Early Middle Miocene Radiolaria from Nicobar Islands, Northeast Indian Ocean

Abstract

In the tropical Northeast Indian Ocean, Neogene sediments of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands belong to a deep water marine facies rich in Radiolaria. Within the Nicobar group of islands, moderately rich radiolarian assemblages from Nancowry and Kamorta islands have been studied. One-hundred-twenty species belonging to the Dorcadospyris alata Zone ( approximately 15-13 Ma) are herein reported and illustrated. This is the first detailed record of Early Middle Miocene radiolarian taxa from land-based sections of Andaman-Nicobar Islands and it is hoped that it will provide a database for comparative studies between the tropical radiolarian faunas of the Pacific and Indian oceans.