1994-95 - Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany

1994-95
The plants, soil and rock samples collected from Malanjkhand copper mine and
Ukwa Mangnese mine areas, both situated in the Balaghat District of Madhya Pradesh were
cleared, dried and prepared for chemical analysis to find out any specific correlation between
the mineral content of the rock and abundant/robust growth of plant species growing
in the area.
Consulted relevant literature on geobotany and prepared a draft of a paper on the
"Status of geobotany".
PROJECT
II
R.S. Tiwari (Co-ordinator)
l.S. Guleria, S.K. Bera, Madhav Kumar, D.C. Saini & B. Sekar
PALAEO BIOCHEMISTRY OF PLANT FOSSILS. LIGNITE! COAL.
D.O.M. AND RELATED RECENT MATERLAL
Objective
Extraction and identification of organic compounds from plant
fossils, rocks, lignite, coal and related recent material
Evaluation of extracted organic compounds (EOC) for the
possible use as biomarkers and in identification of plant groups
Possible structural changes in EOC (by diagenetic. catagenesis
and metagenesis) through time for assessment of maturity
Pair-wise comparison of correctly aligned proteins and nucleic
acids (DNA & RNA) sequences to measure time
Evaluation and assessment of organic compounds in lignite
and coals
Assessment of palaeoenvironmental and palaeo-depositional
conditions
Initial efforts were made to identify light type of material for study and to get
trained in continuous solvent extraction procedure using Soxhlet apparatus. Efforts were
made to understand sources of contamination and procedures to avoid them.
A collaborative venture to study carbon and oxygen isotopes of limestone and shale
samples from Bhima Basin has been initiated with NGRI. Hyderabad.
It is also proposed to make efforts for extracting DNA (part of DNA which may be
still preserved in fossils). This work is to be taken-up in collaboration with School of Environmental
Sciences. lawaharlal NeJuu University, New Delhi.
Sponsored Projects
Manoj Shukla
S.P. I Holocene palynostratigraphy and palynoenvironment of
Chilka Lake: An inter-disciplinary approach (DST NO.
ES/44/019/90)
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