Biostratigraphic Studies and Correlation of the Middle Cambrian Successions of Northwestern Kashmir Himalaya

The Middle Cambrian successions of Himalaya are well exposed in the Pohru Valley of northwestern Kashmir Himalaya. The fossiliferous successions are exposed in the Kandi, Nutunus, Takiwadopura, Zachaldor, Khanpura, Neilipora and in the Magam areas of the Kupwara district of northwestern Kashmir. This is one of the highly fossiliferous parts of the Cambrian successions of northwestern Kashmir. The fauna is characteristic of the early Middle Cambrian Maochuangian stage to the late Middle Cambrian representing Maochuangian, Hsuchuangi an stages of the Middle Cambrian. The lower part of the Middle Cambrian Maochuangian is poorly fossiliferous, but the Middle Hsuchuangian and upper parts of Changhian of the successions are profusely fossiliferous. Several faunal assemblages have been recorded which includes some revised as well as new faunal elements. The fauna mainly includes polymerid and agnostid trilobites and few inarticulate brachiopods. In the light of the present biostratigraphic studies attempts have been made to correlate these Middle Cambrian faunal assemblages of Kashmir with the known analogous Middle Cambrian successions of the Tethys Himalaya and preliminarily with other corresponding successions of the Middle Cambrian, on the basis of polymerid and agnostid trilobite fauna.