Radiation of Flora in the Early Triassic Succeeding the End Permian Crisis: Evidences from the Gondwana Supergroup of Peninsular India

Abstract

Understanding the recovery of life and its radiation after the Permian–Triassic mass extinction event (PTME) that took place around 252.28 ± 0.08 Ma is a fascinating aspect of Earth science studies. In this backdrop, we have undertaken a study of the floral diversity based on plant macrofossils and megaspores from the late Permian and early Triassic sediments of the Gondwana Supergroup from Peninsular India. The early Triassic in Peninsular India is represented by the Panchet FormationPanchet Formation that overlies the Raniganj FormationRaniganj Formation (late Permian). The outcrops of late Permian (Raniganj Formation) and early Triassic (Panchet FormationPanchet Formation) sediments in the Tatapani-Ramkola Coalfield in Chhattisgarh State are exposed along the major rivers and their tributaries that drain the coalfield. The present work has been carried out on a Permian–Triassic section, exposed at a stream cutting (Iria Nala), in the northern part of Tatapani-Ramkola Coalfield. The macrofloral assemblageMacrofloral assemblage of the Raniganj FormationRaniganj Formation (late Permian) from the base of the outcrop is represented by Schizoneura gondwanensis, Glossopteris sp. and Vertebraria sp., whereas the overlying Panchet FormationPanchet Formation (early Triassic) yielded a moderately preserved macrofloral assemblageMacrofloral assemblage represented by Paracalamites sp., Dicroidium hughesii, D. zuberi, Desmiophyllum sp., Glossopteris angustifolia, G. communis, G. indica and scale leaf of glossopteridsGlossopterids. In addition, a megaspore assemblageMegaspore assemblage hitherto unknown from the early Triassic of Tatapani-Ramkola Coalfield is recorded herein that is represented by nine species belonging to seven genera, out of which one species is new.

Full text

      
    
   
   
         
           
           
             
           
            
          
          
            
             
         
         
   
    
          
             

        
 
   
       
           

 
          

           
            
   


     
 
          
            
             
          
           
             
            
             
     
              
             
           
          
  
            
            
             
  
            

         
           
             
            
             
    
          
           
             
         
          
            
            
            
          
           
             

         
            
          
             
         
         
        
          
          
          
          
             
            
           
        
        
         
           
  
             
              
        
           
  
              

            
           
              
             
          
          

     
         
            
             
  
          
           
       
        
          
          
         
         
             
           
           
        
          
            
         
             
           
          
             
          
     
            
           
            
             
          
            
         
         

         
           
         
             
              
            
          
           
         
           
           
           
     
               
        
             
     
            
           
        
           
         
   
   
            
              
             
            
              
           

     
 

         
              
        
             
       
            
             
             
              
  
          
          
            
       
            
           
            
              
             

     
           
              
           
          
          
           
           
           
            
              
              
          
      
           
 
       
     
 
 
 
 
 
 
    
    
          
          
           
           
             
   
  
   

         
          
          
          
          
            
 
 
 
 
 
  
   
           
          
           
           
    
           
           
          
           
            
            
        
    
         
           
            
              
     

          
            
    
          
          
           
          
             
             
 

     
    
   
          
           
            
            
              
      
 
   
    
          
           
   
             
                
           
 
 
 
 
  
        
          
    
          
             
          
              
            
            
      
         
          
          
          
          
         
               

         
   
             
   
         
            
 
  
  
  
    
   
         
   
           
          
         
         
            
           
   
        
   
       
 
  
   
  
     
  
     
     
           
        
           
             
     

     
     
      
     
        
         
           
          
           
         
            
          
            
           
    
    
  
     
     
    
         
         
          
          
  
    
   
           
            
           
           
       
          
      
    
   
  
     
      

         
       
           
          
          
             
   
       
         
        
           
             
     
  
   
    
      
       
           

           
             
          
      
        
             
  
    
      
         
          
           
          
          
           
            
             
           
          
         
          

     
       
        
             
 
      
           
         
              
             
              
             
            
          
         
        
           
          
            
         
         
         
           
           
         
        
          
         
            
            
         
 
      
        
     
     

         
          
    

 
          


          



     
   
          

          
          
   
           

    

         
            
             
              
              
            
               
            
               
             
            
             
     

     
           
            
             
             
              
           
             
            
              
             
            
             
     

         
 
           
          
         
          
           
         
         
            
          
   
       
     
    
          
           
          
           
     
      
         
            
           
            
              
         
             
          
          
               
           

               
            
            
           
            

     
         
            
            
            
  
           
           
         
    
       
        
            
           
            
             
           
            
     
            
        
 
          
          
           
           
          
          
             
           
           
 
          
            
 
         
              
            
             
            
             

          

         
             
     
 
           
              
          

           
         
         
             
      
              

 
          
            
    
            
          
             
              
               
               
           


           

            
       

     
         
      
             
         
   
              
            
             
 
             
           

      
               
      
             
  
             
  
           
        
            
   
              
   
   
              
    
           

           
   
             
    
                 
             
        
       
            
             
    
           
 

         
            
         

                
 
              


       
             
              

           
    
            
               
   
  
              
     
              
             
  
       
             
          
               
         
            
             
      
            
          
          

              
           
            
     
             

     
           
            
     
            
 
       
           
  
            
  
     
     
              
          
   
            

              
    
           
            
    
          

             
        
            
           

             

             
        
             
            
    
             
   
            
      
             
  
        
              
    

         
    
             
     
           
      
           
 
               
          
        
              
           
          
           
              
         
     
             
         
   
             
  
             
   
          
              
              
              
                
         
          
             
  
         
            
     
      
            
        
             
          
         

     
             
 
            
        
            
         
              
   
   
          

               
             
           
  
          
    
               
    
           
      
 
          
     
             
  
       
               
           
 
    
              
 
             
      
            
             
              

             
           

         
         
          
      
                
          
      
             
             
             
        
             
 
           
     
         
             
             
  
                  
    
            
      