Current Science

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access

The Wood-Boring Trace Fossil Asthenopodichnium from Palaeocene Sediments of the Barmer Hill Formation, Western Rajasthan, India


Affiliations
1 Department of Geology, Jai Narain Vyas University, Jodhpur 342 005, India
2 Department of Zoology, Jai Narain Vyas University, Jodhpur 342 005, India
 

The present study documents the wood-boring trace fossil Asthenopodichnium from the Palaeocene sediments of the Barmer Hill Formation (BHF) in the Barmer Basin, Western Rajasthan, India. The Asthenopodichnium trace fossils are loosely to tightly packed, pouch-like burrows or almond-shaped structures identified as Asthenopodichnium lignorum, whereas lozenge and J-shaped structures are designated as Asthenopodichnium lithuanicum. The A. lignorum trace markers are considered to be the feeding and dwelling burrows produced by wood-rotting fungi, whereas A. lithuanicum are interpreted as feeding and dwelling burrows produced by Mayfly nymphs and larvae. The sedimentological and palaeontological studies of trace fossil-bearing horizons of BHF suggest freshwater fluvial sedimentary environment with humid to sub-humid climate.

Keywords

Asthenopodichnium, Freshwater Environment, Trace-Fossils, Wood-Rotting Fungi.
User
Notifications
Font Size

  • Cichan, M. A. and Taylor, T. N., Wood-borings in Premnoxylon: plant–animal interactions in the carboniferous. Palaeogeogr., Palaeoclimatol., Palaeoecol., 1982, 39, 123–127.

  • Scott, A. C., Stephenson, J. and Chaloner, W. G., Interaction and coevolution of plants and arthropods during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic. Philos. Trans. R. Soc. London, Ser. B, 1992, 335, 129–165.

  • Hasiotis, S. T. and Brown, T. M., Invertebrate trace fossils: the backbone of continental ichnology. In Trace Fossils: Short Courses in Paleontology (eds Mapes, C. G. and West, R. R.), Paleontological Society, Cambridge University Press, 1992, pp. 64–104.

  • Scott, A. C., Trace fossil of plant–arthropod interactions. In Trace Fossils: Their Paleobiological Aspects (eds Maples, C. G. and West, R. R.), Paleontological Society Short Course, 1992, vol. 5, pp. 197–223.

  • Wooton, R. J., The historical ecology of aquatic insects: an overview. Palaeogeogr., Palaeoclimatol., Palaeoecol., 1988, 62, 477–492.

  • Hasiotis, S. T., Continental Trace Fossils Atlas, Society for Sedimentary Geology, Short Course Notes No. 51, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA, 2002, p. 132.

  • Poiner Jr, G. and Poinar, R., What bugger the dinosaurs? In Insects, Disease, and Death in the Cretaceous, Princeton University Press, Princeton, 2008.

  • Philipp, H. and Wehrli, H., Bohrlöher von Pholadiden in Ligniten aus dem Dach und dem Hangenden der Grube Fischbach (Ville). Zbl. Miner., 1936, 1, 15–20.

  • Schenk, E., Insektenfraßgange Bohrloher von Pholadiden in Ligniten aus dem Braunkohlenfloz bei Koln. Neues Jb. Miner., Geol. Palaont., Abt. B, 1937, 77, 392–401.

  • Thenius, E., Lebensspuren von Ephemeropteren-larven aus dem Jung-Tertiär des Wiener Beckens. Ann. Naturhist. Mus. Wien., 1979, 82, 177–188.

  • Uchman, A., Gaigalas, A., Melesyte, M. and Kazakayskas, V., The trace fossil Astheropodichnium lithuanicum Isp. nov., from the Late Neogene brown-coal deposits, Lithuania. Geol. Q., 2007, 51, 329–336.

  • Moran, K. et al., Attributes of the wood-boring trace fossil Asthenopodichnium in the Late Cretaceous Wahweap Formation, Utah, USA. Palaeogeogr., Palaeoclimatol., Palaeoecol., 2010, 297, 662–669.

  • Genise, J. F. et al., Asthenopodichium in fossil wood: different trace makers as indicators of terrestrial palaeoenvironments. Palaeogeogr., Palaeoclimatol., Palaeoecol., 2012, 365–366, 184–191.

  • Lucas, S. G., Minter, N. J. and Hunt, A. P., Re-evaluation of alleged bees nests from the Upper Triassic of Arizona. Palaeogeogr., Palaeoclimatol., Palaeoecol., 2010, 286, 194–201.

  • Thenius, E., Fossile Lebensspuren aquatischer Insekten in Knochen aus dem Jungtertiär Niederösterreichs. Anzeiger der Osterreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften math,-naturwiss Klasse, 1988, 125, 41–45.

  • Genise, J. F., Fungus traces in wood: a rare bioerosional item. In First International Congress on Ichnology, Museo Paleontólogico Egidio Feruglio (eds Buatois, L. A. and Mángano, M. G.), Trelew, Patagonia, Argentina, 2004.

  • Dasgupta, S. K., Hydrocarbon accumulation in shelf sediments of Rajasthan. Indo-Soviet Indian National Science Academy, New Delhi, 1973, pp. 48–56.

  • Blanford, W. T., On the physical geology of the Great Rajasthan Desert. J. Asiatic Soc. Bengal, 1876, 45, 86–103.

  • La Touche, T. H. D., Geology of Western Rajputana, Memoirs of Geological Survey of India, 1902, pp. 1–116.

  • Shrivastava, B. P. and Srinivasan, S., Geology of Bikanar-Barmer area, ONGC report, 1963.

  • Pandey, J. and Dave, A., Stratigraphy of Indian pertroliferous basins. In Proceedings of XVI, Indian Colloquium on Micropalaeontology and Stratigraphy, Dehradun, 1998, pp. 1–248.

  • Farrimond, P., Bodapati, S., Naidu, N., Burley, S. D., Dolson, J; Whiteley, N. and Kotheri, V., Geochemical characterization of oils and their source rock in the Barmer Basin, Rajasthan, India. J. Petr. Geosci., 2015, 21, 321.

  • Shekhawat, N. S., Geological Investigation of Rocks of Barmer Hill Formation of the Petroliferous Barmer Basin, Western Rajasthan, India. J.N.V. University, Jodhpur, 2016, p. 187.

  • Shah, S. C. D. and Kar, R. K., Palynostratigraphic evolution of the Lower Eocene sediments of India. In Proceedings on Seminar on Paleopalynology and Indian Stratigraphy Calcutta University Publication, Calcutta, 1971, pp. 255–264.

  • Mathur, S. C., Shekhawat, N. S., Khichi, C. P., Soni, A., Nama, S. L. and Parihar, V. S., A first report of wood-boring trace fossil Asthenopodichnium and Teredolites from the Barmer Hill Formation of the Barmer Basin, Western Rajasthan, India. In 35th International Geological Congress, Cape Town, South Africa, abstr., 2016.

  • Dasgupta, S. K., Stratigraphy of western Rajasthan shelf. In Proc. IV Indian Colloq., Micropal. Strat., Dehradun, 1974, pp. 219–233.


Abstract Views: 475

PDF Views: 136




  • The Wood-Boring Trace Fossil Asthenopodichnium from Palaeocene Sediments of the Barmer Hill Formation, Western Rajasthan, India

Abstract Views: 475  |  PDF Views: 136

Authors

S. C. Mathur
Department of Geology, Jai Narain Vyas University, Jodhpur 342 005, India
N. S. Shekhawat
Department of Geology, Jai Narain Vyas University, Jodhpur 342 005, India
S. L. Nama
Department of Zoology, Jai Narain Vyas University, Jodhpur 342 005, India
C. P. Khichi
Department of Geology, Jai Narain Vyas University, Jodhpur 342 005, India
A. Soni
Department of Geology, Jai Narain Vyas University, Jodhpur 342 005, India
Saurabh Mathur
Department of Geology, Jai Narain Vyas University, Jodhpur 342 005, India
V. S. Parihar
Department of Geology, Jai Narain Vyas University, Jodhpur 342 005, India

Abstract


The present study documents the wood-boring trace fossil Asthenopodichnium from the Palaeocene sediments of the Barmer Hill Formation (BHF) in the Barmer Basin, Western Rajasthan, India. The Asthenopodichnium trace fossils are loosely to tightly packed, pouch-like burrows or almond-shaped structures identified as Asthenopodichnium lignorum, whereas lozenge and J-shaped structures are designated as Asthenopodichnium lithuanicum. The A. lignorum trace markers are considered to be the feeding and dwelling burrows produced by wood-rotting fungi, whereas A. lithuanicum are interpreted as feeding and dwelling burrows produced by Mayfly nymphs and larvae. The sedimentological and palaeontological studies of trace fossil-bearing horizons of BHF suggest freshwater fluvial sedimentary environment with humid to sub-humid climate.

Keywords


Asthenopodichnium, Freshwater Environment, Trace-Fossils, Wood-Rotting Fungi.

References





DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs%2Fv114%2Fi07%2F1544-1548