Freshwater ostracoda from the (?) palaeocene-age deccan intertrappean beds of Lalitpur (Uttar Pradesh), India

Abstract

A fairly diverse freshwater ostracod assemblage comprising 14 species has been recovered for the first time from the Deccan intertrappean beds at Papro, near Lalitpur (U.P.), on the eastern fringe of the Deccan Traps volcanic province of peninsular India. The probable Palaeocene age (based on palynomorphs) of the Lalitpur locality makes this intertrappean section potentially important in addressing the issue of faunal survivorship in fresh water aquatic systems across the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary in the Deccan. The Lalitpur assemblage includes Gomphocythere akalypton, G paucisulcatus, Mongolianella cylindrica, M. suharcuata, Cypridopsis hyperectyphos, Cypridopsis sp., E. ucypris intervolcanus, E. catantion, E. sp., Zonocypris spirula, Frambocythere tumiensis, Cypria cyrtonidion, cf. Paracypretta elizabethae and Cyprois rostellum. While this diversity may further increase with additional investigations, the recorded assemblage from Lalitpur significantly shows a striking similarity to ostracod faunas previously documented from a number of Maastrichtian intertrappean localities in the Deccan volcanic province. If the Palaeocene age of the Lalitpur section is correct, then it is apparent that freshwater ostracods were not significantly affected, at least qualitatively, by the initiation of Deccan volcanic activity, a situation that is reminiscent of some other groups of freshwater organisms, particularly molluscs.