First Record of Marine Bivalves from the Talchir Formation of the Satpura Gondwana Basin, India: Palaeobiogeographic Implications

Marine, invertebrate fossils are rarely reported from the Permian Talchir Formation of the intracontinental, Gondwana basins of Peninsular India. They are known to occur in Umaria, and Manendragarh (Rewa basin), Daltonganj and Rajhara (Daltonganj basin), and Dudhi Nala (Bokaro basin). The fossil assemblages include bivalves, brachiopods, gastropods, polyplacophora, crinoids, bryozoans, foraminifers, ostracods, conulariids, etc. The fossil localities define a roughly E-W trending linear belt along the present day river valleys of Son-Narmada-Damodar. Accordingly, the existence of a marine embayment within the Indian Peninsula along this belt during Permian time was inferred, which extended westward up to the Rewa basin. This study reveals, for the first time, occurrence of marine, invertebrate fossils within the ‘hlchir Formation of the Satpura basin, which is located further west of the presently known belt of marine fossils. The fossil assemblage of the Satpura basin includes bivalves, ostracods and foraminifers along with floral remains. In this present endeavor I describe two bivalve species: Praeundolornya subelongata Dickins, 1963 and Eurydesrna sp. juv. This finding implies that the Permian, marine embayment of the Indian Peninsula extended further west than that was so far thought to be.