Microflora from Sauropod Coprolites and Associated Sediments of Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) Lameta Formation of Nand-Dongargaon Basin, Maharashtra

Abstract

Micofloral study of Lameta sediments and associated sauropod coprolites in the Nand-Dongargaon basin in Maharashtra was conducted to understand the diet and habitat of sauropods. The study revealed the presence of pollen, spores, algal and fungal remains, well-preserved cuticles of Poaceae, and testate amoebae. Vegetation during Lameta included tall arboreal taxa, such as conifers (Podocarpus and Araucaria), Cycads (Cycas), Euphorian and Barringtonia and herbs and shrubs, such as Cheirolepidiaceae (Classopollis), Arecaceae (Palmaepollenites), Poaceae (Graminidites), Asteraceae (Compositoipollenites), Caryophyllaceae (Cretacaeiporites and Periporopollenites), and Acanthaceae (Multiareolites). Data suggest that the sauropods ate soft tissues of angiosperms and gymnosperms. The intake of testate amoeba, algal remains, sponge spicules, and diatoms might be through water intake.

Centropyxis aculeata (testate lobose amoebae) and associated diatoms from the intertrappean lacustrine sediments (Maastrichtian) of central India: implications in understanding paleolake ecology

“…Arcellinidan taxa Centropyxis aculeata, Diffugia sp. A, and Lesquereusia spiralis have also been reported from the infratrappean Lameta Formation (Sonkusare et al, 2017). In the present study, we report the occurrence of Centropyxis aculeata and associated diatoms for the first time from the intertrappean palaeolake sediments of India.…”

Palaeodiet of Miocene Producers and Depositional Environments: Inferences from the First Evidence of Microcoprolites from India

“…Considering that Matley (1939b) did not observe any biogenic material within the coprolites, Sohn and Chatterjee"s (1979) work gained significance as it recorded the presence of an ostracod (assigned to the genus Darwinula) for the first time within a coprolite from India. Ascertaining palaeodiet was the focus of many subsequent studies of Mesozoic coprolites from the subcontinent (Khosla et al, 2015;Sonkusare et al, 2017, and references therein). Jain (1983), following the classification of spirally-coiled coprolites of Williams" (1972) enhanced version of Matley"s (1939a) work on the spirally-wound coprolites from the Maleri Formation.…”

Marine and Fluvial Sedimentation Including Erosion and Sediment Flux in Peninsular Indian Phanerozoic Basins

“…Dinosaur remains and egg nests have been reported in recent studies (Srivastava and Mankar, 2015;Aglawe and Lakra, 2018;Fernández and Khosla, 2015;Khosla et al, 2015). Sonkusare et al (2016) reported plant remains and diverse spores and pollens within Lameta sediments.…”