Gangapur Formation

Gangapur Formation
Stratigraphic range: Early Cretaceous
TypeGeological formation
OverliesUnconformity with the Kota Formation
Location
Coordinates19°10′N 79°16′E / 19.16°N 79.26°E / 19.16; 79.26
RegionTelangana
Country India
ExtentPranhita-Godavari Basin
Type section
Named forGangapur Village
Gangapur Formation is located in India
Gangapur Formation
Gangapur Formation (India)

The Gangapur Formation is a geological formation in Telangana, India. The Gangapur formation is Early Cretaceous in age. It forms a part of the Pranhita–Godavari Basin and overlies the Jurassic Kota Formation. The outcrops near the Gangapur village was first described in 1881 as the Gangapur beds.[1] In 1969, the area was instituted as the Gangapur Formation. It was also determined that the Gangapur Formation extends from north of Nowgaon (Lat. 19°20’N; Long. 79°24’E) to the west of Gangapur (Lat. 19°16’N; Long. 79°26’E) and in the east up to Dharmaram and Paikasigudem.[2] Fossils of Plants have been found in large quantities in the formation.

Stratigraphy

The Gangapur Formation was laid down sometime in the Early Cretaceous due to renewed rift activity.[3] The rocks of the formation are composed of coarse ferruginous sandstone interrupted with pebble bands succeeded by an alternating sequence of sandstones and mudstones or silty mudstone. Both the Gangapur Formation and the Chikiala Formation overlie the Kota formation however their exact relationships are uncertain. This uncertainty is partly due to the lack of fossils from the Chikiala Formation. It is possible that the Gangapur Formation is older than the Chikiala Formation[4][5] or that they are both of the same age.[6][7][8]

Fossil content

Plant megafossils are common in the Gangapur Formation, dominated by the Coniferales.[8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]

Color key
Taxon Reclassified taxon Taxon falsely reported as present Dubious taxon or junior synonym Ichnotaxon Ootaxon Morphotaxon
Notes
Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; crossed out taxa are discredited.

Megaflora

Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Notes Images
Taeniopteris T. kutchensis[8] Ralpet, Rampur and Peddavagu. Leaves. Cycad also known from the Bhuj Formation.
T. spatulata[8] Rampur, Butarmal Nala and

Peddavagu.

Leaves Cycad also known from the Rajmahal Traps.[16]
T. sp.[8] Rampur, Nowgaon and Peddavagu. Leaves Cycad similar to T.sp from Antarctica.
Cycadites[9] C.sp. Cycad.
Ptilophyllum P. cutchense[8][14][9] Rampur and Nowgaon. Leaves. Bennettitales.
P. acutifolium[8][14][9] Rampur and Peddavagu. Leaves. Bennettitales. Resembles P. acutifolium from the Raghavapuram Formation.
P. rarinervis[8][17][18] Butarmal Nala. Leaves. Bennettitales. Originally referred to as Otozamites rarinervis.[19]
cf. P. distans[8] Butarmal Nala. Leaves. Bennettitales. Resembles P. distans.
P. distans[14] Butarmal Nala. Leaves. Bennettitales.
?Anomozamites[9] ?A. sp Nowgaon. Leaves. Bennettitales.
Elatocladus E. confertus[8][9] Ralpet, Rampur, Nowgaon,

Butarmal Nala and Peddavagu.

Leaves. Coniferales. Very common in the Gangapur Formation.
E. sehoraensis[8] Ralpet and Butarmal Nala. Leaves. Coniferales. Also known from the Jabalpur Formation.
cf. E. bosei[8] Ralpet and Butarmal Nala. Leaves. Coniferales. Comparable to E. bosei of the Jabalpur Formation.
E. andhrensis[8] Ralpet, Nowgaon and Peddavagu. Leaves. Coniferales. Specimens belonging to this species were also registered as E. confertus[9] and E. heterophylla.[20]
E. sp[9] Nowgaon and Peddavagu. Leaves. Coniferales.
E. kingianus[9] Cave Temple. Leaves. Coniferales.
Pagiophyllum[8] P. marwarensis Rampur. Leaves. Coniferales. Also known from the Jabalpur Formation.
P. rewaensis Peddavagu. Leaves. Coniferales. Also known from the Jabalpur Formation.
?Cladophlebis[9] ?C. sp Peddavagu. Leaves. Fern.
Gleichenia[9] G. nordenskioildii Nowgaon. Leaves. Fern.
?Gleichenia[9] G. sp Nowgaon. Leaves. Fern.
Coniferocaulon[9] C. sp. Peddavagu and quarry north of the Cave Temple. Leaves. Coniferales. Also known from the Jabalpur Formation.
cf. C. rajmahalense

References

  1. ^ King W. 1881. The geology of the Pranhita-Godavari Valley. Mem. Geol. Surv. India 18(3): 151-311.
  2. ^ Kutty T. S. 1969. Some contributions to the stratigraphy of the Upper Gondwana Formations of the Pranhita-Godavari Valley, central India. J. geol. Soc. India. 10(1): 33-48.
  3. ^ Biswas, S. K. (2003-03-01). "Regional tectonic framework of the Pranhita–Godavari basin, India". Journal of Asian Earth Sciences. Geology of the Pranhita-Godavari Valley, India. 21 (6): 543–551. doi:10.1016/S1367-9120(02)00145-1. ISSN 1367-9120.
  4. ^ Raiverman V., Rao M. R. & Pal D. 1985. Stratigraphy and structure of the Pranhita-Godavari Graben. Petrol. Asia J. 8(2): 174-189.
  5. ^ Lakshminarayana G. 1996. Stratigraphy and structural framework of the Gondwana sediments in the Pranhita-Godavari Valley, Andhra Pradesh. Gondwana Nine (1), Geol. Surv. India: 311- 330.
  6. ^ Rudra D. K. 1982. Upper Gondwana stratigraphy and sedimentation in the Pranhita-Godavari valley, India. Quart. Jour. Geol. Min. Metall. Soc. India 54: 56-79.
  7. ^ "Gondwana Sequence of the northern Pranhita-Godavari Valley: its stratigraphy and vertebrate faunas | Journal of Palaeosciences". 2022-08-17. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n https://www.researchgate.net/publication/269109738_GYMNOSPERM_FOSSILS_FROM_THE_GANGAPUR_FORMATION_EARLY_CRETACEOUS_OF_ADILABAD_DISTRICT_Gymnosperm_fossils_from_the_Gangapur_Formation_Early_Cretaceous_of_Adilabad_District_Telangana_India
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m http://14.139.63.228:8080/pbrep/bitstream/123456789/978/1/PbV30N2_121.pdf
  10. ^ Ramakrishna H. & Muralidhar Rao G. 1986. Pterophyllum medlicottianum from the Gangapur Formation of Andhra Pradesh. Curr. Sci. 55(23): 1199-1200
  11. ^ Ramakrishna H. & Muralidhar Rao G. 1991. Conites sripermaturensis from the Gangapur Formation, A. P. J. Swamy. Bot. Cl. 8(3&4): 113-114
  12. ^ Muralidhar Rao G. & Ramakrishna H.1988. Torreyites sitholeyi, a new record from the Gangapur Formation of Andhra Pradesh. Curr. Sci. 57(4): 203-204
  13. ^ Lakshminarayana G. & Kutumba Rao N. 1988. A note on the occurrence of Ptilophyllum fl ora from the Chintalapudi subbasin, Pranhita-Godavari Valley, Khammam District, Andhra Pradesh. J. geol. Soc. India 32(2): 137-142
  14. ^ a b c d Sukh-Dev & Rajanikanth A. 1988. The Gangapur: fossil fl ora and stratigraphy. Geophytology 18(1): 1-27
  15. ^ Rajanikanth A. 1996. Palaeobotany of Mesozoic Gondwana sediments of Pranhita-Godavari Basin. Gondwana Nine (1), Geol. Surv. India: 425-438
  16. ^ "Cycadophytic leaves from Jurassic - Lower Cretaceous rocks of India | Journal of Palaeosciences". 2023-12-06. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  17. ^ Bose M. N. & Kasat M. L. 1972. The genus Ptilophyllum in India. Palaeobotanist 19(2): 115-145.
  18. ^ https://eurekamag.com/research/006/869/006869186.php
  19. ^ Feistmantel O. 1879. The fossil fl ora of the Upper Gondwanas. Outliers on the Madras Coast. Mem. Geol. Surv. India, Palaeont. Indica, Ser.2, 1(4):191-224
  20. ^ Pal A. K., Datta P. M., Basu P. K., Shome S. & Ghosh S. C. 1988. Cone bearing shoots of Elatocladus Halle from Gangapur Formation (Lower Cretaceous) of Andhra Pradesh, India. Curr. Sci. 57(3): 141-142.