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Floral diversity during Plio-Pleistocene Siwalik sedimentation (Kimin Formation) in Arunachal Pradesh, India, and its palaeoclimatic significance

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An Erratum to this article was published on 09 August 2013

Abstract

A morpho-taxonomic study of leaf remains from the upper part of the Siwalik succession of sediments (Kimin Formation; upper Pliocene to lower Pleistocene) of Papumpare district, Arunachal Pradesh, India, revealed 23 species representing 20 genera belonging to 15 angiosperm families. The recovered fossil leaves are comparable to modern Bambusa tulda Roxb. (Poaceae), Mangifera indica Linn., Dracontomelum mangiferum Blume (Anacardiaceae); Chonemorpha macrophylla G. Don (Apocynaceae); Pongamia pinnata (L) Pierre., Millettia pachycarpa Benth., Dalbergia rimosa Roxb., Millettia extensa (Fabaceae); Macaranga denticulata Muell. Arg., Croton caudatus Geisel. (Euphorbiaceae); Combretum decandrum Roxb. (Combretaceae); Dysoxylum procerum Hiern. (Meliaceae); Dipterocarpus sp. Gaertn.f. (Dipterocarpaceae); Actinodaphne angustifolia Nees., Actinodaphne obovata Blume., Lindera pulcherrima Benth., Litsea salicifolia Roxb. (Lauraceae); Calophyllum polyanthum Wall. (Clusiaceae); Knema glaucescens Hook.f. (Myristaceae); Canarium bengalense Roxb. (Burseraceae); Quercus lamellosa Smith; Quercus semicarpifolia Smith (Fagaceae); and Berchemia floribunda Wall. (Rhamnaceae). Among these taxa, 11 species are recorded as new to the Neogene flora of India. Analysis of the floral assemblage with respect to the distribution pattern of modern equivalent taxa and the physiognomic characters of the fossil leaves, suggests that a tropical evergreen forest was growing in a warm humid climate in the region at the time of deposition. This is in contrast to modern tropical semi-evergreen forests that occupy the area. Values of mean annual temperature (MAT) of 29.3°C and mean annual precipitation (MAP) of 290 mm have been calculated using leaf-margin characters and fossil leaf size.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are thankful to Dr. Sambhu Chakraborty, Senior Geologist, GSI, Operation Arunachal, Itanagar and Sri Bimalendu De Ex Dy. DG. GSI, Arunachal, for their help during the collection of specimens. Financial assistance by DST, New Delhi, is thankfully acknowledged. Sincere thanks are due to the authorities of The Botanical Survey of India, Itanagar Field Station, Itanagar and Central National Herbarium, Sibpur, Howrah, West Bengal, for providing necessary facilities to consult the herbaria. Special thanks are due to Dr. Madhusadan Mandal, Joint Director of The Botanical Survey of India, Sibpur, Howrah for his encouragement and library facilities during the progress of the work and also to authorities of The Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany, Lucknow and Geological Survey of India, Calcutta, for providing library and other facilities. We also thank two anonymous reviewers and the editor for their constructive suggestions to improve the quality of the article.

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  1. Centre of Advanced Study, Department of Botany, University of Calcutta, 35, Ballygunge Circular Road, Kolkata, 700019, India

    Mahasin Ali Khan & Subir Bera

  2. Centre of Advanced Study, Department of Botany, 35, Ballygunge Circular Road, Kolkata, 700019, India

    Ruby Ghosh

  3. Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany, 53, University Road, Lucknow, 226007, U.P., India

    Ruby Ghosh

  4. Centre for Earth, Planetary, Space and Astronomical Research, The Open University, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA, UK

    Robert A. Spicer

  5. Institute of Botany, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, 20 Nanxincun, Xiangshan, Beijing, 100093, China

    Robert A. Spicer & T. E. V. Spicer

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  1. Mahasin Ali Khan
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Correspondence to Subir Bera.

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An erratum to this article can be found online at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12549-013-0127-7.

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Khan, M.A., Ghosh, R., Bera, S. et al. Floral diversity during Plio-Pleistocene Siwalik sedimentation (Kimin Formation) in Arunachal Pradesh, India, and its palaeoclimatic significance. Palaeobio Palaeoenv 91, 237–255 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12549-011-0059-z

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