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Greener Journal of Physical Sciences Vol. 1 (1), pp. 029-036, November 2011. 

Paleoenvironmental Significance of Ichnofossils from 

the Chaya Formation, Porbandar Group, Southwest 

Coast of India 

Shyam N. Mude 

Department of Geology, Fergusson College, 

Pune-411 004, Maharashtra, India 

Email: shyammude25@yahoo.co.in 

ABSTRACT 

The Quaternary sediments exposed in Porbandar area include the Miliolite Formation (Early Middle-Late 

Pleistocene), the Chaya Formation (Late Pleistocene-Late Holocene) and coastal deposits. This paper documented 

the ichnospecies, Ophiomorpha isp.1, O. isp.2, Planolites isp. and Skolithos isp. from the Chaya Formation. These 

ichnospecies are common elements of the Skolithos and Cruziana ichnofacies indicating that the Chaya Formation 

was deposited in shallow water marine environment. 

Key Words: Palaeoenvironment, Ichnofossils, Porbandar, Chaya Formation 

INTRODUCTION 

The pericratonic-shelf Saurashtra Basin along the northwestern coast of India consists of the Neogene-Quaternary 

sediments which are very well exposed along coastal tract in and around Porbandar. Mathur et al., (1988) have 

recognized these sediments into four formations namely, the Gaj Formation, the Dwarka Formation, the Miliolite 

Formation and the Chaya Formation (Fig. 1 & Tab.1). Pandey et al., (2007) studied the Neogene-Quaternary 

sediments of Saurashtra including the Chaya Formation from different localities for stratigraphic distribution and 

depositional environment. They subdivided the Chaya Formation into the Okha Shell Limestone, the Aramda Reef 

and the Porbandar Calarenite members (Tab.2). Kundal and Mude (2008) recorded the ichnofossils namely, 

Granularia ichnosp, Ophiomorpha borneensis, O. irregulaire, O. nodosa, Palaeophycus heberti, P. tubularis, 

Planolites berverleyensis and P. montanus. from Neogene-Quaternary sediments of the Porbandar area. The 

ichnofossils of the Chaya Formation has been commented by various researchers (Bhatt and Patel, 1998; Bhatt, 

2003) but systematic work has not been yet done. The present paper documents the ichnospecies Ophiomorpha 

isp.1, O. isp.2, Planolites isp. and Skolithos isp. from the Chaya Formation. 

GEOLOGICAL SETTING 

The Quaternary sediments are exposed along the coastal tract, Navibandar to Miyani (Fig.1). The Miliolite sediments, 

the Chaya sediments and unclassified Holocene sediments constitute the Quaternary stratigraphy of the area. The 

sediments of the Chaya Formation are represented by calc-arenites and calc-rudites. The calc-arenites are exposed 

at Chaya, Ratanpur, Odadar, Navibandar, Tukda, Ratiya and Untada. The calc-rudites are exposed at Kunchhadi, 

Tatadi and Tukda Miyani. In general calc-arenites are exposed on South-East direction and calc-rudites on North- 

West direction from the Porbandar along coastal tract. The sediments of the Chaya Formation are exposed in a small 

stream section of 1.5 m on the right hand side of the Porbandar-Viraval coastal highway, 3 km before the Navibandar 

village. The calc-arenite having thickness of 1.3 m is overlain by calc-rudite, consisting of coralline algae, 

foraminifera, gastropods, lamellibranches and corals. 

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Table-1: Classification of Quaternary sequence of Saurashtra, Porbandar area, 

( modified after Mathur et al., 1988, Bhatt, 2000 & 2003) 

Stratigraphic Unit Lithology Age 

Freshwater alluvium (sands,clays) coastal 

deposits 

ALLUVIUM AND COASTAL (Lime mud; rann clays with carbonaceous 

DEPOSITS material /marine shells; unconsolidated Holocene 

calcareous sands) 

PORBANDAR GROUP 

Chaya Formation 

Semiconsolidated to consolidated limestone Late Pleistocene 

Porbandar Calcarenite (calcirudites); shell limestone;coral reef , to Late Holocene 

Member 

oyster beds and calcarenites with megafossils 

Miliolite Formation 

Adatiana Member Pelletoid limestone (calcarenites) Middle to Late 

Pleistocene 

Dhobaliya Talav Alternating sequence of pelletoid limestone Early Middle 

Member and fine-grained limestone (micrites) Pleistocene 

Dwarka Formation / Gaj Formation / Deccan Trap 

Table – 2: Classification of Chaya Formation (after Pandey et al., 2007) 

Stratigraphic 

Lithology 

Holocene sediments 

(Unconformity) 

Chaya Formation 

Porbandar Calcarenite Member: Semiconsolidated and consolidated calcarenite 

with megafossils 

Aramda Reef Member: 

Coral-algal reef, coral bafflestone with micro 

and mega –fossils 

Okha Shell Limestone Member: Cross-bedded pack to rudstone, bioturbated shell 

limestone with megafossils 

(Unconformity) 

Miliolite Formation 



SYSTEMATICS OF ICHNOFOSSILS 

This study of palichnology follows the systematics of the Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology, (Haentschel, 1975) 

and the morphological classification of Simpson (1975), ethological classification of Seilacher (1964) and ichnofacies 

classification of Seilacher (1964, 1967) are adopted.. 

Ichnogenus: Ophiomorpha Lundgren, 1891 

Ichnospecies: Ophiomorpha isp.1 

(Pl. I, figs.1,2) 

Material: Specimens Nos- IF- 11, 13, 17 

Dimensions: Diameter of burrow-50-55mm 

Remarks: Burrows are vertical and unbranched. Walls of burrows consist of pellets of varying shape. Other 

features are not preserved as they have been obliterated by weathering. Kundal and Dharashivkar (2006) reported 

Ophiomorpha borneensis Keij, Ophiomorpha irregulaire Frey, Howard and Pryor and Ophiomorpha nodosa Lundgren 

from the Shankhodhar Sand Clay Member (Dwarka Formation) at the Dingeshwar Mahadev cliff. Ophiomorpha 

nodosa Lundgren has been reported by Chiplonkar and Ghare (1975) from the Bagh Group and Kundal et al., (2005) 

documented it from the Babaguru Formation at Bhilod village, Broach district, Gujarat. The present specimens do not 

show much similarities with above three species of Ophiomorpha, thus on the basis of shape and present pellets, 

the present specimens are described as Ophiomorpha isp.1. They are interpreted morphologically as shaft and 

ethologically as domichnia. 

Horizon and Locality: Calc-arenite/ sandy limestone of the Chaya Formation exposed along a small stream 

section, 3 km before the Navibandar. 

Ichnospecies: Ophiomorpha isp 2. 

(Pl. I, fig.5) 

Material: Specimen No- IF- 20 

Dimensions: Diameter of burrow- 20-25mm 

Remarks: Burrow is vertical and U-shaped. A wall of burrow consists of pellets. Other features are not 

preserved due to weathering. The present specimens do not show much similarities with Ophiomorpha borneensis 

Keij, Ophiomorpha irregulaire Frey, Howard and Pryor and Ophiomorpha nodosa Lundgren, thus on the basis of U- 

shape and present pellets, the present specimen is described under Ophiomorpha isp.2. They are interpreted 

morphologically as shaft and ethologically as domichnia. 

Horizon and Locality: Calc-arenite/ sandy limestone of the Chaya Formation exposed along a small stream section, 3 

km before the Navibandar. 

Ichnogenus: Planolites Nicholson, 1873 

Ichnospecies : Planolites isp. 

(Pl. I, figs. 3, 6, 8, 9) 

Material: Specimens Nos-IF- 10, 12, 13, 14, 16, 18 

Dimensions: Diameter of burrow-10-20mm 

Remarks: Burrows are cylindrical in shape, unbranched, straight to gently curved and undulose. They are 

horizontal to the bedding plane. Some burrows are preserved as positive epirelief and some are preserved as 

negative epirelief. The colour and material of the burrows are different than that of the host rock. Badve (1987) and 

Kundal & Sanganwar (1998) documented Paleophyus tubularis Hall (Pemberton and Frey, 1982), from the Bagh 

Group of Madhya Pradesh. Kundal et al., (2005) documented it from the Babaguru Formation at Bhilod village, 

Broach district, Gujarat, Kundal and Dharashivkar (2006) recorded this species from the Positra Limestone Member 

of Dwarka Formation. Kundal and Mude (2008) documented it from the Adatiana Member of the Miliolite Formation of 

the Porbandar area. 

Borkar and Kulkarni (1992) and Kundal and Sanganwar (1998, 2000) recorded Planolites beverleyensis 

(Billings) from Wadhawan Formation of Gujarat and Bagh Group of Madhya Pradesh, respectively. Kundal et al., 

(2005) documented it from Babaguru Formation at Bhilod village, Broach district, Gujarat. Kundal and Dharashivkar 

(2006) recorded this species from the Shankhodhar Sand-Clay Member, Dwarka Formation. Kundal and Mude 

(2008) documented it from the Adatiana Member of the Miliolite Formation and Dwarka Formation of the Porbandar 

area. 

Many researchers ( e.g., Badve and Ghare 1978, 1980; Sanganwar and Kundal 1997; Kundal and 

Sanganwar 1998, 2000) reported Planolites montanus Richter from the Bagh Group of Madhya Pradesh while 

Chiplonkar and Ghare (1979) documented from the Trichinopoly Group, Tamil Nadu. Kundal et al., (2005) 



documented it from the Babaguru Formation at Bhilod village, Broach district, Gujarat. Kundal and Dharashivkar 

(2006) reported this ichnospecies from the Shankhodhar Sand Clay Member (Dwarka Formation) at the Dingeshwar 

Mahadev cliff. Kundal and Mude (2008) documented it from the Adatiana Member of the Miliolite Formation of the 

Porbandar area. The present burrows described here do not show many similarities with the above mentioned 

species, thus, as the burrows are cylindrical, unbranched and straight to gently curved and lack of other details, they 

are described as Planolites isp. and kept under open nomenclature. They are interpreted morphologically as tunnel 

and ethologically as fodinichnia. 



Ichnogenus: Skolithos Haldeman, 1830 

Ichnospecies: Skolithos isp. 

(Pl. I, figs.1, 4, 7) 

Material: Specimens Nos- If- 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28 

Dimensions: Diameter of burrow-12-30 mm. 

Remarks: Burrows are cylindrical, unbranched, and disposed perpendicaular to the bedding plane. Surface 

annulations or any other surfacial notable features are not seen. Since the burrows are perpendicular to the bedding 

plane, the surface annulations are not seen, therefore the present burrows are described as Skolithos isp. and kept 

in open nomenclature( Haentzschel, 1975 ). They are interpreted morphologically as shaft and ethologically as 

domichnia. 



CONCLUSIONS 

The Chaya Formation was exclusively studied for ichnofossils. Four ichnospecies, Ophiomorpha isp.1, O. isp. 2, 

Planolites isp. and Skolithos isp. have been identified and recorded from the Chaya Formation. Ophiomorpha, is 

traditionally used as environmental indicators among trace fossils for paleoenvironmental interpretation. In the 

present day coastal area or in beach environment, Callianassa (now Callichiurus) major is the best-known modern 

analog for the Ophiomorpha- tracemaker. The typical abundance of burrows of Callianassa (now Callichiurus) major 

in beaches of the southeastern United States is well known today (Weimer and Hoyt, 1964), the beaches can be 

zoned on the basis of relative abundance of the burrows (Frey and Mayor, 1971, Pryor, 1975). In general, 

Ophiomorpha shafts predominate in higher energy environments and Ophiomorpha boxworks and mazes in lower 

energy environments. (Frey, 1975). The sediments of the Chaya Formation consist of moderate to coarser grains 

with abundant bioclast. The sedimentological study of these sediments and the ichnospecies from the Chaya 

Formation suggest Skolithos and Cruziana ichnofacies indicating that the Chaya Formation was deposited in shallow 

water marine conditions. The present study revels that the Chaya Formation was deposited in near-shore to shallow 

marine environment. 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 

The author is thankful to University Grants Commission, Western Region, Pune-411007 for financial support for the 

present work from Minor Research Project (F.No. 47-020/07,WRO). The author expresses his hearty thanks to the 

reviewers for their constructive comments to improve the quality of paper, especially to Paula Camboim Dentzien- 

Dias of Brasil. The authors are thankful to Head, Department of Geology, Fergusson College, Pune-04 for necessary 

help rendered during this work. 

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EXPLANATION OF FIGURE-1 

A) Location Map of India (After Google Map), 

B) Location Map of Gujarat (After Google Map) and 

C) Geological Map of the Study area ( After Mathur et al, 1988) 

EXPLANATION OF PLATE 

1. Ophiomorpha isp.1, Specimen No. IF-17, burrow perpendicular to the bedding plane. 


3. Planolites isp., Specimen No. IF-12, burrows horizontal to the bedding plane. 

4. Skolithos isp.., Specimen No. IF-28, burrow perpendicular to the bedding plane. 



7. Skolithos isp., Specimen No. IF-21, burrow perpendicular to the bedding plane.

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