TITLE:
Comprehensive Record of Megafossils from the Rajmahal Basin, Jharkhand, India
AUTHORS:
Arun Joshi
KEYWORDS:
Glossopteris Flora, Barakar Formation, Rajmahal Basin, Gondwana
JOURNAL NAME:
International Journal of Geosciences,
Vol.14 No.4,
April
21,
2023
ABSTRACT:
The study provides the first comprehensive record of the plant megafossils
mainly Glossopteris flora from the Barakar Formation, Rajmahal Open Cast Mine,
Rajmahal Basin, Jharkhand. The assemblage is composed of pteridophytes and gymnosperms. The
pteridophytes comprise Equisetalean axes (order Equisetales), whereas,
gymnosperms include nine species of Glossopteris including Glossopteris
communis, G. damudica, G. gigas, G. indica, G. lanceolatus, G. longicaulis, G. oldhamii, G. taenioides, G. tenuifolia along with Vertebraria indica and Noeggerathiopsis hislopi. The present
investigation adds to the knowledge of the
Glossopteris flora of India, especially that of the Rajmahal Basin from
where the plant fossil records are sporadic. The area is a treasure for
palaeobotanical studies as evinced by different fossil localities. However, the
localities are degraded by mining activities performed by private companies and
hence systematic investigation for such vegetation is vital to create a palaeobotanical database
before their complete degradation. The floral assemblage compares with earlier
known assemblages, recorded from the Barakar Formation of other Lower Gondwana
basins of peninsular India.