bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Fossil diatoms and Biostratigraphy of the lower Karewa formation of Kashmir
Authors: Roy D.K. 
Published: September 2022

During the course of geological mapping of the Karewa sediments of Kashmir to assess the economic potentialities of diatomaceous earth, the author collected nearly one thousand samples from 32 measured sections. The samples were analysed for fossil diatoms.
The study has indicated that while the lower Karewa is very rich in fossil diatoms, the upper Karewa is devoid of them. It is further observed that there is a uniformity in the trend of distribution and assemblages of fossil diatoms in the lower Karewa beds. Based on these two factors, the lower Karewa is divided into two biozones, the lower - Centrales Assemblage Zone, characterized by the predominance of centric diatoms and the upper – Pennales Assemblage Zone, characterized by the predominance of pennate diatoms.
Algal stromatolites from the krol formation of the Mussoorie syncline, Uttar Pradesh
Authors: Raha P.K. 
Published: September 2022

The results of the study of the Algal stromatolites associated with phosphorite occurring in the top most member of the Krol Formation, the Mussoorie Phosphorite Member, which overlies the light grey dolomitic limestones, known as the Upper Krol Limestones, near Mussoorie in the Dehra Dun District of Uttar Pradesh have been recorded in the paper. The types of stromatolites that have so far been recognized from these are: (i) spheroidal or nodular (Oncolithes), (ii) conical cup shaped, (iii) cylindrical columnar branching upwards, (iv) laterally connected columns, (v) cylindrical columnar with detached columns. Excepting the first one which is rounded and without any root, the rest of the structures appear to be varieties of Collenia. The significance of the association of these algal stromatolites on the genesis of the phosphorite and the environment of deposition is obvious as the presence of these stromatolites indicate shallow intertidal to subtidal marine condition.
The oncolites present in this horizon appear to have affinity with the Late Palaeozoic to early Mesozoic forms. The columnar forms have to be defined and named properly for distinguishing them from the Proterozoic ones. The type (iv) form compares very well with the form Malacostroma concentricum (Gurich) reported from the Mississippian of Belgium (Johnson, 1961).
Algal and Fungal Microfossils from Matanomadh Formation (Palaeocene), Kutch, India
Authors: Kar R.K. , Saxena R.K. 
Published: September 2022

Algal and fungal microfossils recovered from the type area of Matanomadh Formation (Palaeocene), in the district of Kutch, Gujarat have been described. The assemblage comprises 20 genera and 27 species. Out of these, 10 genera and 13 species belong to algae and 10 genera and 14 species belong to fungi. Of the algae, Leioplanktona gen. nov. and Matanomadhia gen. nov. are quite common. Amongst the fungi, Phragmothyrites (Edw.) emend., Notothyrites Cook. (1947) and Inapertusporites (v.d. Ham.) Els. (1968) are frequently found.
Microthyriacites Cook. (1947), Callimothallus Dil. (1965), Microthallites Dil. (1965) and Pseudosphaerialites Venk. & Kar (1969b) have been regarded here as junior synonyms of Phragmothyrites (Edw.) emended here.
The present assemblage has been compared with the known algal and fungal assemblages from the Tertiaries of India. It has been inferred on the good percentage of microthyriaceous fungi that during Palaeocene, Matanomadh and the adjacent regions were having a tropical and humid climate favouring a luxuriant vegetation of pteridophytes and angiosperms.
Holocene palynology from Meander lake in the Ganga Valley, District Pratapgarh, U.P.
Authors: Gupta H.P. 
Published: September 2022

The pollen analytical investigations of a 3·30 m deep profile from a horse-shoe lake in the Ganga Valley have been carried out. The lake is situated closeby to an archaeological site Sarai-Nahar-Rai in Pratapgarh District. The pollen frequencies were calculated in terms of total land plants and a pollen diagram has been constructed.
In the last 8000 years, there have been four phases of vegetational developments reflecting directly on four brief phases of climate such as Very Arid, Arid, Semi-Arid and Semi-Humid. The abundance of grasses throughout the pollen diagram has revealed the existence of an open savannah forest. The arboreal vegetation is poor and represented by a few scattered trees and shrubs.
The commencement of arable and pastoral economy chiefly based on cereal pollen has been recognized during ca. 4500 b.p. which prospered in the succeeding phases.
Depositional history of the basal Barakar beds - a study from Ramgarh Coalfield, Hazaribagh District, Bihar
Authors: Bhattacharya Asokkumar 
Published: September 2022

The rock record of the basal Barakar Formation of the Ramgarh Coalfield, Hazaribagh District, Bihar has been interpreted as an ancient example of the sandur deposit, i.e., a glacial outwash plain deposit having two distinct units as (a) channel facies divisible with riffles and pools, and (b) interchannel bar facies. Each of the facies of the environment in its stratigraphic setup, lithological attributes, sedimentary structural assemblage and palaeocurrent pattern correspond to one in the model.
The lenticular and sheet-like gravelly and pebbly sandstones with crude and sharp parallel stratifications, graded beds and scour and fill structures characterize the bar facies whereas, coarse arkosic sandstones with ripple and megaripple bedding, lenticular to planar cross-beds, and buried megaripple trains characterize the riffles of the channel facies. Gravel lenses at regular intervals have been related to the transverse ribs of the riffle facies. The lenticular sandy shales, siltstones and carbonaceous shales within the basal Barakar beds swings between NW to NNW.
The basal Barakar beds, at the bottommost part maintain a gravel: sand ratio to the order of 40:60; the proportion of sand, however, increases upwards. The gravelly and pebbly sandstone are highly indurated with fresh feldspars in all cases. The gravels are rounded to well rounded with high sphericity values.
Depositional features exhibit an uninterrupted pattern of sedimentation from the glacial Talchir Formation, through the sandur basal Barakar beds to the true fluvial Middle and Upper Barakar beds till the end of the Ironstone Shale Formation. The sandur sedimentation model with channel and bar facies as identified from the basal Barakar beds of Ramgarh Basin has also been presented in a block diagram.
Volcanism in Gondwanas
Authors: Tripathi C. 
Published: September 2022

In India the Lower Permian event is marked by a major volcanic episode in the Himalayan belt and rift faulting in the Peninsula which gave rise to various Gondwana basins. The Lower Cretaceous major volcanic episode represented by the Rajmahal Trap represents the termination of Gondwana sedimentation. Lower Permian volcanism is represented by the Panjal Volcanics in Kashmir Basin and its equivalent, the Volcanics in Spiti-Zanskar Basin and Rotung Volcanics (Abor Volcanics) in Arunachal Pradesh. In Karakarom Basin of Ladakh, volcanism is associated with Changtash and Aqtash formations of Permian age.
The Agglomeratic Slates in Kashmir are supposed to have originated as explosive volcanism in the form of pyroclastic which was followed later by flows of the Panjal Volcanics represented by subaqueous and subaerial tholeiitic basalt with occasional basaltic, andesitic and rhyolitic volcanics. The Agglomeratic slates are divided into two divisions, the Lower Diamicites and the Upper Pyroclastic. At the base of the Pyroclastic division and at the top of the Diamictite division, we get Eurydesma-Deltopecten Fauna of Lower Permian age. It is thus established that volcanism in Kashmir, Spiti-Zanskar and Ladakh is restricted to Lower Permian only. The sills and dykes associated with the underlying sequence in Syringothyris Limestone and Fenestella Shale in Kashmir, in Lipak and Po Formations in Spiti are related to this volcanism.
Spontaneous combustion of some Permian coal seams of India: An explanation based on microscopic and physico-chemical properties
Authors: Saxena Rakesh , Navale G.K.B. , Chandra D. , Prasad Y.V.S. 
Published: September 2022

Spontaneous combustion of coals is a well-known phenomenon in the coal mines of Raniganj and Jharia coalfields. Although several explanations have been given for this burning problem, yet, no general consensus has reached because of variable laboratory techniques. 1n the present paper, a viable explanation is given for auto-oxidation of coal integrating the microscopic and physico-chemical properties.
Organic petrological investigations of the Permian coal seams reveal vitric and fusovitric petrographic facies corresponding to the Late and Early Permian time, respectively. The characteristic micropetrographic, thermal and chemical properties of the Raniganj coal seams show high to moderate susceptibility to spontaneous combustion. The high amount of the reactive resin/hydrocarbon was found to be closely associated with these coal seams, apart from perhydrous Vitrinite having low rank values. In contrast, the Barakar coal seams show least susceptibility probably because of the absence of reactive resin/hydrocarbon with higher rank values.
Microspectrofluorimetric studies suggest green, yellow and orange varities of reactive resin, hydrocarbons in which green and yellow probably correspond to lipid and terpene fraction, of resins imparting more hydroaromatic and unsaturated aromatic structures to these coal in response to their coalification stage. The strong peak at 1600 ± 50 cm in infrared spectrographs of coal also suggests, the presence of resin content in Raniganj coals which are rich in C =C, C =0 structures. These unsaturated structures play a key role in oxygen-coal reaction leading to the development of an unstable peroxy complex which later through chain mechanism oxidizes the coal while Barakar coals show rigid structural configuration.
The chemical and thermal characteristic vis-a-vis. petrographic composition of these coal seams show conformity in the formation of peroxy complex and its relation with crossing point temperature values. Their crossing point temperature data also suggest conformity in trends with the quantitative distribution of the resin hydrocarbon contents on mmf basis. The endothermic and exothermic peaks and their breakdown steps revealed by differential thermal analysis and derivative thermogravimetric analysis indicate close correspondence with the coal seams of the Raniganj Formation.
Thus, it is presumed that the reactive resin content and expulged hydrocarbons from perhydrous vitrinite and organic matrix filled along the cracks, seem to be the main reactive sites for oxygen reaction in spontaneous combustion.
Palaeoclimatic oscillations since last deglaciation in western Himalaya: a palynological assay
Authors: Sharma Chhaya 
Published: September 2022

The paper embodies the palaeovegetational and palaeoclimatic inferences deduced from the pollen analytical study of lake sediments from Khajiar, Rewalsar, Parasram Tal in Himachal Pradesh and Naukuchia Tal, Sat Tal and Tarag Tal in Kumaon Himalaya. Pollen diagrams from Himachal Pradesh (14C dated to past 3,000 yrs or so) mainly cover later part of the post-glacial climatic optimum, depicting two-fold vegetation change, i.e., oak-chirpine mixed forests to chirpine or deodar forests, reflecting the period of maximum and decreasing warmth respectively in the region. Occurrence of cerealia type pollen together with some other associated elements suggests the existence of agricultural practices in the region.
Similarly, the pollen diagrams from Kumaon Himalaya covering several lakes in Naini Tal District, depict vegetation history during Holocene. At Naukuchia Tal, it commences with chirpine woods, subsequently replaced by broad-leaved forests and then once again it reverts back to chirpine forests. Thus the changing palaeovegetation pattern in the area reflects three-fold climatic fluctuations, viz., cold to warm and again cold. Recently constructed four pollen diagrams from Sat Tal and one from Tarag Tal have revealed the dominance of chirpine-oak mixed forests around 1,000 yrs B.P. as is seen today. The vegetation pattern throughout the sequence remains more or less uniform except for the upper part of lithocolumn depicting a slight decline in the arboreal forest components around 500 yrs B.P. or so with simultaneous increase in grasses, sedges and culture pollen which reflect to the anthropogenic activity in this region also.
Tree ring research in India: an overview
Authors: Yadav R.R. 
Published: September 2022

Dendroclimatic studies in India were taken up towards the end of 1970. Datable growth rings are found in several tree species growing in many regions of tropical forests where moisture supply acts as the limiting factor at least in some part of the growing period. The tree ring sequences from such areas reflect fluctuation in the level of monsoon. Due to difficulty in gelling sufficient replication of samples from desired species and locality, progress in tree ring analysis of hardwoods has been impeded to a great extent. Amongst the tested species teak (Tectonia grandis), because of its long age and ecological diversity, has become the pivotal species for the reconstruction of precipitation.
A major breakthrough in getting 745 years long chronology of Cedrus deodara growing on moisture stressed site in Uttar Kashi has been achieved. The statistical properties such as low first order autocorrelation (0.150), high mean sensitivity (0.344) and high signal-noise ratio (20.53) point towards its suitability for the reconstruction of climatic factors, especially precipitation. The length of this chronology is not necessarily limited to the life span of living trees. Cross-dating of ring sequences from old trees with those in stumps, logs and sources of older woods from ancient buildings in the Himalayan region would permit the development of longer chronologies. Besides deodar, other conifers such as pines, spruce and fir also have shown enough potential in dendroclimatic studies.
Status of taphonomical studies in India: A review
Authors: Sahni Ashok , Jolly Asit 
Published: September 2022

Taphonomy, a sub-branch of palaeontology, is defined as the study of the sequence of events beginning with the death of an organism and its subsequent deposition and fossilization. The present paper outlines important areas in which the work has been done on this subject and also attempts to review the Indian contributions.
The conditions of the burial and the preservation of nests and eggshell fragments of dinosaurs provide ample for taphonomic analysis. There is a need for experimental study on dispersal, disintegration, preservation and diagenesis of organic fossils. In puts from sedimentology are essential and only an interdisciplinary effort can result in any success to build the postmortem history of plants and animals.
Morphotaxonomic study of some more fossil leaves from the Lower Siwalik sediments of West Bengal, India
Authors: Antal J.S. , Prasad M. 
Published: September 2022

The leaf-impressions from the Lower Siwalik sediments exposed near Oodlabari in Darjeeling District, West Bengal belonging to extant genera, viz., Uvaria Linn., Alsodeia Thouars., Hopea Roxb., Grewia Linn., Beddomea Hook.f. and Terminalia Linn. of the families Anonaceae, Flacourtiaceae, Dipterocarpaceae, Tiliaceae, Meliaceae and
Combretaceae, respectively have been described in this paper. Of them four species, viz., Uvaria ghishia sp. nov., Alsodeia palaeoechinocarpa sp. nov., Grewia tiliaefolia sp. nov. and Beddomea palaeoindica sp. nov. are new records to the existing Siwalik flora. Amongst these six taxa four are found in the evergreen forests and the remaining two in the moist evergreen forests of India and Malaya Peninsula, which collectively suggest the prevalence of warm and humid climate in the area during deposition of these sediments.
Subduction and collision related magmatism in the Shyok Suture and eastern Karakoram
Authors: Chandra Rakesh , Upadhyay Rajeev , Sinha Anshu K. 
Published: September 2022

The Shyok Suture is represented by distinct sets of volcano-plutonic rock assemblages. The high-Mg tholeiitic basalt and calc-alkaline andesites of the Shyok Volcanics have a subduction zone chemical signature. The REE data on tholeiitic basalt suggest a chemical affinity between primitive N-MORB to E-MORB. The calc-alkaline andesites, however, resembles to transitional nature of basalt between E-MORB to OIB. The geochemical data and regional tectonic setting suggest a close similarity between the Shyok Volcanics of northern Ladakh and the Chalt Volcanics of Kohistan.
The mildly deformed trondhjemite-tonalite-granodiorite of the Tirit Granitoids are composite plutons located south of the Shyok Suture melange. These granitoids are subalkaline, I-type and represented by volcanic arc chemical signatures. The regional tectonic setting, the nature of occurrence and the composition of Tirit Granitoids are similar to the plutonic suites of northern Kohistan (Gindai, Matum Das and Nomal plutons).
The eastern Karakoram Batholith is dominated by quartz monzonite-tonalite-granodiorite and granite. The subalkaline to calc-alkaline Karakoram Batholith is constituted by both I-and S-type granitoids with volcanic arc and syn-collision chemical signatures. REE data suggest that the I-type granitoids of eastern Karakoram are calc-alkaline magmatism of a subduction zone environment. In contrast, most of the S-type granitoids are crust-derived peraluminous granitoids. New Rb/Sr isotopic whole rock age data indicates that an S-type intrusive phase was active in the eastern Karakoram region during 83±9 Ma. The syn-collision nature of these granitoids are similar to those of north Sost pluton and Karambar pluton of northern Kohistan.
This indicates that the collision between Kohistan-Ladakh arc and Karakoram block was active during 83±9 Ma.
On the species of genus Glossopteris from barakar formation of Karanpura and Bokaro coalfields, India
Authors: Singh Shiv Mohan , Maheshwari H.K. 
Published: September 2022

The assemblage of fossil plants of Barakar Formation from North Karanpura. South Karanpura and West Bokaro Coal fields contain thirty-two species of the genus Glossopteris. Among these three species are new, twenty-one species are recorded for the first time from the Barakar Formation of South Karanpura, nine species from North Karanpura and eight species from West Bokaro group of coalfields. The range of variation within species have been observed by taking more than one specimens as complex, from different collieries of these three coal fields. The comparison. diagnosis and range of distribution of species in context of other coalfields have also been given.
In the present study. the speciation of genus Glossopteris is based on morphography and cuticular features. Here, morphographical characters have been critically analysed in order to find a reasonable basis for precise specific delimitations. Morphographical circumscriptions are further verified by characters of the cuticle wherever available but only as associated or supportive characters.
Palynological records of mangrove degradation around Chilka Lake, Orissa, India
Authors: Khandelwal Asha 
Published: September 2022

The pear shaped Chilka Lake lying along the eastern coast of Orissa State, is one of the ecological and socioeconomical important wetlands of India. This open lagoon is identified as a nationally important and internationally renowned ecosystem, which harbours a range of marine, brackish and fresh water biodiversity. Palynological syntheses based on the results of investigated mid-late Holocene profiles (Balugaon, Rambha, Nalabana, Dangmal, Solari, Chandrapur, Geokhala, Bhowania) are compared with the upper part of core CHI-9 encompassing period of 13,000 years. It has been observed from the pollen record that tropical dense mangrove forest thriving luxuriantly during early Holocene has decreased considerably with the passage of time.
The present mangrove ecosystem, though more restricted, is fairly stable with maintenance of conserved mangrove forests in protected prograding bays in Mahanadi delta and in estuaries kept open by adequate river flow. However, siltation, eutrophication and industrial development are major threatening factors affecting the sensitivity of lake resulting in shrinkage and total disappearance of surrounding vegetation. It has been indicated that certain metals, such as Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, V, Zn As, Pb, Cd are responsible for the environmental stress of the ecosystem which are continuously incorporated by the use of fertilizers and pesticides in agriculture. There should be an appeal and educational effort to stop the destruction and fragmentation of mangroves. The planned eco-friendly rehabilitation of mangroves, along with harmonious urban development and industrialization is required in order to restore the past glory of Chilka Lake.
Tatapania gen. nov., a possible cone of Schizoneura gondwanensis Feistmantel from the Late Permian in the Tatapani-Ramkola Coalfield, India
Authors: Singh Kamal Jeet , Chandra Shaila , Saxena Anju 
Published: September 2022

Tatapania-a new genus of equisetalean fructifications, is represented by oblong-ovate bractless cones recorded from the Late Permian strata exposed in Banki Rivulet in Tatapani-Ramkola Coalfield, Chhattisgarh State, India. This is the first record of compact, conical and possibly terminal sphenophyte cones from the Lower Gondwana. The cones may have been related to Schizoneura gondwanensis as these are found in association with sterile equisetalean stems and leaves of Schizoneura gondwanensis in the same beds.
Two new species, viz. Tatapania indica and T. obcordata, have been instituted for the genus. Both species closely resemble cones of modern Equisetum. The presence of a compact cone similar to that of an extant Equisetum as early as Late Permian of Gondwana is interesting, especially when no member of Palaeozoic sphenophytes possessed such compact cones. The present find also supports the hypothetical model of Naugolnykh (2004a) wherein he proposed the evolution of the compact strobilus and peltate sporangiophore in modern Equisetum from the Late Palaeozoic ancestors. The double or single cones of Tatapania have been placed intermediate between Equisetites arenaceus with three cones attached together and Neocalamites carreri having single cone in the Naugolnykh’s evolution model of Equisetum. A reconstruction of Schizoneura gondwanensis plant having Tatapania cones attached on the apices of the leaf bearing branches has been attempted.