Lagerstroemia L. from the middle Miocene Siwalik deposits,northern India: Implication for Cenozoic range shifts of the genus and the family Lythraceae

Journal of Earth System Science - Fossil leaves of Lagerstroemia (Lythraceae) are described from the Siwalik deposits (middle Miocene) of Kathgodam, Uttarakhand, India. The fossil records of the...     

Palm leaves from the Late Oligocene sediments of Makum Coalfield, Assam, India

Two new palm leaf impressions, cf. Iguanura wallichiana and Palmacites makumensis sp. nov. are described from the Makum Coalfield, Tinsukia District, Assam. They belong to the Tikak Parbat Formation being considered as Late Oligocene (Chattian 28?C23?Myr) in age. Their presence, along with the other known fossil records indicates that CMMT (cold month mean temperature) was not less than 18°C with plenty of rainfall, in the region during the period of deposition.     

A fruit wing of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Shorea</Emphasis> Roxb. from the Early Miocene sediments of Kachchh,Gujarat and its bearing on palaeoclimatic interpretation

A new fossil fruit wing of Shorea Roxb. belonging to the family Dipterocarpaceae is described from the Early Miocene sediments of Kachchh, Gujarat. It resembles best the extant species Shorea macroptera Dyer, which is a prominent member of the tropical evergreen forests of the Malayan Peninsula. The present finding, along with the other megafossil records described from the same area, indicates a typical tropical vegetation with a warm and humid climate at the time of deposition in contrast to the present day xeric vegetation in the area. As the family Dipterocarpaceae no longer exists in western India, it is essential to discuss the time of its extinction and possible causes, which may include drastic changes in the climate of the region. The present finding also supports the theory of a Malaysian origin for the family in contrast to the hypothesis of a Gondwanan origin.     

Study of fossil wood from the Middle–Late Miocene sediments of Dhemaji and Lakhimpur districts of Assam,India and its palaeoecological and palaeophytogeographical implications

In order to reconstruct the palaeoclimate, a number of fossil wood pieces were collected and investigated from two new fossil localities situated in the Dhemaji and Lakhimpur districts of Assam. They belong to the Tipam Group considered to be of Middle–Late Miocene in age and show affinities with Gluta (Anacardiaceae), Bischofia (Euphorbiaceae), Bauhinia, Cynometra, Copaifera-Detarium-Sindora, Millettia-Pongamia, and Afzelia-Intsia (Fabaceae). The flora also records a new species of Bauhinia named Bauhinia miocenica sp. nov. The assemblage indicates a warm and humid climate in the region during the deposition of the sediments. The occurrence of some southeast Asian elements in the fossil flora indicates that an exchange of floral elements took place between India and southeast Asia during the Miocene.