Plant Macrofossils from Churia Formation (Miocene) of Koilabas Area in the Himalayan Foot Hills of Western Nepal and their Palaeoclimatic Consideration

Gopal Ji Kushwaha^1, , Shivendra Mohan Pandey¹, Ravi Krishna Mishra², Alok ³ and Mahesh Prasad⁴

¹Department of Botany, Shivharsh Kisan Post Graduate College, Basti, U.P. 272001, India

²Department of Botany, M.L.K. Post Graduate College, Balrampur, U.P. 271201, India

³Department of Botany, S.K.B.B. Govt. P.G. College, Harakh, Barabanki, U.P., India

⁴Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, 53, University Road, Lucknow-226007, India

Cite this paper:
Gopal Ji Kushwaha, Shivendra Mohan Pandey, Ravi Krishna Mishra, Alok and Mahesh Prasad. Plant Macrofossils from Churia Formation (Miocene) of Koilabas Area in the Himalayan Foot Hills of Western Nepal and their Palaeoclimatic Consideration. Applied Ecology and Environmental Sciences. 2022; 10(6):346-359. doi: 10.12691/aees-10-6-4

Abstract

Palaeobotanical study on the plant macrofossils from Lower and Middle Churia Formation (Miocene) of Koilabas area, western Nepal has revealed the presence of 116 species belonging to 83 genera of 33 angiospermous families. They are mainly based on leaf-impressions and a fruit and seed. The family Fabaceae is the most dominant family represented by 21 species in this assemblage followed by Annonaceae (10 species), Dipterocarpaceae, Sapindaceae and Anacardiaceae (6 species) and Combretaceae, Rubiaceae, and Moraceae (5 species). Fabaceae which appeared in Upper Paleocene became a major constituent of the evergreen forest during Miocene times all along the Himalayan foot hills. The predominance of evergreen and moist deciduous taxa in this fossil assemblage indicates the prevalence of tropical warm humid climate with plenty of rain fall during the Miocene. The present-day distribution of comparable modern species of all the fossils recovered from Koilabas area indicates that they are mostly known to occur in South east Asia, Indo-Malayan and North-east Indian regions, wherever favorable climatic conditions exist. Most of the taxa represented in the fossil assemblage do not occur in the Koilabas area or all along the Himalayan foot-hills of both India and Nepal. This obviously indicates that changes in the climate must have taken place after the deposition of Siwalik sediments in the Koilabas area. Study of the structural features of fossil leaf-impressions suggests that the Koilabas area in the Himalayan foot-hills of western Nepal enjoyed a tropical climate along with plenty of rainfall during the Miocene times. Coexistence /Nearest Living Relative (NLR) method further suggests that the area enjoyed a tropical climate with the Mean Annual Temperature (MAT) 23-30°C and Mean Annual Precipitation (MAP) 2400-3600 mm) during the Miocene.

Keywords:
plant macrofossils Koilabas area Himalayan foot hills western Nepal. paleoclimate estimation plant diversity Miocene

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

References:

[1]	Smith, A. G. and Briden, J. C, Mesozoic and Cenozoic paleocontinental maps. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1979.
[2]	Prasad, M. “Angiospermous fossil leaves from the Siwalik Foreland Basins and its palaeoclimatic implications”. Palaeobotanist, 57, 177-215. 2008.
[3]	Prasad, M., Kannaujia, A. K., Alok and Singh, S. K, “Plant megaflora from the Siwalik (Upper Miocene) of Darjeeling District, West Bengal, India and its palaeoclimatic and phytogeographic significance”. Palaeobotanist, 64(1). 13-94. 2015.
[4]	Prasad, M., Alok, Kannaujia, A. K., Kumar, S. and Singh, S. K, “Middle Miocene flora from Siwalik foreland basin of Uttarakhand, India and its phytogeographic and palaeoclimatic implications”. Palaeobotanist, 66(2). 223-312. 2017.
[5]	Prasad, M., Gautam, S., Bhowmik, N., Kumar, S. and Singh, S. K, “Miocene flora from the Siwalik of Arjun Khola, Nepal and its palaeoclimatic and phytogeographic implications”. Palaeobotanist, 68. 1-11. 2019.
[6]	West, M. R, Siwalik fauna from Nepal: Palaeoecologic and palaeoclimatic implication, In White RO (Editor), The evolution of East Asian environment. Center of Asian study. University of Honkong. II. 1984, 724-744.
[7]	Tripathi, P. P. and Tiwari, V. D, “Occurrence of Terminalia in the Lower Siwalik beds near Koilabas, Napal”. Current Science, 52(4). 167. 1983.
[8]	Prasad, M. and Prakash, U, “Leaf impressions from the Lower Siwalik beds of Koilabas, Nepal”. Proc. V Indian geophytol. Conf., Lucknow. 1983. Spl. Publ. 246-256. 1984.
[9]	Prasad, M, “Plant megafossils from the Siwalik sediments of Koilabas, central Himalaya, Nepal and their impact on palaeoenvironment”. Palaeobotanist, 42(2). 126-156. 1994.
[10]	Prasad, M., Antal, J. S., Tripathi, P. P. and Pandey, V. K, “Further contribution to the Siwalik flora from Koilabas area, western Nepal”. Palaeobotanist, 48. 49-95. 1999.
[11]	Dwivedi, H. D., Prasad, M. and Tripathi, P. P, “Angiospermous leaves from the Lower Siwalik sediments of Koilabas area, western Nepal and their phytogeographical significance”. Journal of Applied Biosciences, 32 (2). 135-142. 2006a.
[12]	Dwivedi, H. D., Prasad, M. and Tripathi, P. P, “Fossil leaves belonging to the family Fabaceae and Lythraceae from the Siwalik sediments of Koilabas area, western Nepal”. Geophytology, 36 (1&2). 113-121. 2006b.
[13]	Prasad, M. and Dwivedi, H. D, “Systematic study on the leaf impressions from the Siwalik (Churia) Formation of Koilabas area, Nepal and their significance” Palaeobotanist, 56. 139-154. 2007.
[14]	Prasad, M. and Dwivedi, H. D, “Some plant megafossils from the Sub-Himalayan Zone (Middle Miocene) of western Nepal”. Journal of Palaeontological Society of India, 53 (1). 51-64. 2008.
[15]	Chandra, N. and Tripathi, P. P, “Leaf impression and palaeoscientific study of Siwalik belt of Koilabas in western Nepal: Part 1”. Palarch’s journal of archaeology of Egypt/ Egyptology, 18 (4). 8139-8157. 2021.
[16]	Sharma, C. K. “Geology of Nepal”. Mani Ram Sharma, Educational Enterprises, Kathmandu, 164. 1980.
[17]	Kumar, R. and Gupta, V. J, “Stratigraphy of Nepal Himalaya”. Contemp. Geosci. Res. in Himalaya, 161-176. 1981.
[18]	Chaudhuri, R. S, “Provenance of the Siwalik sediments of Nepal Himalaya”. Contemp. Geosci. Res. in Himalaya, 2. 85-90. 1983.
[19]	Tokuoka, T., Takayasu, K., Yoshida, M. and Hisatomi, K. “The Churia (Siwalik) Group of the Arung Khola area, west central Nepal”. Memoire Faculty Science, Shimane University, 20. 135-210. 1986.
[20]	Corvinus, G. “Litho- and biostratigraphy of the Siwalik succession in Surai Khola area, Nepal”. Palaeobotanist, 38. 293-297. 1990.
[21]	Appel, E., Rosler, W. and Corvinus, G, “Magnetostratigraphy of the Mio-Pleistocene Suraikhola Siwalik in West Nepal”. Geophy. Journ. Int, V 105. 191-198. 1991.
[22]	Quade, J., Cater, J. M. L., Ojha, T. P., Adam, J. and Harrison, T. M, “Late Miocene environmental change in Nepal and the northern Indian subcontinents. Stable Isotopic evidence from Palaeosols”. G.S.A. Bulletin, 1381-1397. 1995.
[23]	Hagen, T. “Uber den geologischen bau den Nepal Himalaya”. Jahresber Staatl. Gallen Naturwiss Gesellschaft, 76. 3-48. 1959.
[24]	Bordet, P, “Researches Geologiques dans L`. Himalaya du Nepal region du Makalu”. Cont. Nat. Del. la. Res. S. Sci. Paris, 275. 1961.
[25]	Gamble, J. S, A manual of Indian timbers. Bishan Singh Mahendra Pal Singh Publisher, Dehradun. 1972.
[26]	Champion, H. G. and Seth, S. K, A revised survey of the forest types in India. Manager of Publications, Delhi. 1968.
[27]	Prakash, U. and Tripath,i P. P, “Floral evolution and climatic changes during the Siwalik Period”. Biol. Mem, 18(1,2). 57-68. 1992.
[28]	Prasad, M, “Leaf impressions of Kayea from the Siwalik sediments (Miocene- Pliocene) of Kalagarh, India”. Tertiary Res. 14(3). 107-110. 1993.
[29]	Prasad, M., Ghosh, R. and Tripathi, P. P, “Floristic and climate during the Siwalik (Middle Miocene) near Kathgodam in the Himalayan foot hills of Uttaranchal, India”. Journal of Palaeontological Society of India, 49. 35-93. 2004.
[30]	Antal, J. S. and Awasthi, N, “Fossil flora from the Himalayan foot-hills of Darjeeling District, West Bengal and its palaeoecological and phytogeographical significance”. Palaeobotanist 42(1). 14-60. 1993.
[31]	Antal J. S. and Prasad, M, “Some more leaf-impressions from the Himalayan foot-hills of Darjeeling District, West Bengal, India”. Palaeobotanist, 43(2). 1-9. 1996.
[32]	Antal, J. S., Prasad, M. and Khare, E. G, “Fossil woods from the Siwalik sediments of Darjeeling District, West Bengal, India”. Palaeobotanist, 43(2). 98-105. 1996.
[33]	Kanjilal U. N, Kanjilal P. C, Das A. & Purkayastha C, Flora of Assam. Volume 1.  Government of Assam. 1. 1936.
[34]	Hooker, J. D. The flora of British India. 3, L. Reeve & Co. 5 Henrietta Street, Convent Garden, London, 1882.
[35]	Hooker, J. D. The flora of British India. 4, L. Reeve & Co. 5, Henrietta Street, Convent Garden, London. 1885.
[36]	Desch, H. E, Manual of Malayan timbers. Malayan Forest Record, vol-15. 1957.
[37]	Bailey, I. W. and Sinnott, E. W, “The climatic distribution of certain type of angiosperm leaves”, Am. J. Bot, 3. 24-39. 1916.
[38]	Wolf, J. A, “Palaeogene flora from the Gulf of Alaska region”, U. S. Geological Survey Open File Report, 114. 1969.
[39]	Raunkiaer, C, The life forms of plants and statistical plant geography. Oxford University Press. 632. 1934.
[40]	Givinish. T. I, “Leaf form in relation to environment: A theoretical study”. Unpublished Ph.D. Thesis. Princeton University. 467. 1976.
[41]	Dorf, E, “Palaeobotanical evidence of Mesozoic and Cenozoic climatic changes”. Proceedings of the North American palaeontological Convertion, 323-346. 1969.
[42]	Dolph, G. E. and Dilcher, D. L, “Foliar physiognomy as aid in determining palaeoclimate”. Palaeontographica 170(4-6). 151-172. 1979.
[43]	Prasad, M, “Fossil flora from the Siwalik sediments of Koilabas, Nepal”. Geophytology 19. 79-105. 1990a.
[44]	Prasad, M, “Some more leaf impressions from the Lower Siwalik beds of Koilabas, Nepal”. Palaeobotanist, 37. 299-315. 1990b.
[45]	Prasad, M., Antal, J. S. and Tiwari, V. D, “Investigation on plant fossils from Seria Naka in the Himalayan foot hills of Uttar Pradesh, India, Palaeobotanist, 46(3). 13-30. 1997.