African elements (fossil woods) from the upper Cenozoic sediments of western India and their palaeoecological and phytogeographical significance

Abstract

Shukla, A., Mehrotra, R.C. & Guleria, J.S. iFirst article. African elements (fossil woods) from the upper Cenozoic sediments of western India and their palaeoecological and phytogeographical significance. Alcheringa, 1–20. ISSN 0311-5518. Fossil woods resembling tropical African taxa are described from late Neogene–Pleistocene sediments of western India. They resemble the extant representatives of Baphia Afzel., Brachystegia Benth., Erythrophleum Afzel. (Fabaceae), Entandrophragma C. DC., Khaya A. Juss. (Meliaceae) and Milicia Sim (Moraceae). The discovery of these taxa indicates the invasion of African elements into the Indian subcontinent during the Plio-Pleistocene and palaeogeographic connections between the two continents. All these genera include both evergreen and deciduous representatives and grow mainly in the tropical forests of Africa. On this basis, the presence of semi-evergreen to deciduous forest is inferred in western India during the Neogene in contrast to the semi-arid to arid climate with xeric vegetation occupying parts of Rajasthan and Gujarat (western India) at present. A sub-tropical to tropical climate is also supported by the woods' physiognomic features. Two new species, including one new genus are added to the fossil assemblage of western India. Anumeha Shukla [anu_bsip@yahoo.co.in], R.C. Mehrotra [rcmehrotra@yahoo.com], Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany, 53 University Road, Lucknow-226007, India; J.S. Guleria, C-2488, Aravali Marg, Indira Nagar, Lucknow-220016, India. Received 5.1.2012, revised 12.4.2012, accepted 24.4.2012.