A new locality bearing ichnofossils of the Cruziana Assemblage Zone‐III from the Mussoorie syncline, Lesser Himalaya, is located in rocks of Member‐B of the Dhaulagiri Formation, Tal Group, exposed along the Maldewta‐Chhimoli fresh road cut section. The site yielded ichnofossils Bergaueria perata, Cochlichnus anguineus, ?Diplocraterion isp., Dimorphichnus obliquus, diplichnitiform Cruziana bonariensis, Diplichnites gouldi, Glockeria isp., Helminthopsis isp., Monomorphichnus lineatus, Phycodes palmatum, Palaeophycus striatus, Planolites beverleyensis, Planolites montanus, Treptichnus cf. T. pedum, scratch marks and an undetermined worm impression. An Early Cambrian age (Cambrian Series 2) is assigned to the ichnofossil‐bearing strata based on the stratigraphic position between the Drepanuroides and Palaeoolenus trilobite zones. A revised Cambrian ichnofossil zonation is presented for the Tal Group of the Mussoorie syncline. Together with their occurrence on rippled surfaces, and the lateral displacement of some trackways (due to current action), a sub‐aqueous shallow‐marine depositional setting is proposed for the rocks of Member‐B.
The Cambrian sequence, designated as the Kunzam La Formation, is exposed along the classical Parahio Valley section and also on left bank of the Khemangar khad in the Parahio Valley (Spiti), the latter constitutes the lowermost exposed part of the Kunzum La Formation. The lower part of the Parahio Valley section and outcrop near the left bank of the Khemangar khad were studied for integrated litho-ichnofacies and ichnofabric analysis. The study establishes a genetic relationship of the strata of these two localities. Five lithofacies are recognised in both the examined sections. The lithofacies indicate a wave-dominated shallow marine environment of deposition for these Cambrian rocks. The overall calculated ichnofabric indices in 74 m exposed strata at the Khemangar khad locality range from ii1=80.5% (represented by 25.8 m), ii2= 17% (represented by 5.4 m) and ii4=2.5 % (represented by 0.8 m). The 42 m rocks examined in the main Parahio Valley section indicate ichnofabric indices ranging from ii1=37% (represented by 17.8 m), ii2=21% (represented by 8.0 m), ii3=40% (represented by 15.2 m) and ii4=2.0% (represented by 1.0 m). The presence of archetypal Cruziana ichnofacies, parallel and wavy laminations, hummocky cross stratification (HCS) and trough cross stratification (TCS) supports a wave-dominated shallow water environment from upper shoreface to middle-lower shoreface setup for the deposition of the lowermost part of the Kunzum La Formation in the Parahio Valley.
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