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The Kota Formation is a geological formation in India. The age of the Kota Formation is uncertain; it is commonly considered to date to the Early Jurassic, but some studies have suggested it may extend into the Middle Jurassic or even later. It conformably overlies the Lower Jurassic Upper Dharmaram Formation and is unconformably overlain by the Lower CretaceousGangapur Formation. It is split into a Lower Member and Upper Member. The Lower Member is approximately 100 m thick while the Upper Member is 490 m thick. Both subunits primarily consist of mudstone and sandstone, but near the base of the upper unit there is a 20-30 metre thick succession of limestone deposited in a freshwater setting.[1]
The lower boundary of the Kota Formation is made of pebbly sandstone, covering the topmost clay seen in the Dharmaram Formation.[2] The Kota Formation has been traditionally divided into 2 main members, the Lower and Upper members, yet more recent work have redivided it into 3.[3] The Lower member can be seen at locations such as Adamilli, Kamavarapukota and Sudikonda, being made of sandstones, with clay clasts, with greater or lower stratification.[4] The Middle Member is well developed along the Continental Gondwana basin, specially towards the northwestern part, and is made of medium to fine white sandstone with clay and concretionary limestone, suggesting the development of paleosols associated with alluvial floodplains.[3] The last member is mostly made of broad sandstone sheets with large clay casts associated with fluvial channels, and has an extension that can be easuly seen on several continuous kilometers.[4][5] The Uppermost section of the unit is mostly made of limestones and is overlain on an angular unconformity by the Gangapur Formation.[3]
Age
The age of the Kota Formation is controversial. There are no magmatic rocks or volcanic ash beds associated with the Kota Formation, which means that its age cannot be determined directly through radiometric dating.[6][7] The maximum age of the Kota Formation is constrained by the underlying Upper Dharmaram Formation, which is Early Jurassic, probably Hettangian or Sinemurian, in age.[8][7] Various researchers have attempted to date the Kota Formation using biostratigraphy. Krishnan (1968), Jain (1973), and Yadagiri and Prasad (1977) favored an Early Jurassic age based on the fish fauna. Govindan (1975) suggested a Middle Jurassic age based on ostracods. In 2006, Bandyopadhyay and Sengupta argued that the fish fauna suggested a Toarcian age for the Upper Kota Formation, possibly extending into the Aalenian, and in turn estimated the Lower Kota to be Sinemurian to Pliensbachian in age.[9] Guntupalli V. R. Prasad, along with various coauthors, has argued for a younger age. In 2001, Vijaya and Prasad proposed based on palynological evidence that the Kota Formation was deposited between the Callovian age of the Middle Jurassic and the Barremian age of the Early Cretaceous.[10] In 2002, Prasad and Manhas argued that the mammal genus Dyskritodon, known only from the Kota Formation and the Early Cretaceous of Morocco, provides evidence for a young age for the Kota Formation.[11] In 2020, Prasad and Parmar argued that the similarity of the dinosaur fauna of the Kota Formation to that of the Middle Jurassic of the United Kingdom supported a Middle Jurassic age for the Kota Formation.[12]
Paleoenvironment
The Kota Formation hosted lacustrine and wetland settings, this last one being of carbonate type, having modern analoges such as the Tablas de Daimiel in Spain
The Kota Formation represents mostly a Continental succession related to a continental rift basin, the Pranhita-Godavari Gondwana Basin of peninsular India.[13] The associated facies of sandstone and limestones are likely related to playa-type lake, with nearby fluvial currents, part of low gradient hanging wall alluvial fans, being deposited on it´s margin. There have been records of freshwater lue green algal stromatolites and oncolites, suggested to be deposited on low energy and low bathymetry lacustrine settings.[14] More recent works have proven the basin hosted in the Early Jurassic a freshwater carbonate wetland marked by the presence of limestones.[1] The environmental model proposed include a depositional cycle marked by several facies types, A for the sublittoral zones of shallow water bodies, followed by palustrine environments, including surfaces with abundance of influence of both plants and animals, specially rhizobrecciation indicating active colonization of the margins by plants, having a similar deposition to the modern Las Tablas de Daimiel wetlands.[1] Associated with the lacustrine facies have recovered microbial bioherms and lacustrine spring mounds, shallow ephemeral ponds with carbonated mud and Phyllopods, pedogenic calcrete under arid seasons and short-lived distributary channels.[13] The depositional setting may have been partially sheltered from the input of siliciclastic materials, except on flooding seasons. Microbial biomats likely developed on shallow waters, while rhizoliths increased it´s presence of abandoned channel fills and pedogenic facies indicate drought seasons.[13]
About 60 specimens of Pharyngeal Teeth, including GSITL3-6
A freshwater neopterygian of the family Pycnodontidae, originally classified as Perciformes, yet suggested to be very similar to the Cretaceous pycnodont Stephanodus.
A dubious mammal of the group Eutriconodonta. This Genus is known from the Early Cretaceous of Morocco, what has been used to suggest a minimum Berrasian age for the Upper Kota Formation
Sacral vertebra, vertebral centra, dorsal vertebrae, caudal vertebrae, parts of scapula and ilium, osteoderms
A chimaera of thyreophoran postcranial material and Crocodrylomorph skull pieces. The armor was later suggested to be Ankylosauria indet.[46] And other latter works pointed out it likely belongs to an indeterminate basal thyreophoran.[52]
↑ It cannot be determined which of the two Kota squamate forms, if either, the holotype of Paikasisaurus indicus pertains to.[40]
Related Research Articles
Eobaataridae is a family of fossil mammals within the order Multituberculata. Remains are known from the Lower Cretaceous of Europe and Asia. They are among the most derived representatives of the informal suborder "Plagiaulacida", and closely related to Cimolodonta. Most eobaatarids are only known from isolated teeth, though several reasonably complete members are known, including Sinobaatar and Jeholbaatar. The body of Sinobaatar is generalised, while Jeholbaatar displays clear adaptations for scansoriality (climbing) due to its elongated digits. Due to the morphology of the cheek teeth, Eobaatar and Jeholbaatar are inferred to be omnivorous, likely feeding on plants and invertebrates.
Barapasaurus is a genus of basal sauropod dinosaur from Jurassic rocks of India. The only species is B. tagorei. Barapasaurus comes from the lower part of the Kota Formation, which is of Early to Middle Jurassic age. It is therefore one of the earliest known sauropods. Barapasaurus is known from approximately 300 bones from at least six individuals, so that the skeleton is almost completely known except for the anterior cervical vertebrae and the skull. This makes Barapasaurus one of the most completely known sauropods from the early Jurassic.
Dravidosaurus is a controversial taxon of Late Cretaceous reptiles, variously interpreted as either a ornithischian, possibly stegosaurian, dinosaur or a plesiosaur. The genus contains a single species, D. blanfordi, known from mostly poorly preserved fossils from the Coniacian of southern India.
Kotasaurus is a genus of sauropod dinosaur from the Early Jurassic period (Sinemurian–Pliensbachian). The only known species is Kotasaurus yamanpalliensis. It was discovered in the Kota Formation of Telangana, India and shared its habitat with the related Barapasaurus. So far the remains of at least 12 individuals are known. The greater part of the skeleton is known, but the skull is missing, with the exception of two teeth. Like all sauropods, it was a large, quadrupedal herbivore with long neck and tail.
The Cistecephalus Assemblage Zone is a tetrapod assemblage zone or biozone found in the Adelaide Subgroup of the Beaufort Group, a majorly fossiliferous and geologically important geological group of the Karoo Supergroup in South Africa. This biozone has outcrops located in the Teekloof Formation north-west of Beaufort West in the Western Cape, in the upper Middleton and lower Balfour Formations respectively from Colesberg of the Northern Cape to east of Graaff-Reinet in the Eastern Cape. The Cistecephalus Assemblage Zone is one of eight biozones found in the Beaufort Group, and is considered to be Late Permian in age.
Eryosuchus is an extinct genus of capitosauroid temnospondyl from the Middle Triassic of northern Russia. It was a very large predator: the largest specimen known could reach up to 3.5 m (11.5 ft) in length, with a skull over 1 m long.
Chigutisauridae is an extinct family of large temnospondyl amphibians. The only genera recognized as belonging to Chigutisauridae at the current time are all from Gondwana. Chigutisaurids first appeared during the Early Triassic in Australia. During the Late Triassic they became widely distributed in Gondwana, with fossils found in South Africa, India and South America. Koolasuchus from the Early Cretaceous of Australia represents the youngest known temnospondyl.
Indocoelacanthus robustus is a fossil sarcopterygian. The holotype specimen was found in Lower Jurassic-aged riverine sediment of the Kota formation, in the Pranhita-Godavari valley at Boraigudem limestone ridge, about 30 kilometers southeast of Sironcha, India. The holotype is preserved in the museum of the Indian Statistical Institute.
The Upper Dharmaram Formation is an Early Jurassic geologic formation found in Andhra Pradesh, India. Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation.
The Intertrappean Beds are a Late Cretaceous and Early Paleocene geologic formation in India. The beds are found as interbeds between Deccan Traps layers, including the more diverse Lameta Formation. The formation spans the Cretaceous–Paleogene boundary, and a significant debate exists about whether specific sites belong to the Cretaceous or the Paleocene. Indeterminate theropod and pterosaur remains have been recovered from the formation, as well as dinosaur eggs. The mammal genera Deccanolestes, Sahnitherium, Bharattherium, and Kharmerungulatum have been recovered from it as well. A rich plant flora is known from the formation.
Godavarisaurus is an extinct genus of sphenodontian reptile from the Early-Middle Jurassic Kota Formation of Andhra Pradesh, India. It is known from jaw fragments. It was a small sphenodontian, with the skull estimated to be less than 2 centimetres (0.79 in) long.
The Stormberg Group is one of the four geological groups that comprises the Karoo Supergroup in South Africa. It is the uppermost geological group representing the final phase of preserved sedimentation of the Karoo Basin. The Stormberg Group rocks are considered to range between Lower Triassic (Olenekian) to Lower Jurassic (Pliensbachian) in age. These estimates are based on means of geological dating including stratigraphic position, lithostratigraphic and biostratigraphic correlations, and palynological analyses.
The Pranhita–Godavari Basin is a northwest–southeast striking geological structural basin in eastern India. The basin contains up to 7 kilometres of sedimentary strata of late Carboniferous/Early Permian to Cretaceous age. The basin is 400 km in length with a width of about 100 km and is terminated by the coast of the Indian Ocean on the southeast end.
The Lower Maleri Formation is a sedimentary rock formation found in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, India. It is the lowermost member of the Pranhita–Godavari Basin. It is of late Carnian to early Norian age, and is notable for its fossils of early dinosaurs, including the basal saurischian Alwalkeria.
The Lower Dharmaram Formation is a sedimentary rock formation found in Andhra Pradesh, India. It is one of the formations of the Pranhita–Godavari Basin. It is of latest Norian and Rhaetian ages, and is notable for its fossils of early dinosaurs.
The Yerrapalli Formation is a Triassic rock formation consisting primarily of mudstones that outcrops in the Pranhita–Godavari Basin in southeastern India. The Yerrapalli Formation preserves fossils of freshwater and terrestrial vertebrates as well as trace fossils of invertebrates. The tetrapod fauna includes temnospondyl amphibians, archosauromorph reptiles, and dicynodonts.
Bharatagama is an extinct genus of lepidosaur from the Early Jurassic of India. It has been suggested to be one of the oldest known lizards and the oldest known iguanian. The type and only species is Bharatagama rebbanensis, named in 2002. Over one hundred fossils of Bharatagama have been found in the Kota Formation, which outcrops in the Pranhita–Godavari Basin and dates back to about 190 million years ago (Ma). Despite its abundance, Bharatagama is known only from isolated jaw bones mixed together in microvertebrate assemblages with equally fragmentary remains of fish, sphenodontians, dinosaurs, crocodylomorphs, and mammals. These fossils represent all stages of development, from hatchlings to adults. The total length of the skull in adult specimens is estimated to have been about 15 millimetres (0.59 in). Later analysis suggested that the taxon might be a member of Rhynchocephalia.
Panthasaurus is an extinct genus of large temnospondyl amphibian belonging to the family Metoposauridae that lived in India during the Late Triassic (Norian) of central India. It contains one species, Panthasaurus maleriensis from the Lower Maleri Formation of India.
The Kallamedu Formation is a Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) geologic formation located in India that forms part of the Ariyalur Group. Dinosaur remains and petrified wood samples are among the known fossils recovered from this formation.
The Panchet Formation is an Early Triassic geological formation from the Damodar Valley of India.
References
1 2 3 Goswami, Suparna; Gierlowski-Kordesch, Elizabeth; Ghosh, Parthasarathi (January 2018). "Sedimentology of the Early Jurassic limestone beds of the Kota Formation: record of carbonate wetlands in a continental rift basin of India". Journal of Paleolimnology. 59 (1): 21–38. Bibcode:2018JPall..59...21G. doi:10.1007/s10933-016-9918-y. ISSN0921-2728. S2CID133167210.
1 2 3 Lakshminarayana, G. (1994). "Stratigraphy and structural framework of the Gondwana sediments in the Pranhita-Godavari Valley, Andhra Pradesh". Gondwana Nine. 1 (2): 311–330.
↑ Chinnappa, Chopparapu; Rajanikanth, Annamraju; Pauline Sabina, Kavali (2019). "Palaeofloras from the Kota Formation, India: palaeodiversity and ecological implications". Volumina Jurassica. 17: 1–16. doi:10.7306/vj.17.1 (inactive 31 January 2024).{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of January 2024 (link)
↑ Bandyopadhyay, Saswati; Sengupta, Dhurjati Prasad (2006). "Vertebrate faunal turnover during the Triassic-Jurassic transition: an Indian scenario". New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin. 37: 77–85.
↑ Vijaya; Prasad, G. V. R. (2001). "Age of the Kota Formation, Pranhita-Godavari Valley, India: a palynological approach". Journal of the Palaeontological Society of India. 46: 77–93.
1 2 3 Prasad, Guntupalli V R; Manhas, Brijesh K (2002). "Triconodont mammals from the Jurassic Kota Formation of India". Geodiversitas. 24 (2): 445–464.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Prasad, Guntupalli V. R.; Parmar, Varun (2020). "First Ornithischian and Theropod Dinosaur Teeth from the Middle Jurassic Kota Formation of India: Paleobiogeographic Relationships". In Prasad, Guntupalli V.R.; Patnaik, Rajeev (eds.). Biological Consequences of Plate Tectonics. Cham: Springer International Publishing. pp.1–30. ISBN978-3-030-49752-1.
↑ Rudra, D. K.; Maulik, P. K. (1987). "Stromatolites from Jurassic freshwater limestone, India". Mesozoic Research. 1 (3): 135–146.
1 2 3 4 5 Misra, R.S.; Satsangi, P.P. (1979). "Ostracods from Kota Formation". Proceedings of the Colloquium on Micropalaeontology and Stratigraphy. Geological Survey of India, Miscellaneous Publication. 45 (5): 73–80.
1 2 3 4 5 6 Tasch, P. (1987). Fossil Conchostraca of the Southern Hemisphere and continental drift: Paleontology, biostratigraphy, and dispersal (165ed.). Geological Society of America.
↑ Yadagiri, P.; Satsangi, P. P.; Prasad, K. N. (1980). "The Piscean Fauna from the Kota Formation of the Pranhita-Godavari Valley, Andhra Pradesh". Geological Survey of India. 45.
↑ Conrad, Jack L (2018-06-28). "A new lizard (Squamata) was the last meal of Compsognathus (Theropoda: Dinosauria) and is a holotype in a holotype". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 183 (3): 584–634. doi:10.1093/zoolinnean/zlx055. eISSN1096-3642. ISSN0024-4082.
1 2 3 Galton, Peter M. (2019-02-28). "Earliest record of an ankylosaurian dinosaur (Ornithischia: Thyreophora): Dermal armor from Lower Kota Formation (Lower Jurassic) of India". Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie - Abhandlungen. 291 (2): 205–219. doi:10.1127/njgpa/2019/0800. ISSN0077-7749. S2CID134302379.
↑ Owen, R. (1852). "Note on the crocodilian remains accompanying Dr. T.L. Bell's paper on Kotah". Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. 7: 233.
↑ Padian, Kevin (2008). "The Early Jurassic pterosaur Campylognathoides Strand, 1928". Special Papers in Palaeontology. 80.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Rao, C.N.; Shah, S.C. (1963). "On the occurrence of pterosaur from the Kota-Maleri beds, Chanda district, Maharashtra". Records of the Geological Survey of India. 92 (2): 315–318.
↑ Prasad, G.V. R. (1986). "Microvertebrate assemblage from the Kota Formation (Early Jurassic) of Gorlapalli, Adilabad District, Andhra Pradesh". Indian Society of Geoscientists Bulletin. 2 (3): 3–13.
↑ Murlidhar, R.G. (1991). "On a silicified wood from the Kota formation (Liassic) of the Pranhita Godavari Basin". Journal of Swamy's Botany. 8 (5): 107–112.
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