Organisational Structure - Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany

Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany
samples from south of Brahmini Coalfield. Also
visited Geological Survey of India, Kolkata to
discuss the palynological reports and future plan
for sampling.
A. Tripathi
Carried out studies on the plant megafossils
of the Gangapur Formation, Pranhita-Godavari
Graben. Association of cycadophytes, conifers and
pteridophytes within the plant assemblage indicate
gymnosperm dominant vegetation during the time
of deposition. Studied equisetalean stem
impressions of variable morphology. Plant
megafossil impressions of pteridphytes and
conifers from the Kota Formation were also
studied. They are invariably small in size. Also
studied conifer strobilus and stem impressions
from the Lameta Formation, Nand-Dongargaon
sub-basin. Robust nature of conifers facilitated
their preservation. Undertook field work in the
Wardha-Pranhita-Godavari and collected a number
of plant fossils from Kota, Gangapur and Lameta
formations. A number of associated animal fossils
were also noticed.
A. Rajanikanth
Investigated megafossils from Eddala-Gattu
locality of Raghavapuram. The recorded genera are
Cladophlebis indica, Sphenopteris sp., Baiera sp.,
Taeniopteris spatulata, Ptilophyllum cutchense, P.
acutifolium, P. sahnii and Elatocladus
jabalpurensis. In general, cycadophytes and
conifers dominate the assemblage, whereas
pteridophytes are comparatively less. The
palaeofloral assemblage is contemporaneous to
Vemavaram and Gollapalle floral assemblages of
East Coast and Sehora floral assemblage of
Jabalpur Formation (MP). The floral assemblage
is assigned Early Cretaceous age.
N. Prakash
Component 2: Morphotaxonomy, floristics, evolution, biostratigraphy and palaeoenvironmental
studies of Triassic-Cretaceous of South Rewa-Satpura basins
Study of detached fertile organs has been
completed. Two new taxa Townrowea and
Douglasea have been identified. Their
morphographic and cutinized structure are quite
different from each other. These forms appear to
be similar to the conifers of northern and southern
hemispheres, but because of their detachment from
the main organ and having no fertile unit
definitively attached, they could be attributed to
any of the known genera, viz. Voltzia,
Voltziostrobus and Voltziopsis. Townrowea has
been isolated in attached condition as well, but
fertile units have shed off due to fully mature
fructification.
S.C. Srivastava & N. Prakash
Recovered diverse and abundant leaf
impressions from Chui Hill, Jabalpur Formation,
Satpura Basin. Excellently preserved leaves in
reddish-pink clay show dominance of conifers
(Elatocladus sp., E. jabalpurensis, Brachyphyllum
jabalpurensis sp. nov., Pagiophyllum chawadensis,
Araucarites minutus, Satpuria sehoraensis)
followed by bennettitales (Anomozamites sp.,
Ptilophyllum cutchense, P. acutifolium) and
pteridophytes. Cycadales is represented by
Taeniopteris spatulata. The floral assemblage is
compared with floral assemblages of Satpura and
South Rewa basins and found to be younger than
Chaugan and older than Bansa floral assemblages
and belongs to Early Cretaceous age.
N. Prakash
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