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Madtsoiid (Althinophidia) snake from the intertrappean beds associated with the oldest (>66 Ma) lava pile of the Deccan traps in India


Affiliations
1 Department of Geology, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune 411 007, India
2 Department of Geology, RTM Nagpur University, Nagpur 440 001, India
3 Department of Geology, RTM Nagpur University, Nagpur 440 001, India; Department of Geology, School of Environment and Earth Sciences, Central University of Panjab, Bathinda 151 401, India

The present study records the earliest occurrence of a madtsoiid snake from the intertrappean sediments associated with the chronostratigraphically constrained lava piles of the oldest Deccan Trap eruptions in India. The intertrappean sedimentary beds of the Malwa Group occur at multiple stratigraphic levels in the two lowermost formations between the lava flows that erupted during Maastrichtian C30n. The fossils described represent small-sized middle to posterior vertebrae assigned to Madtsoia. Preservation of these earliest late Cretaceous snakes in India has great significance due to their survival through the earliest Deccan volcanic eruptions. The overall faunal biodiversity of the Malwa Group is dominated by squamates and amphibians during the early stage of volcanism, indicating that volcanism has least affected the diversity of the snakes.

Keywords

Faunal biodiversity, intertrappean beds, lava flows, madtsoiid snake, volcanic eruptions.
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  • Madtsoiid (Althinophidia) snake from the intertrappean beds associated with the oldest (>66 Ma) lava pile of the Deccan traps in India

Abstract Views: 12  | 

Authors

Anup Dhobale
Department of Geology, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune 411 007, India
Dhananjay M. Mohabey
Department of Geology, RTM Nagpur University, Nagpur 440 001, India
Bandana Samant
Department of Geology, RTM Nagpur University, Nagpur 440 001, India; Department of Geology, School of Environment and Earth Sciences, Central University of Panjab, Bathinda 151 401, India
Satish Sangode
Department of Geology, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune 411 007, India

Abstract


The present study records the earliest occurrence of a madtsoiid snake from the intertrappean sediments associated with the chronostratigraphically constrained lava piles of the oldest Deccan Trap eruptions in India. The intertrappean sedimentary beds of the Malwa Group occur at multiple stratigraphic levels in the two lowermost formations between the lava flows that erupted during Maastrichtian C30n. The fossils described represent small-sized middle to posterior vertebrae assigned to Madtsoia. Preservation of these earliest late Cretaceous snakes in India has great significance due to their survival through the earliest Deccan volcanic eruptions. The overall faunal biodiversity of the Malwa Group is dominated by squamates and amphibians during the early stage of volcanism, indicating that volcanism has least affected the diversity of the snakes.

Keywords


Faunal biodiversity, intertrappean beds, lava flows, madtsoiid snake, volcanic eruptions.



DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs%2Fv127%2Fi9%2F1114-1118