Evidence of an early Permian palynomorphs in Ophiolitic Mélange of the Shyok Suture Zone, Eastern Karakoram, Ladakh, India

Abstract

An Early Permian palynomorphs have been recorded for the first time from Ophiolitic Mélange of the Shyok Suture Zone, Eastern Karakoram, Ladakh, India. The characteristic taxa recorded in the assemblage are–Caheniasaccites diffusus, Crescentipollenites korbaensis, Distriatites bilateris, Faunipollenites varius, Ibisporites diplosaccus, Lacinitriletes badamensis, Lahirites parvus, Lunatisporites sp., Parasaccites korbaensis, Platysaccus brevizonatus, Plicatipollenites trigonalis, Potonieisporites mutabilis, Primuspollenites levis, Rhizomaspora indica, Scheuringipollenites tentulus, Striatites subtilis, Striasulcites ovatus, Striatopodocarpites gondwanensis and Verticipollenites secretus. The palynoflora recorded here reveals a typical early Permian age (Asselian–Sakmarian; 299.0–284.0 Ma) and affiliated to those described from the peninsular and extra–peninsular region of Lower Gondwana sediments of India as well as other core Gondwana continents. The study suggests that these palynomorphs were trapped remnants of the active continental margin of the Peri–Gondwanic Microcontinent/Kshiroda Plate that was cut off during subduction/integration processes between the Shyok–Suture–Zone of Ladakh and Karakoram Qiangtang Lhasa terrane and preserved in the Ophiolitic Mélange.