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

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Rhodophycean Algae from the Lower Cretaceous of the Cauvery Basin, South India


Affiliations
1 Department of Botany, University of Lucknow, Lucknow - 226 007, India
2 Department of Geology, University of Lucknow, Lucknow - 226 007, India
     

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The present paper records eight Rhodophycean taxa from the Kallakudi limestone of the Uttatur Group (Lower Cretaceous) exposed in the quarries at Kallakudi and Olaipadi near Govindarajapatnam of the Cauvery Basin, south India. Of these, four species (Melobesioideae gen. et sp. indet 1, Melobesioideae gen. et sp. indet 2, Lithophyllum alternicellum and Pseudoamphiroa propria) belong to corallinaceae family, one species (Polystrata alba) is assigned to Peyssonneliaceae family, two species (Solenopora urgoniana and Parachaetetes asvapatii) are placed under Solenoporaceae; and one species (Sporolithon sp.) is referable to Sporolithaceae family. Among these, three taxa (Solenopora urgoniana, Lithophyllum alternicellum and Pseudoamphiroa propria) are recorded for the first time from India. The study also includes observations on ultrastructural morphological features of Parachaetetes asvapatii. The observations reveal absence of cell fusions, which confirms its affinities with Solenoporaceae. Palaeoecological data indicate that the assemblage from the sequence at the Kallakudi quarry is characteristic of lagoonal to reefal environment, whereas the Olaipadi quarry sequence near Govindarajapatnam points to 20 m to 30 m deep environment characterized by high - to moderate energy conditions.

Keywords

Calcareous Algae, Rhodophyceae, Kallakudi Limestone, Uttatur Group, Early Cretaceous.
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  • Rhodophycean Algae from the Lower Cretaceous of the Cauvery Basin, South India

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Authors

P. K. Misra
Department of Botany, University of Lucknow, Lucknow - 226 007, India
S. Kishore
Department of Botany, University of Lucknow, Lucknow - 226 007, India
S. K. Singh
Department of Botany, University of Lucknow, Lucknow - 226 007, India
A. K. Jauhri
Department of Geology, University of Lucknow, Lucknow - 226 007, India

Abstract


The present paper records eight Rhodophycean taxa from the Kallakudi limestone of the Uttatur Group (Lower Cretaceous) exposed in the quarries at Kallakudi and Olaipadi near Govindarajapatnam of the Cauvery Basin, south India. Of these, four species (Melobesioideae gen. et sp. indet 1, Melobesioideae gen. et sp. indet 2, Lithophyllum alternicellum and Pseudoamphiroa propria) belong to corallinaceae family, one species (Polystrata alba) is assigned to Peyssonneliaceae family, two species (Solenopora urgoniana and Parachaetetes asvapatii) are placed under Solenoporaceae; and one species (Sporolithon sp.) is referable to Sporolithaceae family. Among these, three taxa (Solenopora urgoniana, Lithophyllum alternicellum and Pseudoamphiroa propria) are recorded for the first time from India. The study also includes observations on ultrastructural morphological features of Parachaetetes asvapatii. The observations reveal absence of cell fusions, which confirms its affinities with Solenoporaceae. Palaeoecological data indicate that the assemblage from the sequence at the Kallakudi quarry is characteristic of lagoonal to reefal environment, whereas the Olaipadi quarry sequence near Govindarajapatnam points to 20 m to 30 m deep environment characterized by high - to moderate energy conditions.

Keywords


Calcareous Algae, Rhodophyceae, Kallakudi Limestone, Uttatur Group, Early Cretaceous.

References