Angiosperms from the Early Cretaceous sediments of India

This study presents the first report of angiosperm macrofossil assemblage from the Early Cretaceous sediments of India, containing a fruit, a spike, a petal, leaves, and an axis from the Krishna Godavari Basin. This assemblage provides clues to angiosperm evolution and ecology during the Early Cretaceous of India. The described enigmatic forms are comparable to fruits of Trapa, and palm leaves and spikes of Potamogeton. The fossil material also includes ribbon-like leaves with a small axis; fossil remains suggest affinity with the monocotyledon group and support recent morphological and molecular phylogenetic studies to establish the divergence of this group from dicotyledons, during the early Cretaceous. Fossils described in the present study suggest an affinity for an aquatic environment that appears to be ideal for some early angiosperms.Este estudo constitui o primeiro relato de assembleia de macrofósseis de angiospermas a partir dos sedimentos cretáceos iniciais da Índia. Os restos fósseis de angiospermas são preservados na forma de frutas, espigas, pétalas, folhas e eixos, que exemplificam a ocorrência explícita na bacia de Krishna Godavari. Essa assembleia fornece pistas sobre a evolução e a ecologia das durante os primeiros tempos do Cretáceo na Índia. As formas enigmáticas descritas são bem comparáveis aos frutos de Trapa, folhas de palmeira, espiga de Potamogeton. O material fóssil também inclui folhas em forma de fita com um pequeno eixo, restos fósseis sugerem afinidade com o grupo das monocotiledôneas, dão crédito aos recentes estudos filogenéticos, morfológicos e moleculares para estabelecer a divergência do grupo em relação às dicotiledôneas, no início do Cretáceo. Os fósseis descritos aqui sugerem uma afinidade por um paleoambiente aquático que parece ser ideal para algumas angiospermas primitivas

Palaeofloras from the Kota Formation, India: palaeodiversity and ecological implications

The Kota Formation of the Pranhita-Godavari Basin is well known for its fossil fauna and flora especially for its silicified woods. However, the palaeoflora and its palaeoclimatic significance within the formation are poorly known. In spite of the fact that the formation yields a rich fauna and flora chronostratigraphic problems still exist. The present study aims to analyze the palaeofloras from the Kota Formation to understand their diversity and palaeoecological significance. We also describe a new species Agathoxylon kotaense belonging to the conifer family Araucariaceae. Our study shows that the flora was dominated by conifers and that it is comparable to that of the ?Late Jurassic – Lower Cretaceous Gangapur Formation, Pranhita-Godavari Basin and that of the Rajmahal Formation of the Rajmahal hills. The growth ring pattern and leaf fossil assemblage suggest that the growth conditions were seasonal, but mostly stressed