Himalayan Cenozoic biotas and climate: an overview of recent advances

Abstract

The early Cenozoic was a turning point in the geological history of the Indian subcontinent as it was during this interval that the Indian plate collided with Asia, leading to profound changes in global climates, faunal and floral evolution, orogeny and oceanography. Later Cenozoic records include those from the well known Siwalik successions which continue to yield important data relevant to age refinements of critical horizons including those yielding fossil hominoids, as well as for our understanding of the influence of climate change on the evolution of a diverse group of vertebrates including mammals. Studies on Himalayan Neogene floras have yielded phytogeographically important data as well as valuable insights in to paleotemperature and paleoprecipitation regimes. This report presents an overview of important recent contributions on the fossil fauna and flora, paleoenvironments and paleoclimates from the Himalayan Cenozoic sedimentary sequences.