Benthic foraminifera from Black Limestone Member, Habo Formation, Habo Dome, Kutch, India: age and palaeoecologic implications

Abstract

Black Limestone Member of the Habo Formation exposed in Habo Dome, Kutch, yielded foraminiferal assemblages comprising 29 species, dominated by the family Vaginulinidae. A systematic account of 12 species, being reported for the first time from the Indian subcontinent, is presented. The foraminiferal assemblages are employed for determination of age and depositional environment of the Black Limestone Member. The assemblages suggest a Bathonian age for the exposed sequence of Black Limestone Member in Habo Dome. These rocks appear to have been deposited in shallow water, open marine environment fluctuating between mid to outer shelf regions and having normal salinity and normal to high dissolved oxygen levels, as indicated by the foraminiferal assemblages.