Journal of Geological Society of India (Online archive from Vol 1 to Vol 78)

A. C. Nanda ¹, R. K. Sehgal ¹

Affiliations
1 Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dehra Dun 248001, IN

Abstract

Recent collections of mammalian fossils from the Siwalik sediments of Ramnagar (J.& K.) and Nurpur (Kangra, H. P.) indicate the presence of Chinji Fauna in the red bed sequence exposed in the vicinity of Ramnagar, but in Nurpur despite the dominance of the red clays which are usually considered as characteristic for the Lower Siwalik Subgroup, the fauna indicates an age equivalent to the Middle Siwalik. The mammalian fossils collected by the earlier workers are reinterpreted and the fossils, which include Propotamochoerus hysudricus. Merycopolamus dissimilis and Bramatherium megacephalum minus, are found to be indicative of Middle Siwalik age rather than the Lower Siwalik or the Lower-Middle Siwalik transitional age as was considered earlier. Hipparion (includes Hipparion and Cormohipparion) has been recorded by all the workers in Nurpur and now its arrival in India is considered at about 10m.y. The 12.5 m.y. dispersal event of hipparion in the Old World is found missing in the Siwalik Group. Though hipparion has been recorded from the so-called Lower Siwalik sequence of Kalagarh, U. P. but so far it is not recorded from the type section of Chinji in Potwar and in Dang Valley, Nepal. In the present collection, the presence of hipparion along with Dicoryphochocrus vinayaki, Hydaspifherium megacephalum, etc. from Nurpur is indicative of the Middle Siwalik age for the Nurpur Local Fauna. It is inferred that the red clays considered characterisitic of the Lower Siwalik are time transgressive and even the fauna colIected by earlier workers from Haritalyangar (Himachal) and Kalagarh (U.P.) is (at least a part of it) of Middle Siwalik age.

Ramnagar Fauna, recently collected by the authors, is true Chinji Fauna and is characterised by the presence of Dicoryphochoerus haydeni, Conohyus chinjiensis, Anthracotherium punjabiense, Dorcabune anthracotherioides, Hemimeryx pusillus, Giraffa priscilla etc. In Ramnagar area the Lower Siwalik Subgroup and the underlying Murree Formation have a conformable contact and fauna collected at the base of the Lower Siwalik Subgroup is found to be of Chinji age. So there are all possibilities that upper part of the Murree Formation may be of Kamlial age (i.e., lower part of the Lower Siwalik).

Keywords

Red Beds, Hipparion, Mammalian Fauna, Vertebrate Paleontology, Siwaliks, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh.

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J. S. Guleria ¹, Rashmi Srivastava ¹, A. C. Nanda ², R. K. Sehgal ²

Affiliations
1 Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany, 53 University Road, Lucknow - 226 007, IN
2 Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, 33, General Mahadeo Singh Road, Dehra Dun - 248 001, IN

Abstract

The paper reports the occurrence of a fossil wood of Terminalia for the first time from the Lower Siwalik Subgroup of Panchkula, Haryana along with a fossil Dipterocarpus wood from further east in the Middle Siwalik Subgroup, exposed south of Dehra Dun, Uttaranchal. These woods indicate the prevalence of moist conditions and existence of tropical lowland vegetation in the western part of Himalayan Foot-Hills till the Middle Siwalik.

Keywords

Fossil Woods, Xylotomy, Lower Siwalik (Middl Meiocene), Middle Siwalik, (Upper Miocene), Palaeoclimate, Phytogeography, Haryana, Uttaranchal.

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R. K. Sehgal ¹, A. C. Nanda ¹

Affiliations
1 Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dehra Dun - 248 001, Uttaranchal, IN

Abstract

The faunal assemblages from the red bed successions exposed at Ramnagar (J.&K.) and Nurpur (H. P.) have been used to reconstruct the palaeoenvironment and palaeoecology of the two areas. The two assemblages are of different ages. The succession at Ramnagar is equivalent to the Chinji Formation (Astarcian) of the Lower Siwalik Subgroup, whereas the Nurpur succession represents the Middle Siwalik Subgroup (Turolian). Red mudstones are dominant in both areas and indicate deposition in a meandering fluvial regime with broad flood plains, but in Nurpur, occasional high energy conditions also existed, as suggested by the presence of multistoried sandstone bodies.

The faunal assemblages of the Ramnagar and Nurpur areas comprise aquatic and semi-aquatic, arboreal and terrestrial communities. The terrestrial community, represented by mammals, is the most dominant in both areas. In the Ramnagar assemblage, suids, tragulids, bovids and giraffids are better represented and point towards a tropical humid environment with prominent swampy conditions. In Nurpur assemblage, besides suids, tragulids and bovids, hipparionines and large giraffids are common. This suggests reduction of tropical rain forests and development of wide and open grasslands separated by tree canopy forests. The habitat characteristics of the various taxa have been discussed to work out the palaeoecology of the two areas.

Keywords

Siwalik Group, Faunal Assemblage, Palaeoenvironment, Palaeoecology, Ramnagar, Nurpur, Himalaya.

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