STUDY OF MICROFAUNA FROM THE DECCAN INTERTRAPPEAN BED AT SHIRAJ WELL, MOHGAONKALAN AREA, DISTRICT CHHINDWARA, MADHYA PRADESH STATE, CENTRAL INDIA

Abstract

The Deccan volcanic province is one of the largest flood basalt provinces of the world and it has drawn much attention from scientists the world over during the last tvvo decades. Since the Deccan volcanism is widely considered to be one of the factors responsible for the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary (K-T boundary) extinctions, aspects relating to the exact timing of the volcanic activity and the ecosystems and paleoenvironments during the volcanic episode are of great interest because of their implications for our understanding of the consequences of volcanism for the contemporary life. The present dissertation is the• first attempt to recover and study the microfauna from the intertrappean beds of Shiraj well section near Mohagaonkalan, Chhindwara district (MP). It deals with the age and paleoenvironmental conditions. Maceration of samples led to the recovery of 4 species of ostracods, of which one is possibly new. Associated fossils include dinosaur eggshell. Gastropods.Based on the recovered fauna, a late cretaceous (Maastrichtian) age and a freshwater, lacustrine environment of deposition is suggested for the studied intertrappean