Floristic, age and stratigraphical position of fossiliferous band in Chitra mine area, Saharjuri Outlier, Deogarh coalfield, Bihar

Abstract

The Saharjuri Outlier is one of the three coal-bearing areas in the Deogarh Coalfield. There have been doubts about the age and stratigraphical position of these beds. A recent collection of plant megafossils from Chitra Mine Area in the Saharjuri Outlier shows the presence of Gangamopteris maheshwarii sp. nov., Gangamopteris obovata Carruthers, Glossopteris deogarhensis sp. nov. Glossopteris linearis Feistmantel, Glossopteris decipiens Feistmantel, Noeggerathiopsis conspicua Lele & Makada, Noeggerathiopsis saharjuriensis sp. nov, Noeggerathiopsis bihariensis sp. nov., Cordaicarpus sp., Samaropsis sp. and Vertebraria indica Royle, Overall assemblage is characteristically basal Barakar in composition, having close similarity to some of the known assemblages from the Karharbari "Formation"/"Stage" (Noeggerathiopsis - Gangamopteris Assemblage Zone).