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A Late Cretaceous fossil flora composed of five fossil seed genera and two charophyte genera was discovered and reported here from the siltstone and green marl band of the Lameta Formation at the Chui Hill section and the Chhota Simla Hill section in the Jabalpur area. On the basis of comparative studies, including thin-section and XRD analysis, the palaeoenvironment is deduced to be arid to semi-arid fluvial-lacustrine. The recovered flora suggests Laurasian palaeobiogeographic affinity and shows the dispersal route from Europe to India via Africa.

Recently, four coexisted titanosaurs from latest Maastrichtian Vitakri Lameta Formation of Indo-Pakistan are recognized as Isisaurus and Pakisaurus of large-sized slender pakisaurids, Saraikimasoom and Gspsaurus of the smallest and medium sized transversely stocky gspsaurids. Gspsaurus pakistani based on associated skull (with conical teeth tapering gradually from base to tip), vertebral and appendicular elements found from Alam 19 locality of Vitakri area, Barkhan district, Balochistan, Pakistan, South Asia. Gspsaurus bears sufficient skeletal elements and can be used for evolutionary studies.

Induszalim bala is the first diagnostic mesoeucrocodile from Indo-Pakistan subcontinent having rostrum articulated with dentary symphysis and associated vertebrae and limb bones and provides facility for comparison with other mesoeucrocodiles. Induszalim is a medium to large sized mesoeucrocodile found in the latest Maastrichtian Vitakri Lameta Formation of Fort Munro Group just below Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary line. Induszalim has sufficient skeletal elements and can be used for phylogenetic studies. Induszalim shows Gondwanan paleobiogeographic affinity with some endemic elements.

Background Jainemys pisdurensis comb. nov. is an extinct pleurodiran turtle from the Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) of India, previously referred to Carteremys and Shweboemys. The holotype, an eroded skull, had been collected near the village of Pisdura, south of Nagpur, in Maharashtra State, while all referred shell material originates from coeval sediments exposed at the nearby village of Dongargaon. Initial estimates believed this turtle to either be an early representative of Podocnemididae or a basal representative of Pelomedusoides. Methods We here figure and describe all specimens that had previously been referred to Jainemys pisdurensis comb. nov. We furthermore re-evaluate the validity of this fossil turtle and explore its phylogenetic relationships within Pleurodira. Results The holotype of Jainemys pisdurensis comb. nov. displays a morphology that differs substantially from that originally reported. Most notably, the palatines only have a minor contribution to the broad triturating surfaces but have a broad midline contact with each other, the pterygoids only have a midline contact of intermediate length and do not contact the opisthotics posteriorly, the basisphenoid is broad and short, and the opisthotics do not contribute to the flooring of the cavum acustico-jugulare. The referred shell material also displays a morphology different from that reported originally, in particular in that vertebral I does not contribute to the anterior margin of the carapace while the nuchal does. Phylogenetic analysis places the cranial material within the bothremydid clade Kurmademydini, while the shell material is placed in an unresolved polytomy at the base of this clade. Jainemys pisdurensis is confirmed to be a valid species of pleurodiran turtle, but the high diversity of coeval kurmademydines in India demands removal of the postcranial remains from this taxon. The realization that all valid species of Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) turtles from India form a clade supports the hypothesis that India was physically separated from the rest of Gondwana at this time.

This chapter summarizes the record of dinosaur (skeletal and nests) studies in India from 1828 to 2020. For the last 180 years, strata of the Lameta Formation have been extensively studied for fossil dinosaurs. The first dinosaur skeletal remains were excavated by Captain Sleeman from the Jabalpur area (in Matley, Rec Geol Surv India 53:142–164, 1921) and, subsequently, fragmentary remains of Titanosaurus were recorded by Lydekker (Rec Geol Surv India: 10:30–43, 1877; Rec Geol Surv India XXIII(1):20–24, 1890a; Proc Zool Soc 1890:602–604, 1890b). Medlicott (Mem. Geol Surv India 2:1–95, 1860) introduced the term Lameta Formation for the rocks lying on the right bank of the Narbada River, 15 km south-west of the Jabalpur at Lameta Ghat. British (Matley, Rec Geol Surv India 53:142–164, 1921; Huene and Matley, Mem Geol Surv India Palaeontol Indica 21(1):1–72, 1933) and American geologists (Wilson et al. Contrib Mus Paleontol Univ Michigan 33(1):1–27, 2019) discovered numerous sauropod skeletal remains from the Bara Simla Hill and Chhota Simla Hill areas at Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh). The Indian Late Cretaceous theropods are largely typified by fragmentary skeletal remains of coelurosaurs, abelisaurids and allosaurids (Huene and Matley, Mem Geol Surv India Palaeontol Indica 21(1):1–72, 1933; Chatterjee, J Paleontol 52(3):570–580, 1978; Wilson et al., Univ Michigan 31:1–42, 2003; Novas et al. 2010). Chatterjee (J Paleontol 52(3):570–580, 1978) reported a megalosaurid (Indosaurus) and a very primitive tyrannosaurid (Indosuchus) at Bara Simla Hill, Jabalpur. Dinosaur eggs were first reported from the Lameta Formation of Gujarat (Mohabey 1983), and subsequently numerous discoveries were made from Jabalpur, Districts Dhar and Jhabua, Madhya Pradesh, and the Kheda-Panchmahal area and Chandrapur districts of Maharashtra (Srivastava et al. 1986; Sahni and Tripathi, Cretaceous event stratigraphy and the correlation of the Indian nonmarine strata. A Seminar cum Workshop IGCP 216 and 245, Chandigarh, pp 35–37, 1990; Sahni and Khosla, Cretaceous System in East and SouthEast Asia. Research Summary, Newsletter Special Issue IGCP 350, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan, pp 53–61, 1994a; Aspects of Sauropod Palaeobiology GAIA, pp 215–223, 1994b, Curr Sci 67(6):456–460, 1994c; Khosla and Sahni, J Palaeont Soc India 45:57–78, 1995; J Asi Earth Sci 21(8):895–908, 2003; Vianey-Liaud et al., J Vert Paleontol 23(3):575–585, 2003; Fernandez and Khosla, Hist Biol 27(2):158–180, 2015; Khosla, Acta Geol Pol 64(3):311–323, 2014; Khosla, Hist Biol:1–12, 2019, etc.). Apart from dinosaurs, the Lameta Formation and intertrappean beds have been extensively studied for other fossilized biotic elements such as crocodiles, turtles, lizards, frogs, mammals, coprolites, ostracods, charophytes, gastropods, pollens, phytoliths, diatoms, etc. (Matley, Rec Geol Surv India 74:535–547, 1939; Khosla and Sahni, J Asi Earth Sci 21(8):895–908, 2003; Ghosh et al., Cret Res 24:743–750, 2003; Vianey-Liaud et al., J Vert Paleontol 23(3):575–585, 2003; Fernandez and Khosla, Hist Biol 27(2):158–180, 2015; Khosla, Hist Biol:1–12, 2019; Kapur and Khosla 2016, 2019, etc.). The presence of the above-mentioned biota indicates a Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) age, and the Lameta Formation has been considered as deposits of fluvial and pedogenically modified, semi-arid fan, palustrine flat deposits.

The fossil record of dinosaurs from India provides a highly significant contribution to understanding the origin and evolution of dinosaurs and their paleobiogeographic significance. As India rifted from Gondwana and drifted northwards during the age of dinosaurs, the mobile episode in Indian geology provides a unique opportunity to study the diversity of dinosaurs in time and space. The dinosaurs from the Gondwana and post-Gondwana sediments of India have been collected and studied since their discovery in the 1920s, but the full range of their significance and evolutionary history remained fragmentary. After the independence of India, a renaissance arose in the study of dinosaurs at the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) under the leadership of Pamela Robinson, as more and more dinosaur skeletons were discovered from different localities. This exploration by ISI paleontologists represented a pivotal moment in the history of vertebrate paleontology in India and became a starting point for a remarkable increase in our knowledge of Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous dinosaur faunas. It inspired a new generation of students working under Ashok Sahni’s direction at Panjab University to engage in the Cretaceous research. This paper offers an updated and comprehensive review of the anatomy, systematics, and evolution of Indian dinosaurs within historical, paleobiogeographic, and paleoecologic contexts. The occurrence of Indian dinosaurs is currently restricted to central and southern India, and the record extends across all three Mesozoic periods. It is generally regarded that dinosaurs originated in the Late Triassic Period in Argentina, about 230 million years ago. However, Alwalkeria, a theropod discovered in the Lower Maleri Formation of India, was contemporaneous with the oldest Argentinean dinosaurs. Similarly, Barapasaurus from the Early Jurassic Kota Formation is considered as one of the oldest, gigantic sauropod dinosaurs with a quadrupedal pose. The Late Triassic and Early Jurassic dinosaurs of India are diverse and document their early radiation. With the breakup of Gondwana, India began to disintegrate and drifted northwards, carrying its dinosaur fauna like a passenger ship, until it collided with the Oman-Kohistan-Ladakh Arc in the Late Cretaceous, forming a biotic corridor to Africa and Europe. The Late Cretaceous dinosaurs from the Lameta Formation, consisting of several species of titanosaurs and abelisaurs, provide intimate documentation of the last ‘geologic minutes’ before their extinction. Along with dinosaur bones, the largest titanosaurid hatchery is known from the Lameta Formation, extending for more than 1,000 km. Most egg clutches contain about 10 to 12 spherical eggs ranging in diameter from 15 to 20 cm. Surprisingly, these eggs were empty, showing no signs of embryos, perhaps indicating hatching failure during some environmental crisis. At the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary, India was ground zero for two catastrophic events—the Shiva impact and Deccan volcanism—both linked to dinosaur extinction. The combination of twin asteroid impacts (Chicxulub and Shiva), with prolonged Deccan volcanism created an unprecedented and ultimately catastrophic environmental crisis across the globe, triggering the end-Cretaceous mass extinction.

The dinosaur-egg-rich Lameta Formation is widely distributed over 10,000 km and varies in thickness from 3 to 12 m and is well exposed in five inland basins: (1) Jabalpur; (2) Dhar and Jhabua Districts; (3) Salbardi-Belkhar, Betul district, Madhya Pradesh; (4) Kheda–Panchmahal district, Gujarat; and (5) Pisdura, Nand–Dongargaon, Chandrapur District in Maharashtra. The Lameta Formation represents the relict of an ancient soil cover formed on several old shield basements such as Archaeans, Aravalli metasediments, Godhra Granites, Bijawar metamorphics, Vindhyans, Gondwanas and Bagh Beds, ranging in age from Precambrian to Lower Cretaceous, in peninsular India along the Narbada River region. In the Jabalpur area, three sections, namely Chui Hill, Bara Simla Hill (including Pat Baba Mandir) and Lameta Ghat, were selected for dinosaur egg and eggshell studies. The Lameta Formation has been divided into five lithounits: (1) Green Sandstone, (2) Lower Limestone, (3) Mottled Nodular Bed, (4) Upper Limestone and (5) Upper Sandstone. Thickness of the Lameta Formation varies from 3 to 5 m in the Dhar-Jhabua area. Six lithostratigraphic sections (Bagh Caves, Padalya, Dholiya, Padiyal, Kadwal, Walpur and Kulwat) were selected for dinosaur eggshell morphotaxonomic studies. Stratigraphically, the oldest lithounit is represented by the Bijawar metamorphics of Archean age as a basement, which is overlain by the marine Bagh Beds such as the Nimar Sandstone, Nodular Limestone and Coralline Limestone. In the Kheda-Panchmahal area, six Lameta sections (Rahioli, Dhuvediya, Khempur, Balasinor, Paori, Dholidhanti/Wanawao) were studied for dinosaur eggshell oospecies diversity. The basement rocks are Aravalli metasediments and Godhra granitoids, which are unconformably overlain by the 3–5 m thick, dinosaur-nest-rich Lameta Formation. The uppermost part of the Lameta Formation is characterized by cherty limestone. Abundant ornithoid eggshells have been recorded from 2-m-thick third and fourth intertrappean levels of the Anjar area in Gujarat. In Pisdura, Nand–Dongargaon area, the thickness of the dinosaur-eggshell-rich Lameta Formation varies from 1to 11 m. The Lameta Formation rests unconformably on rocks of Precambrian age and the Gondwana Super Group. In all of the 22 investigated stratigraphic sections, the Lameta Formation is overlain by the Deccan traps. The dinosaur-egg-bearing pedogenic calcrete is characterized by features such as shrinkage cracks, rhizoconcretionary structures and nodular, prismatic, brecciated and autobrecciated structures. The petrographic study of these calcretes identifies fabrics with a high percentage of skeleton grains, micritic and spar rims, glaebules, voids, vugs, crystallaria and chalcedony spherulites that can be chiefly ascribed to pedogenic calcretization.

Indian Late Cretaceous dinosaur nests, eggs and eggshell fragments have been widely recorded from the infra- and intertrappean sediments, which are distributed along the eastern, northeastern, northwestern margins, southern and southeastern margins of the Deccan Traps. This work was undertaken to bring detailed information for the first detailed descriptions of dinosaur nesting sites of peninsular India. This chapter records field and laboratory studies of dinosaurian eggs embedded in Lameta Formation and eggshells in intertrappean beds intercalated between the Deccan traps. The dinosaur eggs and eggshell-bearing localities have been divided into seven sectors (Jabalpur, Dhar, Jhabua in Madhya Pradesh; Anjar, Kheda and Panchmahal in Gujarat; and Pisdura in Maharashtra). The dinosaur-egg-rich Lameta Formation is variable and shows its thickest development (45 m) at Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. It is 20 m thick in the Panchmahal and Kheda Districts of the Gujarat, 4–5 m thick in the Jhabua and Dhar Districts of Madhya Pradesh and 1–11 m thick at Pisdura and Nand-Dongargaon (Chandrapur District, Maharashtra). Fossil collections were made during 19 field trips from 1991 through 2020, and a total of 22 stratigraphic successions containing dinosaur nests have been selected for the present study. Detailed investigations were carried out to elucidate the morphotaxonomy, taphonomy and petrography, and the palaeoenvironmental, palaeoecological, biostratigraphical and palaeobiogeographical implications of the dinosaur-bearing Lameta Formation.

We report here Pelomedusoides turtle remains found in the Late Cretaceous deposits of peninsular India. Previously reported from the Upper Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) strata such as the intertrappean beds of Bombay and Kachchh (western India), Raibasa and Kisalpuri (central India), infratrappean Lameta Formation (Pisdura) (central India) and the Kallamedu Formation (southeastern India), and also Early Albian – Middle Turonian beds of the Karai Formation (southeastern India), the new material from the intertrappean beds of Upparhatti (Karnataka state), represents the first record of turtles from southwestern India. It is compared with the previous Cretaceous discoveries from India, which are also reviewed here. The Maastrichtian turtle fauna of India is rich with about nine taxa of Bothremydidae but lacks members of Podocnemididae. The turtle fauna of Upparhatti, consisting of shell, limb, few skull and neck elements, represents about three indeterminate taxa at genus and species level. An analysis of all the Cretaceous turtle taxa of India provided us with an opportunity to review the turtle paleobiogeography in the context of Africa – Madagascar – India land connections.

The morphostructural diversity of Indian, French and Argentinean eggshells has been compared and reviewed in great detail and a serious attempt has been made to evaluate their parataxonomy. Indian and French eggshell oospecies show a close resemblance between five Indian and four French oospecies (Megaloolithus khempurensis = M. siruguei; Megaloolithus jabalpurensis = M. mamillare; M. cylindricus = M. siruguei and M. microtuberculata; Fusioolithus padiyalensis = M. microtuberculata; F. baghensis = M. pseudomamillare). Examination of four oospecies from India and Argentina uncovers three groupings, which show similarity between megaloolithids and fusioolithids of the two continents (Fusioolithus baghensis = Patagoolithus salitralensis; Megaloolithus megadermus = Tipo 1e; M. cylindricus = Tipo 1d; M. jabalpurensis = Tipo 1e). The biomineralization aspects of Indian eggshells or any calcified tissue with dental enamel have been compared and studied at four levels (crystallite, unit, morphostructural and megascopic levels). The dinosaur nests, eggs and eggshell fragments are found to be diagenetically altered by calcite recrystallization (herringbone pattern) and chertified silica, which has been commonly noticed in the pores and pore canals.

This report highlights the record of clay minerals from the Lameta Formation of a new locality of central India. A 9-m thick argillaceous column represented by various shades of grayish-greenish-brownish-yellowish coloured clay to silty-clay has been investigated. The clay has been separated from the host sediment by pipette method which has been further subjected to XRD analysis. The peaks identified are of palygorskite, sepiolite, illite, montmorillonite and kaolinite. The assemblage is interpreted to be a product of arid to semi-arid climatic condition due to weathering of pre-existing rocks. The depositional site also shows the possibility of short term marine incursion.

This study presents geochemical characteristics of glauconites in estuarine deposits within the Maastrichtian Lameta Formation in central India. Resting conformably over the Bagh Group, the Lameta Formation consists of ∼4–5 m thick arenaceous, argillaceous and calcareous green sandstones underlying the Deccan Traps. The sandstone is friable, medium- to coarse-grained, well-sorted and thoroughly cross-stratified, and contains marine fossils. Detailed petrography, spectroscopy and mineral chemistry indicates unique chemical composition of glauconite with high K2O, MgO, Al2O3 and moderate TFe2O3. Glauconite is formed by the replacement of K-feldspars, initially as stringers in the cleavages and fractures of feldspars. Incipient glauconite subsequently evolves fully, appearing as pellets. Fully-evolved glauconite pellets often leave tiny relics of K-feldspar. XRD exhibits characteristic peak of 10 Å from basal (001) reflection of glauconite, indicating the “evolved” character. The K2O content of glauconites in the Lameta Formation varies from 5.51% to 8.29%, corroborating the “evolved” to “highly-evolved” maturation stage. The TFe2O3 content of glauconite varies from 12.56% to 18.90%. The PASS-normalized-REE patterns of glauconite exhibit a “hat-shape” confirming the authigenic origin of glauconites. The slightly-negative to slightly-positive Ce anomaly value and the moderate TFe2O3 content of glauconite agree well with a suboxic, estuarine condition. The replacement of K-feldspar by the glauconite contributes towards the high K2O content. Compositional evolution of glauconites in the Lameta Formation is similar to those observed in many Precambrian sedimentary sequences. Keywords: Glauconite, Estuary, Mineral chemistry, Cerium anomaly, Redox condition, Lameta Formation, Narmada Basin

In the past, fossilised dinosaur eggshells have been extensively documented from the Upper Cretaceous Lameta Formation of Central India and as many as nine oospecies are known at present fr...

Micofloral study of Lameta sediments and associated sauropod coprolites in the Nand-Dongargaon basin in Maharashtra was conducted to understand the diet and habitat of sauropods. The study revealed the presence of pollen, spores, algal and fungal remains, well-preserved cuticles of Poaceae, and testate amoebae. Vegetation during Lameta included tall arboreal taxa, such as conifers (Podocarpus and Araucaria), Cycads (Cycas), Euphorian and Barringtonia and herbs and shrubs, such as Cheirolepidiaceae (Classopollis), Arecaceae (Palmaepollenites), Poaceae (Graminidites), Asteraceae (Compositoipollenites), Caryophyllaceae (Cretacaeiporites and Periporopollenites), and Acanthaceae (Multiareolites). Data suggest that the sauropods ate soft tissues of angiosperms and gymnosperms. The intake of testate amoeba, algal remains, sponge spicules, and diatoms might be through water intake.

Various geological studies have been done worldwide of Upper Cretaceous palaeosols, however similar extensive palaeosol studies are lacking in India. It is well established that palaeosols of any age are one of the best proxies for palaeoclimate reconstructions and for local to regional stratigraphic correlations of continental deposits. The Cretaceous deposits in Central India occur as isolated outcrops along the Narmada valley, known as the Lameta Formation. The Upper Cretaceous Lameta (~infratrappean) Formation of the Jabalpur area (Madhya Pradesh, Central India) preserves one of the most diverse Late Cretaceous reptilian assemblages (largely dominated by dinosaurs) and other significant biotic elements of the Indian subcontinent. The Lameta Formation in the Jabalpur region comprises excellent exposures, wherein the Mottled Nodular Bed (MNB) consists of sandy marl lithofacies together with palaeosol facies. Therefore, detailed pedofacies investigations on the basis of morphological, micromorphological and geochemical studies have been carried out in the MNB exposed at the Chui Hill (CH) and the Chhota Simla Hill (CSH) locations in Jabalpur city of Madhya Pradesh (Central India). These studies reveal the presence of various in-situ pedofeatures. For example, abundant bioturbation features, moderately developed blocky and granular microstructure, crystallitic and undifferentiated b-fabrics, Fe–Mn oxide/clay, silica to carbonate coatings, hypocoatings as well as quasicoatings, nodules/concretions and other textural as well as depletion pedofeatures. These palaeosols are interpreted as moderately to well-developed palaeosols that formed under tropical warm, humid climatic conditions rather than semi-arid conditions as deduced on the basis of diagnostic pedogenic characters. Tropical humid conditions are further supported by indices of base loss, salinization and hydrolysis in these palaeosols. The calculated mean annual precipitation (MAP) values range 779.44 ± 182 to1150.02 ± 235 mm/yr and CIA-K (Chemical Index of Alteration without potassium) values document significant chemical weathering. The present study will be important for future studies such as Upper Cretaceous palaeosol investigations along the east-west and central Narmada valley of peninsular India in order to utilize them as stratigraphic tools, taking into account worldwide reports of contemporaneous dinosaur-bearing Upper Cretaceous palaeosols in different parts of the world.

We analysed the geochemical and mineralogical aspects of sedimentary beds associated with Deccan volcanism exposed in the eastern part of the volcanic sequence in the Jabalpur–Mandla–Chhindwara (JMC) sector (Madyha Pradesh) and in the Nand–Dongargaon (ND) basin in Central India. These sediments were deposited in terrestrial environments before the onset of the volcanic activity or during periods of quiescence in mainly alluvial-limnic to lacustrine facies. Deposited at different stratigraphic levels within the Deccan lava pile, they provide crucial evidence to evaluate environmental changes on land induced by the onset of the volcanism in the central part of India. Our results indicate that sediments (intertrappeans) deposited during Deccan volcanism do not reflect the same depositional characteristics as sediments (Lameta Formation) preceding volcanic eruptions. The sedimentological and mineralogical observations indicate alluvial-limnic environments under semi-arid climate during deposition of the Lameta sediments. This could explain the low concentration of organic matter, which probably underwent excessive desiccation/oxidation processes under semi-arid conditions. The eruption of Deccan volcanic flows severely affected environmental conditions. Intertrappean sediments associated with Deccan phase-1 and phase-2 were deposited in terrestrial to lacustrine environments under semi-arid climates with dry and humid seasons, which are highlighted by the predominance of smectites resulting from basalt alteration. Organic matter is well preserved in the sediments deposited in phase-1 and indicates a mixed source with well-preserved lacustrine organic matter and terrestrial inputs. The subsequent intertrappean sediments within phase-2 are strongly influenced by Deccan volcanism characterized by high volcanic content associated elements (Ti and Fe) and high chemical alteration (CIA-K) that likely reflects increasing acid rains rather than climatic change. In addition, a sharp decrease in pollen and spores coupled with the appearance of fungi mark increasing stress conditions, which is likely a direct result of volcanic activity. Bulk organic geochemistry points to a strong degradation of the autochthonous organic matter, suggesting that the biomass was oxidized in acidic conditions triggered by intense volcanic activity.

The Lameta Formation exposed in central and western India is traditionally considered as deposits of fluvio-lacustrine environment except for the type area having a few reports of shallow marine setting. The present work records the fossilization of calcareous algae from a discontinued bed of limestone preserved in argillaceous unit of Lameta succession. Taxonomical study of algal biota places them mostly in chlorophyta, charophyta, and rhodophyta divisions. These algae are being reported for the first time from Lameta sediments of a newly identified inland basin of deposition, viz., Salbardi-Belkher. Considering the paleoecological significance of presently recorded algae, a marine incursion has been interpreted which might have taken place through the Narmada-Tapti Rift Zone during the Maastrichtian time.

The present paper contributes the new locality of a nest of sauropod dinosaur from fluvial sediments of the Lameta Formation of Salbardi area. On the basis of shape, size and microstructures of the shell, it is identified as Megaloolithus. The new locality is away from the known nesting sites of dinosaurs already been reported i.e., Nagpur and Jabalpur, therefore bears significance in reconstruction of palaeogeographic boundary of dinosaurs-nesting sites.

A rich microbiota with distinctive plant fossils has been discovered in Type A morphotype coprolites from the Lameta Formation of Pisdura, in Maharashtra, India. Macerated fractions examined with scanning electron microscopy revealed seven ostracod taxa, (?Mongolianella sp., Cypridea (Pseudocypridina) sp., Cypridopsis sp., Eucypris sp., Gomphocythere sp., Gomphocythere paucisulcatus, and Paracypretta sp.), diatoms (Aulacoseira sp.), a charophyte (Microchara sp.), and sponge spicules. Abundant probable chrysophytes were also observed in thin sections of one of the coprolites. Most of the plant debris is unidentifiable, but recognizable tissues include gymnosperm tissues, a spore, cuticle, and leaf laminae replaced with silica. Chemical analyses reveal that the coprolites are phosphatic, with ~ 12.2 to 16.2 wt.% phosphorus. The microfossils support a Maastrichtian age and fluvio-lacustrine depositional conditions for the Lameta Formation at Pisdura. The unusual combination of a phosphatic composition with plant and microfossil dietary residues suggests that the ancient faecal producers were intentional or inadvertent omnivores.

Khosla, A. 2014. Upper Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) charophyte gyrogonites from the Lameta Formation of Jabalpur, Central India: palaeobiogeographic and palaeoecological implications. Acta Geologica Polonica, 64 (3), 311–323. Warszawa. A charophyte gyrogonite assemblage consisting of Platychara cf. sahnii, Nemegtichara grambastii and Microchara sp. is reported herein from two localities (Bara Simla Hill and Chui Hill sections) of the Lameta Formation at Jabalpur. The Lameta Formation locally underlying the Deccan traps has been shown to be pedogenically modified alluvial plain deposits containing one of the most extensive dinosaur nesting sites in the world. They are associated with dinosaur bones and freshwater ostracod assemblages that suggest a Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) age. This is the first detailed systematic account of charophyte gyrogonites from the Lameta Formation. This charophyte assemblage is compatible with the biostratigraphic attribution provided by the ostracods. From a biogeographic viewpoint, it exhibits considerable similarity to other infratrappean assemblages of the Nand, Dongargaon, and Dhamni-Pavna sections (Maharashtra), and some intertrappean assemblages of Kora in Gujarat, Rangapur in Andhra Pradesh and Gurmatkal in South India. Globally, the genus Microchara is well distributed throughout Eurasia, whereas the genus Platychara occurs richly in the Upper Cretaceous deposits of Europe, Asia, America and Africa. However, at the specific level, Platychara cf. sahnii shows close affinities with charophytes from the Maastrichtian of Iran whilst Nemegtichara grambastii shows distinct affinities with two species of Early Palaeogene deposits of China and Mongolia. The presence of charophyte gyrogonites in the Lameta sediments is attributed to local lacustrine and palustrine conditions within a flood plain environment.

Establishment of lithofacies and interpretation of depositional environment of the Lameta Formation have been carried out for a new area having three nearby exposures. Overall, the successions are broadly differentiable into three major units, i.e. arenaceous in the lower part, argillaceous in middle and calcareous at the top, which more or less serve as three lithofacies associations. Each association consists of various lithofacies which are identified and established on the basis of field observations, added with significant petrological details. The arenaceous association includes five lithofacies, viz. massive sandstone lithofacies; green sandstone lithofacies; thinly bedded, yellowish orange and greyish brown sandstone lithofacies; coarse-grained sandstone lithofacies and dark brown bioturbated sandstone lithofacies. The argillaceous lithofacies association consists of yellowish-brownish-greenish clay–siltstone lithofacies and light grey silty–clay with concretions lithofacies, whereas the calcareous lithofacies association is represented by calcrete lithofacies, nodular limestone lithofacies, chertified limestone lithofacies and intraformational breccia lithofacies. The facies analysis reveals that the deposition of Late Cretaceous Lameta sediments took place in fluvial–lacustrine environments in semi arid condition.

Trace fossils namely, Planolites, Planolites montanus, Thalassinoides and stuff burrows belonging to the Lameta Formation of Central India are reported for the first time from two new localities, i.e., Salbardi and Belkher area. Both the exposures are well represented by the typical marker lithounits as of Jabalpur, Nand-Dongargaon area of central India, i.e., greenish yellow sandstone, clays of various shades, chertified and brecciated limestones, etc. These successions are devoid of megaforal remains, therefore, these biogenic structures play a significant role in the interpretation of palaeoenvironment and palaeoecology during the deposition of the Lameta sediments. The trace fossils assemblage shows that the benthonic community was mainly polychaetes and crustaceans.

In Jabalpur area about 18 m to 45 m thick Lameta Formation is stratigraphically divisible into five lithounits namely, Green Sandstone, Lower Limestone, Mottled Nodular Beds, Upper Limestone and Upper Sandstone. Having differentiated lithofacies constitution and here grouped as facies associations, these units are intensively burrowed and sparingly fossiliferous. Ichnogenera including Arenicolites, Calycraterion, Fucusopsis, Laevicyclus, Macanopsis, Ophiomorpha, Paleomeandron, Rhizocorallium, Stipsellus, Thalassinoides and Zoophycos are recovered from the Lower Limestone, Mottled Nodular Beds and Upper Limestone associations of the Lameta Formation of Jabalpur area.Among these, Arenicolites, Calycraterion, Laevicyclus, Ophiomorpha, Rhizocorallium, Stipsellus and Thalassinoides belong to mixed Skolithos and Cruziana ichnofacies and indicate sandy backshore to sublittoral condition of deposition. Additionally rhyzocretes, some times chertified, are also present in different parts of the Lameta Formation. Ichnofacies assemblage supported by sedimentological information suggests that the Lameta Formation of Jabalpur area was deposited in coastal marine settings where sediments were subaerially exposed intermittently.

The Lameta Formation (Upper Cretaceous, Maastrichtian) of India has yielded abundant fossils of abelisaurid theropods, including bones from the cranium, vertebral column, pectoral and pelvic girdles, and hindlimb. However, the forelimbs of Indian abelisaurids remain unknown. Here we describe an abelisaurid humerus from exposure of the Lameta Formation near the village of Rahioli in northwestern India. This new material exhibits derived traits that are distinctive of Abelisauridae, for example an articular head that is hemispherical in proximal view, thus establishing the specimen as the first abelisaurid humerus from India.

The sedimentary beds associated with Deccan Continental Flood Basalt (DCFB) sequences exposed in the volcanic subprovinces of Jabalpur-Mandla-Chhindwara (JMC) regions of Madhya Pradesh and Nand-Dongargaon (N-D) basin and the adjoining areas to the west in Yeotmal-Nanded in Maharashtra were studied for their palynofloral analysis. The sediments were characterized palynologically and changes in the palynoflora are observed at different stratigraphic levels in a number of sections including several new intertrappean localities recorded in recent years. For the purpose of effective correlation of different subprovinces, palynofloras of some of the previously studied intertrappeans are also reviewed. Our studies suggest that before the start of the Deccan volcanic activity, the palynoflora found in the Lameta sediments, was dominated by gymnosperms-angiosperm association. The plant canopy consisted mainly of gymnosperms (Conifers and Podocarpaceae) whereas, the understory members were mostly of palms and herbs (Poaceae and Asteraceae). The eruption of Deccan volcanic flows severely affected the existing floral association and proved fatal for the well established plant community. The immediately overlying sediments associated with the earliest volcanic flows are dominated by pteridophytes and angiosperm taxa (Azolla cretacea, Aquilapollenites bengalensis, Ariadnaesporites sp., Gabonisporis vigourouxii and Triporoletes reticulatus). Higher up in the stratigraphic sequence, similar forms continued with simultaneous appearance of new taxa including Scabrastephanocolpites spp. At still higher stratigraphic levels, abundance of fungi especially the mycorrhizal fungi, concurrent with sharp decline in pollen/spore recovery was observed. In the culminating phase (i.e. Palaeocene) of Deccan volcanic history a new palynofloral assemblage of typical Palaeocene taxa (Dandotiaspora dilata, D. pseudoauriculata, D. plicata, Spinizonocolpites echinatus, Matanomadhiasulcites sp., and Lakiapollis ovatus) was encountered.

Deccan intertrappean sediments in central India are generally considered as terrestrial deposits of Maastrichtian age, but the Cretaceous–Tertiary (K–T) position is still unknown. Here we report the discovery of the K–T transition, a marine incursion and environmental changes preserved within the intertrappean sediments at Jhilmili, Chhindwara District, Madhya Pradesh. Integrative biostratigraphic, sedimentologic, mineralogic and chemostratigraphic analyses reveal the basal Danian in the intertrappean sediments between lower and upper trap basalts that regionally correspond to C29r and the C29R/C29N transition, respectively. Intertrappean deposition occurred in predominantly terrestrial semi-humid to arid environments. But a short aquatic interval of fresh water ponds and lakes followed by shallow coastal marine conditions with brackish marine ostracods and early Danian zone P1a planktic foraminifera mark this interval very close to the K–T boundary. This marine incursion marks the existence of a nearby seaway, probably extending inland from the west through the Narmada and Tapti rift valleys. The Jhilmili results thus identify the K–T boundary near the end of the main phase of Deccan eruptions and indicate that a major seaway extended at least 800 km across India.

The main Deccan volcanic province erupted mainly in terrestrial to lacustrine environments of late Maastrichtian to early Paleocene age, and lack age diagnostic fossils to accurately place the Cretaceous-Tertiary (K-T) boundary. As a result, the precise position of the K-T event within the volcanic province has remained speculative, and no realistic assessment of the biotic consequences of Deccan volcanism at K-T time has been possible. Here, we report the discovery of early Danian Zone P1a planktic foraminifera within lacustrine to brackish-marine ostracod assemblages near Jhilmili, Chhindwara District, India. These foraminiferal assemblages identify the K-T boundary in intertrappean sediments bracketed by basalt traps that are regionally correlative with C29R (Ambenali Formation) and the C29R-C29N transition (Mahalabeshwar Formation). The Jhilmili sequence is thus correlative with the shallow-marine, intertrappean Zone P1a assemblage and C29R and C29N of the lower and upper basalt traps exposed in Rajahmundry quarries. The presence of planktic foraminifera in predominantly terrestrial intertrappean sediments some 800 km from the nearest ocean suggests the presence of a seaway along the Narmada and Tapti rift zones with Jhilmili located at the eastern margin.

A nest with eleven relatively large-sized eggs of lacertilian affinity has been recovered from the Lower Limestone horizon exposed at the type section of the Lameta Formation, Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh, India). Morpho-structurally, the eggs probably represent a new family as they share common features with the eggs of the living varanid lizard Varanus indicus and a shell microstructure described for geckonids. The close association of a lizard nest and titanosaurid (Sauropoda) eggs raises interesting questions regarding the egg-laying strategies of these differently-sized reptiles. Sedimentological data suggest that the Lower Limestone of Lameta Ghat was deposited in an alkaline lagoon that was connected to a marine embayment by channels. The massive limestone, sandy limestone, and calcareous sandstone lithofacies forming coarsening upward sequence represents sedimentation from deeper to marginal parts of the lagoon that were densely vegetated. Pre-burial meteoric diagenesis of the sediments indicates humid climate. Such conditions might have provided a suitable habitat supporting a large variety of terrestrial life.

Contrasting opinions have been expressed by different workers about the palaeo-environments of the Lameta Formation of Jabalpur. Some workers have ascribed a shallow marine/estuarine environment of depositions for its sediments, while others have favoured a non-marine interpretation. The present authors have recently recorded 26 ostracod species from the basal beds of Lameta Formation from three classic localities (i.e., Chui Hill, Bara Simla Hill and Chhota Simla Hill). These are univocally freshwater fauna. Khosla and Sahni (2000) earlier proposed Late Cretaceous Mongolian and Chinese affinities for the ostracod fauna of the Lameta Formation of Jabalpur. Whatley and Bajpai (2006) considered them strongly endemic to India. Our study revealed an African and/or South American zoogeographic affinity. The genera common to these continents are Altanicypris, Neuquenocypris, Paracypretta, Stenocypris and Wolburgiopsis .

Regional mapping and detailed petrographic studies of the volcanic-sedimentary sequences of the Mandla Lobe, coupled with lateral tracing has enabled the recognition of 37 physically distinct lava flows, and major oxide chemistry grouped them into eight chemical types. The lava pile becomes structurally complex to the east of Jabalpur where the juxtaposition of distinct groups of lava flows is observed near the Deori (flows 1–4 abutting flows 5–14) and Dindori areas. At Dindori, distinct lava packages (flows 15–27 and 28–37) are juxtaposed along the course of Narmada River, indicating the presence of four post-Deccan faults in the Nagapahar, Kundam, Deori and Dindori areas, and arguing against the idea of a small regional dip. Major geochemical breaks, when traced from section to section, exhibit shifts in height of approximately 150 m near Nagapahar and 300 m near Deori and Dindori. These findings, when considered in conjunction with magnetic chron reversal heights, support the presence of four NE–SW-trending faults. Major and trace element abundances in 15 lava flows in the Jabalpur area are similar to those of the south-western Deccan flows. The Ambenali Formation and a few flows of the Khandala and Bushe formations are present in north-eastern Deccan. Improved stratigraphic correlation is needed to define the lateral continuity and spatial distribution of the western-defined formations in regions to the east. The dominance of smectites in the detrital assemblage of the Lameta Formation suggests their derivation from a volcanogenic source rock. IR spectra support the commonality of the mineralogical attributes of the Lameta Formation and the Deccan basalt in their mutual resemblance of absorption bands. Structural formulae indicate that smectites of the Lameta deposits are rich in octahedral Mg and Fe. The abundance of Fe together with Mg further favours derivation from the Deccan basalt as do similarities in the concentrations of immobile trace elements, REE patterns, and the negative Ce anomalies observed. These findings correlate the smectite-dominant detrital clays with the Deccan basalt, implying the availability of the latter during deposition of the Lameta Formation in the Maastrichtian. These findings do not match models suggesting an extremely short period of Deccan volcanism (!0.5 myr) at the Cretaceous/Palaeogene transition; it is congruent with the models advocating a more prolonged volcanism.

A single locality of the Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) Lameta Formation at Pisdura in Central India has yielded a large number of coprolites attributed to titanosaurian dinosaurs. Internally the coprolites are dark grey and contain abundant plant tissues and other organic materials. The plant tissues are mostly of gymnospermous origin. In addition, remains of bacterial colonies, fungal spores and algae are seen in the macerated fraction under scanning electron microscope. The dark grey appearance is probably attributable to fine-grained organic matter within voids in tracheids or xylem. The average 13C/12C ratio of the organic matter in the coprolites is -24‰ (relative to PDB) suggesting that plants of C3type were the main diet of their producers. A comparison of δ15N value (about 4‰ w.r.t. air) of the coprolites with that of faecal matter of modern herbivores and carnivores suggests that gut fermentation may not have been an active mechanism in the digestion process of titanosaurs.

Indian and French dinosaur eggshell oospecies belonging to the oofamily Megaloolithidae are compared and, of the fourteen Megaloolithidae oospecies previously described from the Late Cretaceous of India, seven are considered junior synonyms. Comparisons between nine oospecies from India and France reveal four groupings which show similarities between megaloolithids of these countries: (1) Megaloolithus microtuberculata , M. cylindricus, and M. padiyalensis; (2) M. mamillare and M. jabalpurensis; (3) M. siruguei and M. khempurensis; and (4) M. pseudom- amillare and M. baghensis. Five oospecies from India have no French equivalents, whereas the oogenus Cairanoolithus is endemic to France. Updated synonymy Megaloolithus oospecies shows a total of nine distinct oospecies from India: Megaloolithus cylindricus, M. mohabeyi, M. padiyalensis, M. jabalpurensis, M. dholiyaensis, M. dhoridungriensis, M. khempurensis, M. megadermus, and M. baghensis. One oospecies, M. jabalpurensis, is common to India and South America and is considered here to be possibly a senior synonym of M. patagonicus. The similarities in egg taxa suggest close phyletic relationships, as well as the probable existence of a terrestrial connection of dinosaur fauna between India and Europe during the Cretaceous, and between the two gondwanan areas Patagonia and India.

This paper gives a detailed overview of biotic assemblages recovered from the Deccan trap intercalated sedimentary sequences (infra- and intertrappean beds) of peninsular India as a result of extensive research done during the last 20 years. The infra- and intertrappean beds contain remnants of Gondwanan forms such as myobatrachinae frogs, pelomedusid turtles, dinosaurs (i.e. titanosaurids and abelisaurids), and mammals. Apart from these Gondwanan elements, the infra- and intertrappean beds also contain forms of Laurasian affinity though recently doubt has been cast on such relationships. Based on previous fossil records, Laurasiatic forms were considered to be represented by a great variety of micro- and megavertebrate assemblages such as discoglossid and pelobatid frogs, anguid lizards, alligatorid crocodiles, palaeoryctid mammals, charophytes and ostracodes. The biotic assemblages show a remarkable similarity between the infra- and intertrappean beds indicating a short time period for the deposition of these Deccan volcano-sedimentary beds. The recovered biotic assemblages strongly indicate a Maastrichtian age for the initiation of Deccan volcanic activity and the sedimentary beds associated with it. The Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary as such remains to be defined in any known sections in sedimentary sequences in so far investigated localities of peninsular India. What have been identified are Maastrichtian age beds in the east-central and western Narmada river region on the basis of pollens, vertebrate assemblage and planktonic foraminiferas in infratrappean offshore sequences. A Palaeocene intertrappean bed at Lalitpur (Uttar Pradesh) that is among those lacking dinosaurian remains but having palynological assemblages similar to those from well established Palaeocene sequences, suggests the presence of Palaeocene intertrappeans, but the K/T boundary is yet to be properly defined.

Non-marine diatoms occur in the Deccan Intertrappean beds (Upper Cretaceous) of Mohgaon-Kalan, Chhindwara District, Madhya Pradesh and Pisdura, Lameta Formation (Upper Cretaceous), Maharashtra, India. This represents the oldest record of non-marine diatoms yet reported and the oldest from the Indian subcontinent. The diatoms were recovered from thin sections of chert and dinosaur coprolites by random fracturing. Solitary forms are the most common but colonial filaments up to five cells were also observed. Based on the morphological characters, the diatoms are identified as Aulacoseira Thwaites. The Lower Cretaceous marine diatom genus Archepyrgus Gersonde and Harwood also resembles Aulacoseira in general morphological characters and it seems that Aulacoseira evolved from Archepyrgus and migrated to the non-marine realm.

Deccan volcanism, with a duration of ∼5 Myr, represents a major continental flood basalt province in which ∼2 million km3 of lavas were formed. Such voluminous and rapid volcanism in Phanerozoic earth history has commonly been advanced as a cause for mass extinctions. Despite this significance, few studies have attempted to understand the influence of continental flood basalt volcanism on contemporary sedimentary environments. Thin sedimentary sequences associated with the Deccan volcanics, i.e. the infra- and inter-trappean sequences, offer an opportunity to assess the influence of Deccan volcanism on contemporary sedimentary environments in Central India. The Lameta Formation mainly constitutes a well-characterised regolith, regionally consisting of calcretes and palustrine facies, which may, in places, be associated with ephemeral sandy braided river and sheetflood facies. An assessment of the influence of Deccan volcanism on contemporary surficial environments reveals: (a) an input of basaltic degradational products in the basal fluvial facies of the Lameta Formation; (b) upward changes in facies assemblages from lacustrine/palustrine to subaerial dominated, followed eventually by burial by the first lavas locally; (c) significant changes in the palaeoflow characteristics of fluvial channel facies, respectively under and overlying the main calcareous regolith of the Lameta Formation; (d) that most freshwater lacustrine taxa survived the initial effects of the Deccan volcanism without undergoing any drastic change. In addition to the role of constructional topography resulting from lava emplacement and associated surface uplift, the mode of preservation of sedimentary packets significantly affects changes in the vertical motifs of coeval sedimentary sequences. Because of the problems of time-resolution on 105–106-year time scales in the continental infra- and inter-trappean sequences, detailed cause (volcanism)–effect (surficial environments) relationships at the event level are not well understood. Also, the lack of data from multiple stratigraphic levels of the inter-trappean beds precludes any serious assessment of the directions and rates of changes that took place in CO2 concentrations of the palaeoatmospheres of that period (65±3 Myr).

The eggshell oospecies from India and Argentina are compared and reviewed in detail. These eggshells resemble each other in having a nodular outer surface ornamentation and clearly arched growth lines of the shell units. Microstructurally, the eggshell oospecies belonging to the oofamily Megaloolithidae shows fan-like shell units, which are sharply separated from each other throughout the thickness of the eggshell and can be traced up to the surface of the eggshell. Comparisons between four oospecies from India and Argentina reveal three groupings, which show similarities between megaloolithids of both countries: (1) Megaloolithus jabalpurensis, M. matleyi and M. patagonicus; (2) M. cylindricus, M. rahioliensis and Tipo 1d; (3) M. megadermus and Tipo 1e. The other two type of eggshell oospecies from India and Argentina shows partially fused external nodes and shell units. As a result growth lines enter into the adjacent shell units with a marked concavity. A new oogenera Fusioolithus have been erected due to fusion between shell units and prolatospherulitic morphotype, which include two new oospecies Fusioolithus baghensis and Fusioolithus berthei. Till date, morphostructurally, a total of fifteen eggshell oospecies belonging to different oofamilies have been recorded from India and seven eggshell from Argentina. Fil: Fernández, Mariela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; Argentina Fil: Khosla, Ashu. Panjab University; India

A sedimentary succession from Anjar sandwiched between basaltic flows records what transpired as continental India passed from Cretaceous to Tertiary times in the immediate vicinity of the Deccan Trap Province. The deposits consist of interlayered peloidal cherty limestones and shales. The shales are dominated by the mineral sepiolite. Chert occurs as three varieties. These include an amorphous cement, microcrystalline quartz and chalcedony. The last two usually fill gastropodal chambers and peloids. These sediments are interpreted as being deposited in an alkaline closed-basin lake that periodically received silica-saturated hydrothermal solutions. The lake in spite of having fluctuating shorelines was perennial. This wave-dominated lake was highly productive biogenically which is evident in the abundance of molluscan shell debris. Based on the sedimentological characteristics the site appears to be located proximal to the palaeo-shoreline. The palaeolatitude position of India during the Maastrichtian would suggest a sub-humid to humid, seasonal climate in Kachchh. A semi-arid climate is inferred on the basis of the lake deposits for Anjar. This apparent contradiction is believed to be due to `mock aridity'. This term is used to explain volcanically influenced climates that mimic characters of xeric semi-arid climates. Similar signatures of semi-aridity in the Indian Peninsula are observed in calcic palaeosols of the contemporaneous Lameta Formation sediments around Jabalpur.

Multiple calcrete profiles of the Mottled Nodular Beds, form part of an extensive dinosaur-bearing infratrappean regolith in Central India. The profiles have clear variations in the distribution of carbonate morphologies (powdery, nodular, and sheet (platy) calcretes). Sheet calcrete is, however, distinctive and resembles, to some extent, a K horizon. These calcretes are interpreted as having formed in the soil-vadose zone. Profile development was governed mainly by the pattern and depth of shrinkage. It is possible that the mature (stage 3 to incipient stage 4) calcrete sheets of these shrinkage-related profiles formed quite rapidly and certainly in no more than about 400,000 years. Prominent shrinkage cracking appears to have favoured quite rapid calcrete formation and associated rhizocretion formation was also likely to have been rapid. A combination of climatic conditions, carbonate availability, and volcanism-induced sediment-starved conditions resulted in the development of a stack of fourteen calcrete profiles. Sediment starvation allowed most of the stratigraphic interval to be affected, to some degree, by calcareous pedogenesis. This contrasts with other Phanerozoic calcrete stacks where nodular carbonate typically occurs in discrete horizons, caused by relatively higher sediment supply.

A large number of dinosaur nesting sites have been documented from the Upper Cretaceous (Maestrichtian) Lameta Formation of India. A remarkable diversity is noticeable in the eggshells. Based on the general morphology and the histostructure, they are parataxonomically assignable to oofamily Megaloolithidae (Tubospherulithic morphotype) and Elongatoolithidae (Ratite morphotype). Ten new oospecies of these eggshells are described in the present paper. Of these, the eight oospecies are assignable to oogenus Megaloolithus, one to the newly established oogenus Ellipsoolithus and the remaining one has been categorised as Incertae sedis. In addition, associated chelonian eggshells are also described. The Indian Upper Cretaceous dinosaur fauna is dominated by the titanosaurids (sauropods), and reports of theropods (megalosaurid and tyrannosaurid) and ornithopods are. The eggs, whose shells are here attributed to a number of oospecies, must have had their parentship amongst these known dinosaurs. Many egg...

The earliest record of titanosaurids anywhere in the world was established in India in 1877. Further collections from fossiliferous pockets near Jabalpur were made by C. E Matley during 1917–1919. This material formed the basis of a number of taxa from the Indian Late Cretaceous, even though most of the bones were isolated and fragmented. New titanosaurid skeletal material (collected during 1984–1986) described here represents part of an individual in associated and mostly articulated condition, though skull, hind limb and foot bones are missing. Paucity of associated skeletal remains of titanosaurids anywhere in the world makes the present find valuable in understanding these specialized sauropods. A new taxon, Titanosaurus colberti, is erected for the reception of the new material. The genus Titanosaurus is diagnosed and three species are identified from India: T. indicus, T. blanfordi, and T. madagascanensis.