Reworked Permian palynofossils from Bhuban Formation (Early Miocene) of Tripura, India

Abstract

Palynological investigations were carried out from the sediments of Bhuban Formation, Amarpur area, located on the southern part of Tripura. The assemblage consists of a large number of marker pollen/spores of Miocene age, comprising pteridophytic spores, angiosperm and gymnosperm pollen and fungal remains. Besides these, an abundance of reworked Permian palynomorphs of Gondwanan affinity have been recorded which include Acanthotriletes, Jayantisporites, Barakarites, Parasaccites, Plicatipollenites, Densipollenites, Scheuringipollenites, Faunipollenites, Alisporites, Primuspollenites, Klausipollenites, etc. The recovered palynoassemblage is dominated by Parasaccites and subdominated by Plicatipollenites. From bottom to top, the monosaccates appear to decline and the striate and non–striate disaccates become dominant. The Gondwana sediments were eroded, transported and redeposited within the Miocene sediments in a shallow sea adjacent to a densely vegetated land mass. The implications of the reworked Permian palynofossils in the Miocene sediments of Tripura has been discussed.