Palynodating of Subsurface Strata from the Katol Block, Wardha Basin, Maharashtra, India: Age and their Potential for Biostratigraphic Correlation

The palynology of the Permian deposits of the Barren Measures Formation from bore–core DDMKJ–01 located in the Jalalkheda area, Katol Block, Nagpur District, Wardha Basin, India, is carried out to establish the age and floral diversity. The borehole is intersected through the Late Permian Barren Measures Formation (Guadalupian). The palynological investigation reveals a Gondisporites raniganjensis palynoassemblage, suggesting Late Permian (Lopingian) age for the studied bore–core strata. Identified assemblage shows the dominance of striate bisaccate pollen, Striatopodocarpites and Faunipollenites (=Protohaploxypinus) together with the occurrence of stratigraphically important palynotaxa, such as Guttulapollenites hannonicus, Densipollenites spp. (D. invisucus, D. densus, D. indicus), Lunatisporites cancelosus, Alisporites grobus, Weylandites circularis, Microfoveolatispora raniganjensis, Callumispora gretensis, Striomonosaccites ovatus, Striasulcites tectus, Verticipollenites oblongus, Crescentipollenites fuscus and Klausipollenites schaubergeri. The age of the studied section is also inferred based on correlation with coeval palynoassemblages across Southern Gondwana (Africa, Antarctica, Argentina, Australia, South America) and Northern Gondwana (Oman, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Turkey and East Africa). The identified palynoassemblage is more similar to Southern Gondwana. The palynoassemblage reveals the dominance of Glossopteridales followed by Filicales, Peltaspermales, Cordaitales, and Coniferales groups, comprising 22 genera and 34 species.