Danian-Ypresian dinocyst biostratigraphy, fish fauna and depositional environment of the Akli Formation, Barmer Basin, western India

ABSTRACT

Herein, we present a diverse record of dinoflagellate cysts from the lignite-associated sedimentary succession (belonging to the Akli Formation) at Sonari Lignite Mine, Barmer Basin, Rajasthan State, western India. The dinoflagellate cyst assemblage implies a Danian to Ypresian age for the investigated succession and argues that the deposition of lignitic sequences along India’s western margin is not coeval. We also identify two vertebrate (dominantly fish-yielding) units within the studied Akli Formation succession. The Ypresian fish genera (mainly represented by dental remains) include Ginglymostoma, Jaekelotodus, Brachycarcharias, Pycnodus and Myliobatis while the Selandian-Thanetian fish dental remains include Dasyatis. A discontinuous distribution of fish fauna during the early Paleogene (based on the temporal and spatial data) within the lignite-associated sedimentary successions of western and north India allows us to infer the prevalence of separated realms with variably restricted palaeoenvironmental conditions. Overall, the faunal evidence is indicative of dominantly estuarine to shallow marine conditions with enhanced freshwater influence during the Thanetian as compared to the Danian. Our study also argues in favour of the earliest appearance of dinoflagellate cyst Apectodinium in the near-equatorial region of the Tethys Ocean during the early Paleocene. (within Danian).

KEYWORDS:

• Apectodinium
• Danian
• palaeoenvironment
• Gnathostomata
• Sonari Lignite Mine
• Ypresian

Acknowledgments

The authors extend their gratitude to BSIP for providing the infrastructural facilities to carry out this study and for the necessary permissions (BSIP/RDCC/11/2022-2023). We would like to thank the staff [Mr. S C Sharma (Deputy Manager), Mr. Jaiswal (Mines Manager), Mr. Maru (Geologist)] of the Rajasthan State Mines and Minerals Limited (RMML) for necessary permission(s) and support during the fieldwork. The authors also thank the Editor and the reviewers (Chris Clowes and anonymous) for providing constructive commentaries that helped in improving the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), New Delhi in the form of a Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences In-House Project Grant No. 3: 2021-2025 [No. 3: 2021-2025].