2013_Microbiota Bhander_JGSI

0016-7622/2013-82-5-000/$ 1.00 © GEOL. SOC. INDIA
Organic Walled Microbiota from the Silicified Algal Clasts,
Bhander Limestone, Satna Area, Madhya Pradesh
S. K. PANDEY* and S. KUMAR
Centre of Advanced Study in Geology, University of Lucknow, Lucknow – 226007
*Present Address: Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany, 53, University Road, Lucknow – 226 007
Email: sangeology@yahoo.co.in; surendra100@hotmail.com
Abstract: A good assemblage of organic-walled microbiota has been discovered from the petrographic thin sections of
the black-bedded chert of the Bhander Limestone, exposed at Sajjanpur area of Satna district and Ramnoi area of Rewa
District, Madhya Pradesh. The assemblage is made up of the following forms: Synodophycus euthemos, Myxococcoides
minor, Coniunctiophycus gaoyuzhuangense, Siphonophycus kestron, Siphonophycus robustum, Eoentophysalis magna,
Glenobotrydion aenigmatis and Huroniospora microreticulata. The assemblage comprises both filamentous as well as
coccoidal forms of cyanobacterial affinity. The forms are associated with algal clasts.
Keywords: Microbiota, Bhander Limestone, Algal clasts, Vindhyan Supergroup, Madhya Pradesh.
GEOLOGICAL SETTINGINTRODUCTION
JOURNAL GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF INDIA
Vol.82, November 2013, pp. 499-508
The Bhander Limestone (Nagod Limestone) represents
calcareous facies of the Bhander Group which constitutes
the youngest group of the Vindhyan Supergroup, central
India. The Bhander Limestone is well known for the
preservation of columnar stromatolites and carbonaceous
megafossils (Valdiya, 1969; Kumar, 1976, 1982, 1995;
Kumar and Srivastava, 2003). The microfossils have also
been reported from these carbonates which were recovered
by the traditional maceration technique (Prasad et al., 2005;
Prasad, 2007), but such reports generally could not generate
the desired level of confidence for understanding the early
evolution of life against reports of microfossils from the
petrographic thin sections of the black bedded chert in which
the syngenicity and indigenousness of the reported fossils
are not in doubt. In the Precambrian eon, where it is often
quite difficult to understand the biology of the preserved
biota, the indigenousness and syngenicity of the fossils are
of prime importance for understanding the evolution of life
because any contamination may lead to erroneous
conclusions. In the light of this, reports of microbiota from
the thin section study of black bedded chert occurring as
lenses in the Bhander Limestone exposed at Ramnoi, Rewa
district and Sajjanpur, Satna district, Madhya Pradesh
acquire significance. The paper describes this assemblage
which is represented by eight forms with cyanobacterial
affinity. The microbiota is associated with silicified algal
clasts. No age connotation can be given to the assemblage.
The Vindhyan sediments spread over an area of morethan
2,00,000 sq km constitute the largest Proterozoic basin in
India. Representing deposits of an intracratonic basin,the
Vindhyan Supergroup attains a huge thickness of morethan
5 km. The rocks are represented by sandstones, shales,
limestones, dolostones, conglomerates and porcellanites.
The Vindhyan Supergroup has been sub-divided into four
groups; in the stratigraphic order these are the Semri Group,
the Kaimur Group, the Rewa Group and the Bhander Group
(Fig. 1). Each group is further sub-divided into different
formations (Table 1). The Semri Group is generally referred
to as the Lower Vindhyan and the Kaimur, Rewa and
Bhander groups have been clubbed as the Upper Vindhyan.
The Bhander Group is the youngest group of the Vindhyan
Supergroup and has been sub-divided into four formations
in the Maihar area, Satna district, M.P. In the stratigraphic
order, these are the Ganurgarh Shale, the Bhander Limestone,
the Sirbu Shale and the Maihar Sandstone (Table 1). The
Maihar Sandstone also referred to as the Upper Bhander
Sandstone (Bhattacharyya, 1993) is the youngest
stratigraphic horizon of the Bhander Group in the Son Valley.
The Bhander Limestone is also referred to as the Nagod
Limestone (Sastry and Moitra, 1984). It is also designated
erroneously as the Lakheri Limestone by a number of
workers (Bhattacharyya, 1996; Sastry and Moitra, 1984).
The Lakheri Limestone is developed in the Chambal Valley
while the Bhander Limestone is exposed in the Son Valley

JOUR.GEOL.SOC.INDIA, VOL.82, NOV. 2013
Fig.2. Geological and location map of Sajjanpur and Ramnoi localities, Satna and Rewa districts, Madhya Pradesh. (modified after Rao
et al. 1981).
Fig.1. Location and geological map of the Vindhyan Basin (after Krishnan and Swaminath, 1959). Square makes the position of the
fossil bearing chert.
and there is no continuity of exposures. Thus, the Lakheri
Limestone can not be traced in the Son Valley Section. The
Lakheri Limestone is characterised by δ13
C value as – 5.2
PDB and the Bhander Limestone has δ13
C value as + 5.7
PDB (Kumar et al., 2005). The Bhander Limestone
shows profuse development of stromatolites while
these are absent in the Lakheri Limestone. Hence the
correlation of the Lakheri Limestone with the
Bhander Limestone is untenable (Kumar, 2012). The
Bhander Limestone conformably overlies the Ganurgarh
Shale and is overlain by the Sirbu Shale (formation). In
general, the Bhander Limestone is occupying low lying areas
in the Satna district except at Ramnoi (Rewa district) and
Aber (Satna district). Good exposures can be seen in
500 S. K. PANDEY AND S. KUMAR

different open cast mines and river cuttings. It is represented
by limestones, stromatolitic limestone and shales. Well
preserved columnar and domal stromatolites are reported
which occur both as bioherm and biostromes in the Satna-
Maihar area. The Baicalia baicalica, Baicalia burra,
Tungussia sp., Cryptozoon sp. and Colonnella columnaris
have been reported (Misra, 2004 and unpublished data of
S. Kumar). Parallel lamination, flaser and lenticular bedding,
intraformational conglomerate, small scale cross bedding,
ripple bedding and mud cracks are seen. These are
considered as a tidal flat deposit (Singh, 1976). The chert
lenses are occasionally seen within the carbonate.
Age of the Bhander Limestone (Bhander Group)
De (2003, 2006) has recorded Ediacaran fossils from
the Bhander Group, but the biogenicity of the reported fossils
are not confidently confirmed and hence can be neglected
till better preserved fossils are discovered. Ray (2006) has
reviewed the age of the Vindhyan Supergroup and opined
Table 1. Lithostratigraphy of the Son Valley Section, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh (modified after Auden, 1933; Bhattacharyya, 1993)
Supergroup Group Formation Important fossils Reference
Bhander Group Maihar Sandstone Arumberia, Beltanelliformis (Kumar and Pandey 2008a)
Sirbu Shale Chuaria – Tawuia assemblage Kumar and Srivastava (2003)
Bhander Limestone Chuaria – Tawuia assemblage, Kumar and Srivastava (2003)
Baicalia baicalica,Tungussia, Kumar (1976, 1999)
sponge spicule (?)
Ganurgarh Shale - -
Rai et al. (1997)
Rewa Group Sandstone and shale Chuaria – Tawuia assemblage Srivastava (2004)
Kaimur Group Sandstone and shale - -
- - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Unconformity - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Rohtas Formation Grypania – Chuaria Assemblage Kumar (1995)
Semri Group Kheinjua Formation Coniform stromatolites Misra and Kumar (2005)
Mistassinia Kumar and Misra (2007)
Porcellanite Formation - -
Basal Formation Coniform stromatolites Misra and Kumar (2005)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Unconformity - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Bundelkhand Granites / Bijawar phyllites
VINDHYANSUPERGROUP
LowerVindhyanUpperVindhyan
that the age of the Lower Vindhyans in the Son Valley is
now resolved, whereas, the problems with the age of the
Upper Vindhyans and their correlation remain to be
answered. Though, no radiometric dates are available for
the BhanderGroup, but 87
Sr/86
Sr data for the Bhander Group
(Ray et al., 2003) points to the Neoproterozoic age. In
the absence of radiometric dates, the age of the Bhander
Group in general and age of the Bhander Limestone in
particular have to be based on the available
palaeontological record and lithostratigraphic
correlation. The stromatolites are abundantly recorded
from the Bhander Group and on thisbasis age has been
suggested. The Bhander Group is characterized by the
presence of Baicalia, Tungussia, and Potomia and
complete absence of coniform stromatolites (Kumar,
1982; Misra and Kumar, 2005). On the basis of
stromatolites, Kumar (1982) has suggested upper Riphean
age for the Bhander Limestone. In the Maihar area, the
Maihar Sandstone is underlain by the Sirbu Shale, from
which Kumar and Srivastava (2003) have reported Chuaria-
ORGANIC WALLED MICROBIOTA FROM SILICIFIED ALGAL CLASTS, BHANDER LIMESTONE, MADHYA PRADESH 501

SAMPLING AND MATERIAL
The chert samples were collected from Ramnoi hillock
on the Rewa-Allahabad road and from the nala cutting
(river) at Sajjanpur, Satna district (Figs. 2 and 3). The GPS
value of the localities are 24°33’26.2"N; 81°24’50.2"E and
24°33’16"N; 80°58’35.2"E respectively.
Thin lenses of chert have yielded microfossils which
are associated with microbial clast. Associated microbial
clasts are randomly distributed with rhomboidal crystals of
calcite. Clasts are of different size and shape dispersed in
the matrix made up of microcrystalline quartz and chert.
The size of clasts ranges from 0.5 – 4.5 mm in length and
Tawuia association along with other carbonaceous
megafossils including Phascolites and they have suggested
that the age of the Bhander Group is somewhere between
upper Riphean and Vendian (Fig. 3). Thus, the age of the
Bhander Limestone can be between 700 – 650 Ma which
isalso well supported by stromatolites as no Cambrian
fossilshave so far been recorded from the Bhander Group.
Recently, Prasad (2007) has studied the microfossils
recovered from the Bhander Group by maceration technique
and on this basis has suggested latest Cryogenian to late
Vendian age (ca. 650–544 Ma). Presence of Arumberia and
associated fossils with typical Ediacaran body fossil
Beltanelliformis minuta in the Maihar Sandstone
supports an Ediacaran age (Kumar and Pandey, 2008a).
Malone et al. (2008) have interpreted the
palaeomagnetic data and detrital geochronology of the
Bhander Group and have suggested that the Upper
Vindhyan sequence should be older than 750 – 771
Ma. They also suggested that the sedimentation in the
Vindhyan basin ended around 1000 Ma. This
interpretation fails to account for the knowngeological
and palaeontological data and thus can be ignored till
radiometric dates are made available.
The Ganurgarh Shale is underlying the
Bhander Limestone in Ramnoi section which is
calcareous siltstone to fine grained sandstone. The
Bhander Limestone is about 6 – 8 meters thick and shows
good development of Baicalia sp. in the upper part. In the
topmost horizon thin lenses of chert are preserved which
yielded microfossils. The second locality is at Sajjanpur;
where about 6 – 7 meter thick section of the Bhander
Limestone is exposed along the nala cutting. Tungussia
and Baicalia are present in abundance. Chert is collected
from the downstream of the nala section near by Satna –
Rewa road. Lithology of the Bhander Limestone is
represented by micritic limestone, stromatolitic limestone,
oolitic limestone, intraclastic limestone and shale (Kumar,
1999).
(B)
Fig.3. Lithostratigraphic sections of the Bhander
Limestone at Ramnoi and Sajjanpur areas, Madhya
Pradesh. (A) Lithologshowing position of the fossil bearing
chert horizon, Ramnoi, Rewa district, Madhya Pradesh. (B)
Litholog showing positionof fossil bearing chert horizon,
Sajjanpur, Satna district,Madhya Pradesh.

about 0.5 mm – 1.2 mm in width. These are basically
microbial chips which are redeposited along with oolites,
ooides and pisolites and subsequently silicified.
METHODOLOGY
The fossils have been recorded in the petrographic thin
sections of black bedded cherts. Petrographic thin sections
have been studied under Leica orthoplan petrological
microscope and photomicrographs have been prepared using
Kodak 100ASAfilm.All slides are deposited in the Museum
of the Centre of Advanced Study in Geology, University of
Lucknow, Lucknow.
SYSTEMATIC PALAEONTOLOGY
The assemblage of microfossils is made up of the 8
forms; these are Synodophycus euthemos, Myxococcoides
minor, Coniunctiophycus gaoyuzhuangense, Siphonophycus
kestron, Siphonophycus robustum, Eoentophysalis magna,
Glenobotrydion aenigmatis and Huroniospora
microreticulata. Only Siphonophycus kestron is reported
from the chert collected from the Ramnoi hillock, Rewa
district and rest of the forms are from the Sajjanpur locality
(Fig. 2). The assemblage comprises both filamentous as well
as coccoidal forms of cyanobacterial affinity.
Coccoidal Form
Synodophycus euthemos Knoll, 1982
(Fig. 4 A, B)
Description: Single walled cell like units. Pluricellular
aggregates of ellipsoidal to spheroidal in shape.
Approximately equidimensional hyaline unit vesicles
closely packed together in an irregularly ellipsoidal colony
of 18 - 45 unit vesicles; colonies may be enclosed within a
thin envelope. Outer vesicles distorted due to mutual
compression. Unit vesicles diameter ranges from 9 –
17 µm (55 cells measured). Colonies irregularly ellipsoidal
to slightly lobed, 90 – 120 µm long and 25 – 35 µm wide.
Discussion: Morphological features of the present
specimens are comparable to Synodophycus euthemos
described by Knoll (1982) and Knoll et al. (1991) from the
Late Precambrian Draken chert, Svalbard, but the present
forms have larger diameter size. Among Proterozoic
microfossils, described from other formations, it most
closely resembles with Phacelogeminus lineatus from the
Neoproterozoic Tindir Formation, northwestern Canada
(Allison andAwramik, 1989). Knoll et al. (1991) commented
that the two taxa may be synonymous, but in the absence of
information on baeocyte formation in the Canadian fossils,
formal synonymy is not attempted (for discussion, see Knoll
et al. 1991).
Phylum Cyanobacteria Stainer et al., 1978
Class Coccogoneae Thuret, 1875
Order Chroococcales Wettstein, 1924, emend.
Family Chroococcacae Nägeli, 1849
Genus: Myxococcoides Schopf, 1968
Type Species: Myxococcoides minor Schopf, 1968
Myxococcoides minor Schopf, 1968
(Fig. 4 C)
Description: Single walled cell like units, ellipsoidal
to spheroidal in shape. These are usually colonial, but occur
without enclosing sheath. Cell wall usually thin, sometime
deformed due to mutual compression. Cells are densely
arranged without much deformation. Cell diameter ranges
between 6 - 13 µm (36 cells measured).
Zhang Yun, 1981
Coniunctiophycus gaoyuzhuangense Zhang Yun, 1981
(Fig. 4 D)
Description: Small, spheroidal, ellipsoidal to sub-
Order Pleurocapsales Geitler, 1925
Family Xenococcaceae Ercegovic, 1932
Genus Synodophycus Knoll, 1982, emend.
Type Species Synodophycus euthemos Knoll, 1982
Discussion: Morphological features of the present
specimens are comparable to Myxococcoides minor
described by Schopf (1968) from the Bitter Springs
Formation, but the diameter range is greater in the present
specimens. The Newari specimens described from the Semri
Group, Vindhyan Supergroup by Kumar and Srivastava
(1995) and the Belcher Island specimens described by
Hofmann (1976) are identical in diameter range. It has
comparable diameter range with the forms described from
the Deoban Formation, Garhwal Lesser Himalaya, Chakrata
area, Dehradun, U.P. by Shukla et al. (1986) and Kumar
and Srivastava (1992).
Genus: Coniunctiophycus Zhang Yun, 1981
Type species: Coniunctiophycus gaoyuzhuangense

Fig.4. Photomicrographs of microfossils from the Bhander Limestone: (A) Synodophycus euthemos Slide no. Sj-5; coordinates 15.3 X
70.0, (B) Sinodophycus euthemos Slide no. Sj-12; coordinates 17.0 X 79.8, (C) Myxococcoides minor, Slide no. Sj-4; coordinates
14.1 X 78.4, (D) Coniunctiophycus gaoyuzhuangense, Slide no. Sj-8; coordinates 24.3 X 72.6, (E) Siphonophycus robustum, Slide
no. Sj-8; coordinates 19.5 X 77.3, (F) Siphonophycus kestron, Slide no. R1, coordinates 16.5 X 72.5, (G) Eoentophysalis magna,
Slide no. Sj-15; coordinates 12.7 X 78.9, (H) Glenobotrydion aenigmatis, Slide no. Sj-15; coordinates 28.1 X 75.2, (I) Huroniospora
microreticulata, Slide no. 1/108, coordinates 16.5 X 65.6.

Discussion: The present specimens closely resemble
the Coniunctiophycus gaoyuzhuangense reported by
Zhang (1981) from China. It was first reported by him
from the Gaoyuzhuang Formation of China and compared
it with living cyanobacteria Microcystis. Sergeev et al. (1995)
considered Eomicrocystis as a synonym of Coniunctio-
phycus. It is also comparable with the Newari specimens,
central India described by Kumar and Srivastava (1995),
and with the Deoban specimens, Garhwal Himalaya
described by Srivastava and Kumar (2003).
Family Entophysalidaceae Geitler, 1932
Genus: Eoentophysalis Hofmann, 1976
Type Species: Eoentophysalis magna McMenamin,
D.S., Kumar, S., Awramik, S.M., 1983
Eoentophysalis magna McMenamin, D.S., Kumar, S.,
Awramik, S.M., 1983
(Fig. 4 G)
Description: Small cell-like spheroidal to ellipsoidal
units, diameter ranges from 1.0 to 3.5 µm, with condensed
texture and distinct enveloping sheath. There is no
intracellular mass inside cells. (21 cells measured).
Genus: Glenobotrydion Schopf, 1968
Type Species: Glenobotrydion aenigmatis Schopf,
1968
Glenobotrydion aenigmatis Schopf, 1968
(Fig. 4 H)
Description: Spheroidal to ellipsoidal cell like
structures arranged in clusture. Smooth single - walled with
eccentrically positioned intracellular mass. Diameter ranges
from 4 to 8 µm (14 cells measured). Cell is smooth. Size
and shape of intracellular mass are variable. Present
specimens are not linearly arranged.
Family Chroococcacae (?)
Genus: Huroniospora Barghoorn, 1965
Type Species:Huroniospora microreticulata
Barghoorn, 1965 in Barghoorn
and Tyler, 1965
Huroniospora microreticulata Barghoorn, 1965
(Fig. 4 I)
Description: Spheroidal, isolated cell like unit with
finely granular surface texture. In present specimen, a notch
noticed on the wall. Diameter of cell is 29 µm (1 cell
measured).
polyhedral in shape, ranging in diameter from 1 to 4.5 µm.
Compactly packed colonial form, varies in number of
cells. Cell wall is smooth, un-ornamented in nature (81
specimens measured). Colony is about 60 μm long
and 35 μm wide without enclosing sheath. Only one
colony isreported.
Discussion: It closely resembles the Glenobotrydion
aenigmatis described by Shukla et al. (1986) and Kumar
and Srivastava (1992) from the Deoban
Limestone (Formation), Chakrata region, Garhwal
Himalaya. Present specimens are smaller in size in
comparison to the Newari specimens, described from
the Kheinjua Formation (~1600 Ma), Semri Group
(Lower Vindhyan), Son Valley area, Uttar Pradesh by
Kumar and Srivastava (1995). The general morphology
of Glenobotrydion aenigmatis and Myxococcoides
minor is same, but differs due to presence of
intracellular mass and arrangement of cells in
Glenobotrydion aenigmatis. Present specimens are in
cluster. Glenobotrydion aenigmatis is not a common form
in the present assemblage.
Discussion: Species is morphologically identical with
E. magna described from the Fawn Limestone, Kheinjua
Formation (~ 1600 Ma), Son Valley Section, Mirzapur
district, U.P. by McMenamin et al. (1983). Later on Kumar
and Srivastava (1995) described it from a new locality,
Newari, Sonbhadra district, Uttar Pradesh. Kumar and
Srivastava (1992) also described it from the Deoban
Limestone (Formation), Chakrata region,
Garhwal Himalaya.
Discussion: Present specimen is comparable with
Huroniospora microreticulata. Existence of a notch can be
seen which may be the result of budding of cell. Kumar and
Singh (1979) also reported it from the Deoban
Limestone (Formation), Chakrata region, Dehradun,
Uttarakhand. Size of Huroniospora microreticulata is
comparable with the Deoban specimens described by
Kumar and Srivastava(1992). Banerjee (1973) described
this species from Jhamar Kotra, Udaipur, Matoon
Formation (Aravalli Supergroup)of 2500 – 1500 Ma age.

Filamentous Forms
Class Hormogoneae Thuret, 1875
Order Oscillatoriales Elenkin, 1949
Family Oscillatoriaceae (S.F. Gray) Kirchner,
1998
Genus: Siphonophycus Schopf, 1968
Type Species: Siphonophycus kestron Schopf, 1968
Siphonophycus robustum, Knoll, A.H.,
Swett, K., Mark, J., 1991
(Fig. 4 E)
Description: These are thin, tubular, unbranched,
cylindrical; non-septate may be straight or sinuous filaments
with smooth wall, unornamented and circular to elliptical
cross - sections. Diameter of tubes ranges from 2 - 6 µm.
Maximum recorded length is up to 60 µm (11 specimens
measured).
Genus: Siphonophycus Schopf, 1968
Type Species: Siphonophycus kestron Schopf, 1968
Siphonophycus kestron Schopf, 1968
(Fig. 4 F)
Description: Thick, slightly curved, non-septate, tubular
and sinuous filamentous sheaths. Sometime folded with
deformed margins. Walls smooth and unornamented, and
occasionally squashed and compressed. Width is not
uniform, ranging from 5 to 9 µm (9 filaments measured).
Maximum measured length is 54 µm.
CONCLUSIONS
Fig.5. Photomicrograph of black bedded chert. It is made up of
silicified oolites, pisolites and algal clasts seen floating in
silicious martrix. The microfossils are preserved with in the
algal clasts.
Discussion: Dimensions of the present specimens are
comparable to the forms illustrated by Schopf (1968) from
the Bitter Spring Formation,Australia. Specimens described
by Kumar and Srivastava (1995) from the Kheinjua
Formation, Newari area, central India and Kumar and
Pandey (2008b) from the Balwan Limestone, Lakheri
area, Rajasthan are identical in diameter range. The
Kotuikan typesimilar silicified microbiota assemblage has
been describedfrom the Narssârssuk Formation/Group,
Thale Group/ Supergroup, Greenland by Sergeev et al.
(2008), which isidentical in dimensions with the present
specimens. This species is widespread in
Proterozoic microfossil assemblages.
Discussion: Morphologically, the present specimens
closely resemble the Siphonophycus kestron described from
the Kheinjua Formation, Newari area, central India by
Kumar and Srivastava (1995). Siphonophycus kestron
resembles Eomycetopsis, but filaments with larger width
have been classed as Siphonophycus kestron. The Bhander
specimens show shorter width than the forms reported by
Oehler (1977) from the HYC Pyritic Shale Member, Schopf
(1968) from the Bitter Springs Formation, Knoll and
Calder (1983) from the Ryssö Formation and Shukla
et al. (1986) and Kumar and Srivastava (1992) from the
Deoban Limestone, Lesser Himalaya. Species
described by Prasad et al. (2005) from the Kajrahat
Limestone, Semri Group, Vindhyan Supergroup is
also identical in morphology.
Eight forms of cyanobacterial affinity have been
described from the petrographic thin sections of black
bedded cherts associated with the Bhander
Limestone exposed in the Satna and Rewa discricts, M.
P. These are Synodophycus euthemos,
Myxococcoides minor, Coniunctiophycus
gaoyuzhuangense, Siphonophycus kestron,
Siphonophycus robustum, Eoentophysalis magna,
Glenobotrydion aenigmatis and Huroniospora
microreticulata. All the reported forms are benthic and must
have flourished near the sediment/water interface forming
the microbial mats. These mats lithified the sediments and
were subsequently eroded and redeposited along with oolites
and pisolites (Fig.5), where these were silicified by the

formation of silica gel. The preservation of algal clasts with
poorly preserved microbiota simply confirms the presence
of microbial mats in a shallow marine environment of
deposition. No age connotation can be given to this
assemblage as all forms are long ranging.
Acknowledgements: We thank Dr. N. L. Chhabra, Head,
Centre of Advanced Study in Geology, University of
Lucknow, Lucknow for providing laboratory facilities.
Financial assistance to SK from the DST, New Delhi in the
form of a research projects entitled no: SR/S4/ES-86/2004
and SR/S4/ES-348/2008 is thankfully acknowledged. S.K.P.
also thanks CSIR, New Delhi for financial assistance in the
form of SRF.
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(Received: 20 March 2012; Revised form accepted: 23 August 2012)

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