshop cum Field Excursion on Deccan Volcanism

Inaugural session of the International Workshop. Alumni Association of the Postgraduate Department Geology of Nagpur University jointly with Department of Geology, Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj (RTM) Nagpur University, Nagpur, organised an International Workshop cum Field Excursion on ‘Recent developments in the study of Deccan volcanism and tracking environmental and biotic changes across Cretaceous-Paleogene’ from 16-21 January, 2018. This included one day workshop on 16th at Hotel Tuli International, Nagpur, followed by field excursion from 17th -19th to Chhindwara in Madhya Pradesh. The workshop mainly focused on the themes: (1) Deccan volcanic eruptions, volcanostratigraphy, flow architecture, geochronology and chemostratigraphy; (2) Deccan volcanic associated sediments and assessing effect of volcanism on contemporary environments; (3) Deccan biota: tracking biotic (vertebrates–reptiles and mammals; plants–megafossils and palynomorphs) changes across Deccan volcanism and palaeogeographic implications. The participation in the workshop was mainly by invitation to international and national scientists specializing in different domains and currently actively involved in the ongoing research on Deccan volcanism and its possible role in the environmental deterioration and mass extinction at the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) boundary.