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(a) Map of India showing position of Gujarat Province and with boxed area enlarged in (b). (b) Enlargement from (a) showing Katchchh and the Kuar Bet locality.
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Within the Mesozoic sedimentary sequences of India the age of the Kuar Bet Beds in Kachchh (Gujarat Province) has been hotly contested, with faunal evidence suggesting a Bathonian (Middle Jurassic) age, based on ammonite and foraminiferal occurrences, and palaeobotanical evidence suggesting an Early Cretaceous age, based on the presence of the inde...
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Citations
... Other known Middle Jurassic assemblages from Australia occur in the Walloon Coal Measures, the Clarence-Moreton, Surat and Elang Formation of the Bonaparte and Mulgildie basins dated as Bathonian to Callovian (Mantle 2009;Turner et al. 2009) (Fig. 2.1B) (Thorn 2001). The Kuar Bet bed assemblage and Middle Jurassic assemblages from the Dubrajpur Formation of India are comparable to these assemblages (Tripathi 2008;Jana and Hilton 2007). ...
Upper Gondwana deposits occur extensively across peninsular and extra-peninsular parts of India. The present study provides a critical palynological review of the Indian Upper Gondwana sequence, mainly focusing on the paleobotanical distribution, diversity, and transitions. The current problems and stratigraphic lacuna in dating and correlating the Upper Gondwana sequence of India are also discussed. The palynological data pertaining to the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods of Gondwana reveals the presence of four phases of floral transition, i.e., (I) the Triassic-Jurassic boundary flora (replacement of corystosperms by cheirolepidacean conifers); (II) the post-Toarcian flora (replacement of cheirolepidacean conifers by araucarian conifers); (III) the Tithonian-Valanginian flora (rise of araucarians and podocarps; (IV) the post-Hauterivian flora (appearance of angiosperms). These floral transitions were greatly affected by tectonic movements and eustatic changes. The palynostratigraphic correlation of Indian flora with other contemporaneous strata across the Gondwana continents shows its close similarity with eastern Antarctica and Australia constituting a single phytogeographic province.
... The Tabbowa palynoflora showed a close resemblance with the Dubrajpur palynoflora due to the presence of Klukisporites sp., Alisporites sp. and Murospora florida. The Kuar Bet Beds in Patcham Island, Kachchh (Fig. 1d) were dominated by the palynoflora of Araucariacites and suggested its relevance to the Bathonian or Callovian age (Jana and Hilton, 2007). The common taxa with the present palynoflora correspond to Cyathidites australis, Dictyophyllidites harrisii, Concavissimisporites sp., Densoisporites sp., Klukisporites sp., Callialasporites dampieri, Callialasporites sp., Alisporites sp., Podocarpidites sp., Araucariacites australis and Ginkgocycadophytes sp. ...
The palynological study of the Tabbowa sediments from Sri Lanka reveals predominant Jurassic gymnospermous pollen assemblage (Araucariacites australis, A. cooksonii, A. fissus and Callialasporites dampieri with spore Murospora florida) belongs to the Callovian-Kimmeridgian age. The collective palynoflora can be correlated to the Classopollis–Araucariacites–Shanbeipollenites assemblage zone of Africa and the Murospora florida zone of the Indian subcontinent and Australia, showing close phytogeographic relationships from the middle to late Jurassic periods. Palynofacies and sedimentological investigations inferred oxic-dysoxic conditions that prevailed when the sediments and organic matter deposited in shallow brackish water conditions in a fluvio-deltaic environment.
... Rare examples where combined sporomorph and megafossil data have been used in vegetation reconstructions from pre-angiosperm Mesozoic floras demonstrate consistency with findings from Hasty Bank. Specifically, conifers and ferns are typically well represented in sporomorph assemblages (Jana and Hilton 2007), cycads, Bennettitales and pteridosperms are generally well represented in megafossil assemblages (Pedersen and Lund 1980;Götz et al. 2011), and bryophytes and lycopsids are often confined to sporomorph assemblages (Ziaja 2006;Mander et al. 2010Mander et al. , 2013. Such large discrepancies between parent plant and dispersed sporomorph assemblages questions the reliability of local vegetation reconstructions based on megafossil or sporomorph evidence in isolation and suggests that where possible a combined approach is considerably more informative. ...
Detailed quantitative data has previously been collected from plant megafossil assemblages from a Middle Jurassic (Aalenian) plant bed from Hasty Bank, North Yorkshire, UK. We conducted a similar analysis of palynological dispersed sporomorph (spore and pollen) assemblages collected from the same section using the same sampling regime: 67 sporomorph taxa were recorded from 50 samples taken at 10 cm intervals through the plant bed. Basic palynofacies analysis was also undertaken on each sample. Both dispersed sporomorph and plant megafossil assemblages display consistent changes in composition, diversity (richness), and abundance through time. However, the dispersed sporomorph and plant megafossil records provide conflicting evidence for the nature of parent vegetation. Specifically, conifers and ferns are underrepresented in plant megafossil assemblages, bryophytes and lycopsids are represented only in sporomorph assemblages, and sphenophytes, pteridosperms, Caytoniales, Cycadales, Ginkgoales and Bennettitales are comparatively underrepresented in sporomorph assemblages. Combined multivariate analysis (correspondence analysis and nonmetric multidimensional scaling) of sporomorph occurrence/abundance data demonstrates that temporal variation in sporomorph assemblages is the result of depositional change through the plant bed. The reproductive strategies of parent plants are considered to be a principal factor in shaping many of the major abundance and diversity irregularities between dispersed sporomorph and plant megafossil data sets that seemingly reflects different parent vegetation. Preferential occurrence/preservation of sporomorphs and equivalent parent plants is a consequence of a complex array of biological, ecological, geographical, taphonomic, and depositional factors that act inconsistently between and within fossil assemblages, which results in notable discrepancies between data sets.
... Fossil plant assemblages are widespread, abundant, and often diverse in the Mesozoic sequences of India where they remain a valuable tool for biostratigraphy and geological correlation purposes (Sukh-Dev, 1987;Venkatachala and Rajanikanth, 1987;Jana and Hilton, 2007). This is especially important as a large proportion of the Mesozoic aged geological formations in India lack biostratigraphically datable marine invertebrates or igneous lithologies that can be dated by radiometric methods. ...
A small but diverse fossil plant assemblage from Gardeshwar in Gujarat Province of western India is reinvestigated, based on analysis of recently collected specimens that represent previously unrecognised taxa in combination with a critical review of previously reported taxa from the site. The assemblage is dominated by conifers including Brachyphyllum Brongniart, Elatocladus Halle, Pagiophyllum Heer, the cone Conites Sternberg, and ovulate scales of an araucarian conifer. Other plant groups are rare but include notable occurrences of the pteridophytes Lycopodites Lindley and Hutton and Gleichenia Smith, and the seed fern Sphenopteris (Brongniart) Sternberg. This assemblage is important as it represents the only datable fossils available from the Gardeshwar Formation and from the information presented we conclude it belongs to the Lower Cretaceous Allocladus–Brachyphyllum–Pagiophyllum floral biozone. The Gardeshwar assemblage association is unusual as it lacks the distinctive genus Allocladus but includes other taxa more typical of the Lower Cretaceous fern-dominated Weichselia–Onychiopsis–Gleichenia floral biozone, and may represent a transitional assemblage with characters of both biozones. However, this investigation highlights the lack of detailed stratigraphic analyses on the Lower Cretaceous sedimentary sequences of the west coast of India from which it remains uncertain if these two ‘biozones’ are of different ages or whether they represent stratigraphically contemporaneous but ecologically distinct environments.
... The stratigraphic units of Kuar bet are devoid of any ammonites and this absence led earlier worker to suggest Bathonian/ Bajocian age for the Kuar bet sediments (e.g. Wynne, 1872; Nath, 1932; Biswas, 1977; Jaitley and Singh, 1983; Fürsich et al., 2001; Jana and Hilton, 2007). The sediments are devoid of any characteristic age diagnostic fossils. ...
The Kachchh palaeorift basin is famous for its Jurassic exposures the world over. The basin, initiated in Early Jurassic, comprisrs well exposed sediments from Bajocian onwards. The Kuar Bet is a small island on the northern part of Patcham Island, Kachchh, having exposures of the basal part of the Kaladongar Formation. Lithostratigraphically, these are considered to be the oldest exposed beds in the Kachchh palaeorift basin. Eight recurring ichnospecies are reported here. These include Arenicolites cf statheri; Cochlichnus isp; Diplocraterion parallelum; Diplocraterion polyupsilon; Ophiomorpha nodosa; Paleophycus; Rhizocorallium jenense; Skolithos linearis. These ichnotaxa are divided in four Ichnological assemblages (1) Diplocraterion (2) Ophiomorpha (3) Arenicolites-Skolithos and (4) Rhizocorallium-Paleophycus. The trace fossil occurrences and their recurrence pattern indicate marginal marine conditions folowed by shallow marine conditions for the sediments of Kuar Bet.
... Pessagno and Mizutani, 1992, Baumgartner et al., 1995; Cordey et al., 2005; Chiari et al., 2007; O'Dogherty et al., 2009). Palaeobotanical and palynological data have been recently published by: Kimura et al., (1992), Sarjeant et al., (1992), Cleal and Rees (2003), Wang et al., (2005), Vaez-Javadi and Mirzaei-Ataabadi (2006) and Jana and Hilton (2007). ...
The Bathonian GSSP is defined at the base of limestone bed RB071 in the Ravin du Bès Section, Bas-Auran area, southern Subalpine Chains (France). This section satisfies most of the erquirements recommended by the International Commission on Stratigraphy. The exposure extends over 13 m in thickness. No vertical biofacies, ichnofacies or taphofacies changes, stratigraphic gaps or hiatuses have been recorded at the Bajocian-Bathonian
transition. Structural complexity, synsedimentary and tectonic disturbances, or important alterations by metamorphism are not relevant constraints. There is a well-preserved, abundant and diverse fossil record, with key markers (ammonites and nannofossils). The base of Bathonian Stage and Zigzag Zone corresponds to the first occurrence level of Gonolkites convergens Buckman that coincides with the first occurrence of Morphoceras
parvum Wetzel. Calcareous nannofossils are present in all beds. The GSSP is below the Tethyan calcareous nannofossil NJT10b/11 zonal boundary (lowest Watznaueria barnesiae) and above the Bo real nannofossil NJ10/11 boundary (lowest Pseudoconus enigma).
Regional analyses of sequence stratigraphy and manganese chemostratigraphy are available. Spectral gamma-ray data corroborate interpretation of an Early Bathonian deepening half-cycle of second order. The criteria of accessibility, conservation and protection are assured by the “Réserve Naturelle Géologique de Haute
Provence”. The Cabo Mondego Section (Portugal) is the Bathonian auxiliary section and point (ASSP) .The proposal was voted by the Bathonian Working Group in
December, 2007, and by the International Subcommission on Jurassic Stratigraphy in March, 2008, approved by the ICS in June 2008, and ratified by the IUGS in July 2008.
... The following taxonomic groups of microfossils are of biochronostratigraphic relevance also: foraminifera (Bassoullet 1997; Ruget & Nicollin 1997; Gräfe 2005; Cai et al. 2006; Saltykov 2007; Wernli & Görög 2007), ostracods (Braun & Brooke 1992; Bodergat 1997), dinoflagellate cysts (Riding & Thomas 1992; Fauconnier 1997; Poulsen & Riding 2003 ), radiolarians and calcareous nannofossils (Pessagno & Mizutani, 1992; Baumgartner et al. 1995; Cordey et al. 2005; Chiari et al. 2007 ). Palaeobotanical and palynological data have been recently published by: Kimura et al. 1992; Sarjeant et al. 1992; Cleal & Rees 2003; Wang et al. 2005; Vaez-Javadi & MirzaeiAtaabadi 2006; Jana & Hilton 2007. ...
The Bathonian Global Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) is proposed at the base of limestone bed RB071 (bed 23 in Sturani 1967) in the Ravin du Bès Section (43º 57' 38" N, 6º 18' 55" E), Bas-Auran area, “Alpes de Haute Provence” French department. The Ravin du Bès Section, as formal candidate GSSP for the base of the Bathonian Stage, satisfies most of the requirements recommended by the International Commission on Stratigraphy: 1) The exposure extends over 13 m in thickness. At the Bajocian-Bathonian transition, no vertical (bio-, ichno- or tapho-) facies changes, condensation, stratigraphic gaps or hiatuses have been recorded. Structural complexity, synsedimentary and tectonic disturbances, or important alterations by metamorphism are not relevant constraints. 2) There is a well-preserved, abundant and diverse fossil record across the boundary interval, with key markers (ammonites and nannofossils) for worldwide correlation. The base of the Bathonian Stage and Zigzag Zone in Bas-Auran corresponds to the first occurrence level of Gonolkites convergens Buckman, which coincides with the first occurrence of Morphoceras parvum Wetzel. Calcareous nannofossils, as secondary global marker, are present in all beds and allow characterizing the Bajocian-Bathonian transition. 3) Regional analyses of sequence stratigraphy and manganese chemostratigraphy are available. Spectral gamma-ray data corroborate an Early Bathonian deepening half-cycle of second order. 4) The criteria of accessibility, conservation and protection are assured by the “Réserve Naturelle Géologique de Haute Provence”. The Cabo Mondego Section (Portugal) is suggested as the Bathonian auxiliary section and point (ASSP) within this GSSP proposal.
... The following taxonomic groups of microfossils are of biochronostratigraphic relevance also (Fig. 19): foraminifera (Bassoullet 1997, Ruget & Nicollin 1997, Gräfe 2005, Cai et al. 2006, Saltykov 2007, Wernli & Görög 2007), ostracods (Braun & Brooke 1992, Bodergat 1997), dinoflagellate cysts (Riding & Thomas 1992, Fauconnier 1997, Poulsen & Riding 2003), radiolarians and calcareous nannofossils (Pessagno & Mizutani, 1992, Baumgartner et al. 1995, Cordey et al. 2005, Chiari et al. 2007). Palaeobotanical and palynological data have been recently published by: Kimura et al. 1992, Sarjeant et al. 1992, Cleal & Rees 2003, Wang et al. 2005, Vaez-Javadi & Mirzaei-Ataabadi 2006, Jana & Hilton 2007 ...
The Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) for the base of the Bathonian Stage is proposed at the base of limestone bed RB071 (bed 23 in Sturani 1967) in the Ravin du Bès Section (43º57’38’’N, 6º18’55’’E), Bas-Auran area, in the Chaudon-Norante commune, around 25 km at the South-Southeast of Digne-les-Bains, in the “Alpes de Haute Provence” French department. The Ravin du Bès Section, as formal candidate GSSP for the base of the Bathonian Stage, satisfies most of the requirements recommended by the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS): 1) The exposure extends over 13 m in thickness, comprising more than five metres of fossiliferous levels below and above the boundary. The Bathonian basal bed corresponds to the “Marno-calcaires à Cancellophycus”, is located 7.8 m below the “Terres Noires” Formation and forms part of a transgressive-facies cycle. At the Bajocian-Bathonian transition, no vertical (bio-, ichno- or tapho-) facies changes, stratigraphic gaps or hiatuses have been recorded. There is no evidence of taphonomic condensation (i.e. mixture of fossils of different age or different chronostratigraphic units). Structural complexity, synsedimentary and tectonic disturbances, or important alterations by metamorphism are not relevant constraints in the
Bas-Auran area. 2) There is a well-preserved, abundant and diverse fossil record across the boundary interval, with key markers (ammonites and nannofossils) for worldwide correlation of the uppermost Bajocian and Lower Bathonian. The boundary can be characterized by both primary and secondary (auxiliary) biostratigraphic markers. The section appears to be suitable for biostratigraphic study of microfossils, such as foraminifera, but as yet there are no published studies. The base of Bathonian Stage and Zigzag Zone in Bas-Auran corresponds to the first occurrence level of Gonolkites
convergens Buckman and the renewal of parkinsonids. This level coincides with the first occurrence of Morphoceras parvum Wetzel. Calcareous nannofossils, as secondary global marker, are present in all beds, enabling documentation of the Bajocian-Bathonian transition. 3) Regional analyses of sequence stratigraphy and manganese chemostratigraphy are available. Spectral gamma-ray data corroborate interpretation of an Early Bathonian deepening half-cycle of second order. No data are currently available for strontium isotope (87Sr/86Sr ratio), oxygen isotope (δ18O) or carbon isotope (δ13C) chemostratigraphy. Bajocian and Bathonian deposits have been remagnetized with a steady normal polarity. Volcanogenic deposits suitable for direct radio-isotope dating are not known in the section. 4) The criteria of accessibility, conservation and protection are assured by the “Réserve Naturelle Géologique de Haute Provence”, protected under national law as recognised by UNESCO. The Cabo Mondego Section (Portugal), which provides complementary data on the ammonite succession in the Sub-Mediterranean Parvum Subzone and its chronocorrelation with the Northwest European Convergens Subzone, is suggested as the Bathonian auxiliary section and point (ASP)
within this GSSP proposal.
... The following taxonomic groups of microfossils are of biochronostratigraphic relevance also (Fig. 16): foraminifera (Bassoullet 1997, Ruget & Nicollin 1997, Gräfe 2005, Cai et al. 2006, Saltykov 2007, Wernli & Görög 2007), ostracods (Braun & Brooke 1992, Bodergat 1997), dinoflagellate cysts (Riding & Thomas 1992, Fauconnier 1997, Poulsen & Riding 2003), radiolarians and calcareous nannofossils (Pessagno & Mizutani, 1992, Baumgartner et al. 1995, Cordey et al. 2005, Chiari et al. 2007). Palaeobotanical and palynological data have been recently published by: Kimura et al. 1992, Sarjeant et al. 1992, Cleal & Rees 2003, Wang et al. 2005, Vaez-Javadi & Mirzaei-Ataabadi 2006, Jana & Hilton 2007 1997), foraminifera (from Ruget & Nicollin, 1997) and dinflagellate cysts (from Riding & Thomas 1992, Fauconnier 1997). ...
The Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) for the base of the Bathonian Stage is proposed at the base of limestone bed RB071 (bed 23 in Sturani 1967) in the Ravin du Bès Section (43º57’38’’N, 6º18’55’’E), Bas-Auran area, in the Chaudon-Norante commune, around 25 km at the South-Southeast of Digne-les-Bains, in the “Alpes de Haute Provence” French department. The Ravin du Bès Section, as formal candidate GSSP for the base of the Bathonian Stage, satisfies most of the requirements recommended by the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS): 1) The exposure extends over 13 m in thickness, comprising more than five metres of fossiliferous levels below and above the boundary. The Bathonian basal bed corresponds to the “Marno-calcaires à Cancellophycus”,
is located 7.8 m below the “Terres Noires” Formation and forms part of a transgressive-facies cycle. At the Bajocian-Bathonian transition, no vertical (bio-, ichno- or tapho-) facies changes, stratigraphic gaps or hiatuses have been recorded. There is no evidence of taphonomic condensation (i.e. mixture of fossils of different age or different chronostratigraphic units). Structural complexity, synsedimentary and tectonic disturbances, or important alterations by metamorphism are not relevant constraints in the Bas-Auran area. 2) There is a well-preserved, abundant and diverse fossil record across the boundary interval, with key markers (ammonites and nannofossils) for worldwide correlation of the uppermost Bajocian and Lower Bathonian. The boundary can be characterized by both primary and secondary
(auxiliary) biostratigraphic markers. The section appears to be suitable for biostratigraphic study of microfossils, such as foraminifera, but as yet there are no published studies. The base of Bathonian Stage and Zigzag Zone in Bas-Auran corresponds to the renewal of parkinsonids and the first occurrence level of Gonolkites convergens Buckman. This level coincides with the first occurrence of Morphoceras parvum Wetzel. Calcareous nannofossils, as secondary global marker, are present in all beds and allow characterizing the Bajocian-Bathonian transition. 3) Regional analyses of sequence stratigraphy and manganese chemostratigraphy are available. Spectral gamma-ray data corroborate an Early Bathonian deepening half-cycle of second order. No data are currently available for strontium isotope (87Sr/86Sr ratio), oxygen isotope (δ18O) or carbon isotope (δ13C) chemostratigraphy. Bajocian and Bathonian deposits have been remagnetized with a steady normal polarity. Volcanogenic deposits suitable for direct radio-isotope dating are not known in the section. 4) The criteria of accessibility, conservation and protection are assured by the “Réserve Naturelle Géologique de Haute Provence”, protected under national law as recognised by UNESCO. The Cabo Mondego Section (Portugal), which provides complementary data of the ammonite succession at the Sub-Mediterranean Parvum Subzone and its chronocorrelation with the Northwest European Convergens Subzone, is suggested as
the Bathonian auxiliary section and point (ASP) within this GSSP proposal.
Fossil plants are reported from beds exposed on northern Nelson Island, South Shetland Islands. The fossiliferous beds are exposed near sea level and constitute the basal intervals of sedimentary succession at Rip Point. The low diversity macrofossil assemblage contains only charcoalified woods and isolated fern pinnae. However, the palynoassemblage from the same beds contains typical Antarctic Late Mesozoic pollen and spores of Nothofagus, conifers, ferns and fungi. The sterile and probable pteridophytic remains are assigned to the Coniopteris. The dark tuff lithologies, with evidence of alteration and recrystallization, and simililarities between the fossil assemblage a others the Antarctic Peninsula support a Late Cretaceous age. The persistence of Coniopteris until the Late Cretaceous in Antarctica compares with its range in Northern regions and follows its cosmopolitan distribution during the Jurassic its patchy distribution at the end of the Cretaceous is indicative of persistence in moist, cool, high latitude refugia, especially in insular environments, before its final extinction.
