Palynological Investigation of the Lower Gondwana Outcrop Near Gopalprasad, Odisha, India: An Inference on the age, Palaeovegetation and Palaeoclimate
Mrutyunjaya Sahoo, Neha Aggarwal, Shreerup Goswami
Abstract
The palynoflora recovered from 9.5 metres thick Dholpahar section along Singda rivulet near Gopalprasad Village, Odisha, India (N20°58′3″ latitude and E85°01′7″ longitude) is distinguished by two distinct palynoassemblages (I and II) on the basis of quantitative and qualitative distributions of various palynotaxa.Palynoassemblage-I is characterized by the dominance of the Striatopodocarpites spp.and subdominance of Faunipollenites varius.The other stratigraphically significant taxa of this assemblage are Falcisporites nuthallensis, Chordasporites australiensis, Strotersporites decorus, Lunatisporites pellucidus and Weylandites lucifer.Similarly, Palynoassemblage-II is characterized by the abundance of Striatopodocarpites spp.and subdominance of monosaccate genus, Densipollenites spp.along with some stratigraphically significant taxa viz., Strotersporites decorus, Striomonosaccites ovatus, Falcisporites nuthallensis, Chordasporites australiensis, Hamiapollenites insolitus, Lunatisporites pellucidus and Weylandites lucifer.These two identified palynoassemblages demonstrate the presence of Raniganj/lower Kamthi (upper Permian) sediments exposed near Dholpahar in the lithologically designated Barakar Formation (late lower Permian).Thus, a detailed geological mapping of this area to accurately delimit different Lower Gondwana formations is highly necessitated.The abundance of arborescent vegetation (glossopteridales and coniferales) and scare presence of spores (filicales) suggest that palaeomire was located more in the inland area.