Palynoassemblage from intertrappean sediments of Satpura Group, Betul district, Madhya Pradesh: implications in understanding age and palaeoclimate

Abstract

Palynological study of eleven intertrappean beds at ten stratigraphic levels in Betul district, Madhya Pradesh provided new insight into biota, age and depositional environment of Satpura Group. Study indicates presence of monospecific assemblage of dinoflagellate cyst Pierceites deccanensis at Hiradehi intertrappean at lower stratigraphic level. Diverse palynoassemblage represented by 3 genera and 3 species of pteridophytes, one genus and one species of gymnosperms, 8 genera and 10 species of angiosperms and 12 genera and 12 species of fungal spores are recorded from Kanhobagholi intertrappean at higher stratigraphic level. Presence of age marker taxa such as Azolla cretacea, Aquilapollenites bengalensis, Aquilapollenites intertrappeus, Echitricolpites sp., Farabeipollis minutes, Farabeipollis deccanensis sp. nov., Jiangsupollis major suggest Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) age for this intertrappean. Microflora of intertrappean beds at lower stratigraphic levels (Hiradehi and Topidhana) show deposition in semiarid-arid climate and intertrappean beds at higher stratigraphic levels especially Kanhobagholi in warm humid climatic conditions and freshwater to estuarine depositional environment. Two intertrappean namely, Kanhobagholi, and Hatnajhiri from this part also yielded freshwater ostracodes.