Organisational Structure - Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany

Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany
Bulk maceration of samples from Rawanwara
Khas, East Pench and Sethia collieries has yielded a
variety of megaspores. Each megaspore is being
studied under dry and wet conditions under incident
light. They are further treated with nitric acid and
alkali for the recovery of inner body. Some of the
well-preserved megaspores have been examined
under SEM, and have been assigned to genera—
Talchirella, Duosporites, Barakarella, Jhariatriletes,
Ancorisporites and Singraulispora. A new gulate
megaspore Satpuraspora showing characteristic
furcate exine ornamentation has been identified. A
manuscript dealing with structural features of gulate
megaspores under LM and SEM has been finalised.
A.K. Srivastava & R. Tewari
Processed and analysed samples (50) from borehole
MAB-1 of Bottapagudem area, Chintalpudi subbasin.
Two palynoassemblages have been identified
in 220 m thick sedimentary sequence.
Palynoassemblage–I occuring at the depth of 173 m
is characterized by the dominance of
Striatopodocarpites and Faunipollenites along with
statigraphically significant taxa, viz. Klausipollenites,
Guttulapollenites, Vitreisporites, Strotersporites,
Osmundacidites, Crescentipollenites, Corisaccites
and Chordasporites. Palynoassemblage-II (144-120
m) shows dominance of striate disaccates, chiefly
Striatopodocarpites and Faunipollenites and sub
dominance of Densipollenites along with
stratigraphically significant taxa, viz. Lunatisporites,
Klausipollenites, Falcisporites, Guttulapollenites,
Playfordiaspora, Vitresporites, Lundbladispora and
Strotersporites. These palynoassemblages belong to
Raniganj palynoflora and have been dated as Late
Permian in age. Fossilized animal remains identified
as insect abdomen, cutin and antinae parts have also
been recorded in Permian sediments of Godavari
Graben.
N. Jha
Described two palynoassemblages from borehole
WM–14 drilled in Mahadoli area, Chandrapur
district (Maharashtra): i) Scheuringipollenites
dominant assemblage which represent lower Barakar
mioflora and ii) Parasaccites–Densipollenites
dominated assemblage along with Falcisporites and
Satsangisaccites. The later is comparable to lower
Triassic palynoflora due to presence of younger
elements. Presence of Parasaccites suggests a cooler
climatic condition at the time of deposition. The lower
Barakar palynoflora suggests a positive evidence for
Lower Gondwana coal in the area. Samples from
another bore-hole (BR-134, Baranj Block) have also
been chemically processed. Gondisporites
assemblage zone has been recovered. A field work
was undertaken in Wardha valley coalfield around
Chandrapur, Yeotmal and Wardha districts of
Maharashtra and coal, shale and carbonaceous shale
samples were collected from different bore-hole cores
and open cast mines. Megafossils from Nand nala
section in Umrer coalfield have also been collected.
A.P. Bhattacharyya
Component 3: Ultrastructure of fossil cuticles and megaspores and comparative studies on selected
modern taxa
Completed transmission electron microscopic
(TEM) studies of the cuticular membrane (CM) of
peltaspermaceous taxon of Mesozoic pteridosperms
Lepidopteris sp. and compared it with three other taxa
of Mesozoic pteridosperms. It was found that the
structural configuration of CM varies for each taxon.
Two taxa of living cycads (Zamia fischeri and Z.
furfuracea) have also been investigated under TEM.
The CM in all the four species— Cycas circinalis,
C. revoluta, Zamia fischeri and Z. furfuracea shows
a polylamellate outermost zone, though faintly so in
Z. furfuracea. Dispersed cuticles from the sediments
were also studied for ultrastructure under TEM. These
show well-preserved structures. SEM studies on the
sporoderm of megaspores recovered from Barakar
shales of a coal mine near Hahajore, Hura Basin,
Rajmahal Hills have been done. A variety of
megaspores have been sorted out from the bulk
maceration sample. Light microscopic studies have
been completed. Inner body in all the megaspore taxa
is absent.
U. Bajpai
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