The circumscription of palynomorphs depends on our understanding of “character states”. In time, a character appears, distinguishes itself and proliferates. This paper attempts to delineate certain important characters found in palynomorphs of the Permian sequence of India, which commenced with a glaciogenic event followed by warm humid climate and terminated in relatively cooler and dry condition. The intervening time of c. 40 Ma witnessed a gradual amelioration of the climate which resulted in the proliferation of the Glossopteris flora. An analysis of some important characters of palynomorphs revealed major trends of diversification. The simple girdling monosaccate organization, as in Plicatipollenites, Parasaccites, and Virkkipollenites, was prevalent in the Early Asselian Lower Talchir Formation. Subsequently, during the Upper Talchir and Lower Karharbari Formations, varied architectures evolved in the mode of saccus attachment and its symmetry (such as in Crucisaccites, Divarisaccus, and Stellapollenites), although the basic plan of morphology remained monosaccate. Bisaccate pollen with simple striations (e.g. Crescentipollenites) also appeared in the Lower Talchir Formation. Certain characteristic features, such as vertical partitions and reticuloid arrangements of striations, appeared subsequently in the forms with basic bisaccate organization and are recognised in Rhizomaspora, Lahirites, and Verticipollenites. Taeniate morphology (as in Lueckisporites) first appeared at the top of the Karharbari Formation, followed by Lunatisporites in the Raniganj Formation and proliferated in the Lower Triassic Panchet Formation. The upper part of the Talchir and Lower Karharbari Formations became distinct by the advent of several spore morphologies, such as zona (in Indotriradites), cingulum (in Dentatispora), and the trilete apparatus expension imitating the saccus (sub-infraturma Varitrileti). All these characters are considered as dispersal aiding morphologies. Other trends of diversification through time (such as increasing variation of ornamentation and their differential distribution) appeared in Microbaculispora, Brevitriletes, Microfoveolatispora, and Didecitriletes. The analysis of palyno-assemblages based on evolutionary character states holds a high potential for precise biostratigraphy.
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