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Early Permian Xiphosurid Trackways from India


Affiliations
1 Department of Geology, Jogamaya Devi College, 96 S. P. Mukherjee Road, Kolkata - 700 026, India
2 Department of Geology and Centre of Advance Studies in Precambrian Geology, Presidency University, 86/1 College Street, Kolkata - 700 073, India
     

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Present work is the first report of Early Permian xiphosurid trackways from India. Surface trackways and undertracks, preserved within ice-marginal storm-affected, shoreface sediments of the Talchir Formation, Jayanti coalbasin closely resemble Kouphichnium Nopsca 1923. Trackways reveal distinct heteropody with foliate pusher impressions, paired series of semi-circular, oval, V- or Y-shaped chilate (walking) leg impressions. Varied ventral impressions also include telson drag marks and telson dents; spine drag marks, book-gills impression, genal gouges as well as symmetric, paired lateral genal furrows, partial cubichnial impressions of prosoma and spinose opisthosoma. A tentative early Permian age (Asselian/Sakmarian) and marginal marine facies association points towards a paleolimuloidae affinity for the trace makers, which is in conformity with their inferred widths of exoskeleton, sub-rounded prosoma and subtriangular spinose opisthosoma with predictable movable spines. Flexed pusher impressions and co-dominant pincer impressions as well as, other ventral impressions in abundance, confirm crawling as their dominant mode of locomotion. Inferred presence of juvenile crawlers in the community suggests a probable shoreline or marginal marine ecospace.

Keywords

Trackways, Xiphosura, Kouphichnium, Permian, Marginal Marine.
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  • Early Permian Xiphosurid Trackways from India

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Authors

Abhijit Chakraborty
Department of Geology, Jogamaya Devi College, 96 S. P. Mukherjee Road, Kolkata - 700 026, India
H. N. Bhattacharya
Department of Geology and Centre of Advance Studies in Precambrian Geology, Presidency University, 86/1 College Street, Kolkata - 700 073, India

Abstract


Present work is the first report of Early Permian xiphosurid trackways from India. Surface trackways and undertracks, preserved within ice-marginal storm-affected, shoreface sediments of the Talchir Formation, Jayanti coalbasin closely resemble Kouphichnium Nopsca 1923. Trackways reveal distinct heteropody with foliate pusher impressions, paired series of semi-circular, oval, V- or Y-shaped chilate (walking) leg impressions. Varied ventral impressions also include telson drag marks and telson dents; spine drag marks, book-gills impression, genal gouges as well as symmetric, paired lateral genal furrows, partial cubichnial impressions of prosoma and spinose opisthosoma. A tentative early Permian age (Asselian/Sakmarian) and marginal marine facies association points towards a paleolimuloidae affinity for the trace makers, which is in conformity with their inferred widths of exoskeleton, sub-rounded prosoma and subtriangular spinose opisthosoma with predictable movable spines. Flexed pusher impressions and co-dominant pincer impressions as well as, other ventral impressions in abundance, confirm crawling as their dominant mode of locomotion. Inferred presence of juvenile crawlers in the community suggests a probable shoreline or marginal marine ecospace.

Keywords


Trackways, Xiphosura, Kouphichnium, Permian, Marginal Marine.

References