Vertebrate Palaeozoology: India
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Vertebrate Palaeozoology
Introduction
Palaeontology (palaios =ancient + ont =being) deals with the fossils entombed as remains of animals (also plants) of bygone periods. The study of fossils help scientists to assess past evolutionary changes and to find out the chronology of ancient rock formations. 'Vertebrate Palaeontology' deals with those animal fossils which possessed vertebrae or notochord in their living stage. Georges Cuvier (1769-1832) was the pioneer in the systenlatic study of vertebrate fossils.
The earliest forms of vertebrates or protochordates, very likely evolved or appeared in fresh water, but nlost of them escaped preservation. Some, however, were washed down and entombed in the marine deposits. Oldest forms, the ostracoderms have occurred in the Ordovician rocks i.e. 350 million years ago. Primitive jawed vertebrates or the Placoderms are found froln Silurian rocks. This group flourished to a maximunl in Devonian, by which time the ostracodenns declined. By the end of this time both the cartilagenous and bony fishes appeared plentifully. Immediately thereafter the crossopte.rygeans and amphibians appeared. The reptiles evolved in Carboniferous and flourished to a maximum with diversified branches during permian to cretaceous and occupied the major niches in land. ocean and lakes (fresh water). Some became gigantic in size -Brontosaurus, Dinosaurs, etc. But after cretaceous only four Orders could survive to date. Gradually the mammals in primitive forms came into existence in the Triassic and birds in the Jurassic. Most of the species existed in. particular geological horizon and em, thus considered as ideal index fossils.
Through successive strata. well preserv~.d representatives of closely related species render the scientists to depict the phylogeny of ~ome present day species. Thus the ancestry of modern horse could be traced to the small dog-size extinct Eohippus of Lower Eocene in North America. Similarly, the extinct small Eocene Moeritheriuln, lacking the trunk and tusks, has been traced to be the ancestor of present day elephants (Elephas, L'Oxodonta).
In context to the study of vertebrate fossils in India mention should be made to the following pioneers: H. Falconer, &P. T. Cautley, R. Lydekker; W. D. Mathew; G. E. Pilgrim and E. H. Colbert, R. Owen; T. H. I-Iuxley.
(I) Bibliography offossil fishes
1. flistorical : Fossil fish remains from different parts of India have been described by several scientists viz., McClelland (1844), Egerto (1845), Vemcuil (1867), Bell (1853), Blanford (1878), Lydekkcr (1880), MiaH (1878), Oldham (1859), Stoliczka (1873), and Waagen (1879), Wood-word (1889-1901), Hora (1937), Menon (1958), Prasad and Rao (1958) till a couple of decades back. Menon (1959) published a catalogue &bibliography of fossil fishes of India.
Since then the following workers have contributed to the subject. Tiwari (1959), Verma (1965). Trivedy (1966), Mohanti (1967), Gupta (1967), Misra &Sexena (1967), Chakraboni (1968), Gowda (1968), Tiwari, Chaturbedi &Singh (1968), Jain (1968, 1973), Gupta (1968) included a few records in his bibliography of fossil fauna of Rajasthan, Paul (1973) described a fossil shark tooth collected by Lakshmillarayana from Trichinopoly cretaceous beds, Broker (1973), Dassarma &Sinha (1975) and Satsangi & Mukherjee (1975), Jain (1974), Gupta and Yazdani (1978), Mukherjee and Ghosh (1978) described a new fossil fish Leiomens kapurdiensis from Kapurdi, Rajasthan, India.
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39 families, 58 genera and 106 species (34 not determined). 3. Areas covered (A) Family wise : Heterodontidae, Odontaspidae, Lamnidae, Carcharhinidae, Ptychodontidae, Myliobatidae, Cochliodontidae, Psammodontidae, Ptychodontidae, Edestidae, Ceratodidae, Amblypteridae, Saurichthyidae, Semionotidae, Aspidorhynchidae, Lepidosteridae Clupeidae, Osteoglossidae, Enchodontidae, Tachyswidae Siluridae, Bagridae, Sisordiae, Clariidae, Cyprinidae, Cyprinodontidae Ophicephalidae, Centropomidae, Serranidae, Anapantidae, Nandidae, Pristolepidae, Trichiuridae, Diodontidae, Sparidae, Amblypteridae, Coelacanthidae. (B) Kashmir, Siwalik, Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Tripura, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Meghalaya.
4. Present work 0/ the survey in relation to work done in other Institutes Geological Survey of India and Statistical Research Institute, Calcutta have reported fossil fishes. 5. Areas to be explored (A) Survey wise: All the areas reported under item 3(B). (B) Family wise: As under item 3(A).
(2) Bibliography ofIndian fossil Amphibia 1. Historical: Owen (1854, 1857), Huxley (1865), Wynne (1869), Stoliczlca (1869), LydekIcer (1877, 1879, 1881, 1882, 1883, 1886, 1887, 1890), Feistmantel, (1877), Foote (1884) reported or described fossil amphibia from India during last centUry, Woodward (1905), Huene (1920, 1940), Huene and Sahni (1958), Noble (1930), Chiplenkar (1940), Tiwari (1961, 1962), Roy (1961, 1962), Tripathi (1962), Tripathi and Purl (1962), Roy Choudhurl (1965), Tripathi (1969, 1980), Von Huene and Sahni (1981), Yadagiri and Prasad (1977), have added to our knowledge of Indian fossils of this group since then. Ghose (1968) published a catalogue of amphibian species, their distribution in India and a full bibliography, which will help all future workers on this group. 2. No. o/families, genera, and species in the country solar reported 9 families, 14 genera and 26 species (9 not determined) and some undetermined Labyrinthodont remains. 3. Areas covered (A) Family wise : Archegosauridae, Eryopsidae, Rhinesuchidae, Capitosauridae, Trematosauridae, Metaposauridae, Brachyopidac, Bufonidae, Ranidae. (B) Survey wise : Kashmir, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh.
4. Present work of the survey in relation to work done in other Institutes Geological Survey of India mainly surveyed these fossil sites from India. 5. Areas to be explored (A) Survey wise : Kashmir, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Andhra Pmdesh. Vertebrate Palaeozoology (B) Family wise : Archegosauridae, Eryopsidae, Rhinesuchidae, Capitosauridae, Trematosawidae, Metaposauridae, Brachyopidae, Bufonidae, Ranidae. (3) Biblio graphy on fossil Reptilia from India 1. Ilistorical : The frrst studies on fossil reptilia from India were carried by Falconer (1835) from Siwalik Hills. Since then a number of scientists like Cautley (1836); Falconer (1837, 1846, 1855, 1868); Falconer &Cautley (1840, 1844); Carter (1852, 1854); Theobald (1850, 1877, 1879); Huxley (1861, 1865, 1889), Blanford (1862), Hislop (1864); Mayer (1865); Stoliczka (1869); Grey (1871); Lydekker (1876, 1877, 1879, 1880, 1881, 1882, 1883, 1884, 1885, 1886, 1887, 1888, 1889, 1890); Faistmantel (1880); Pilgrim (1908, 1912), Cotter (1918), Matley (1918, 1919, 1921, 1923, 1929, 1932); Dasgupta (1920, 1922, 1926, 1928); Rao &Seshachar (1927); Mook(1932, 1933); Rao (1932); Huene &Matley (1933); Chakraborti (1934, 1935); Aiyengcr (1937); Huene (1940, 1942, 1956, 1960); Dubey &Narain (1946); Mukherjee (1949); Sukheswala (1949); Efrenov (1957); Robinson (1960, 1967); Tarlo &Robinson (1960). Colbart (1961); Ramaiha (1961); Sahni (1962); Tripathi &Puri (1962); Jain, Robinson &Chowdhury (1962, 1964); Tripathi &Satsangi (1963); Pascoe (1964; Satsangi (1964);
Tripathi (1964, 1968); Prasad 1966, 1968, 1970, 1974); Trivedy (1966); Tewari &Badam (1969); Chatterjee, Jain, Kutty &Chowdhury (1969), Kutty (1972); Badam (1973, 1974); Mahabey (1984), Sen and Banerjee (1984), Yadagiri (1987), Mathur (1989), etc., described Indian reptilian fossils from time to time and also made observations of stratigraphic and evolutionery importance. Most of these fossils arc from Siwalik hills; Panchet beds, Raniganj (West Bengal); Lameta beds, Jubbulpore (Madhya Pradesh); Tiki beds, South Rewah (Gujarat), Narmada valley; Kota Maleri beds around Maleri Yerrapalli.formation in Pranhita Godavari valley, Kurnool caves (Andhra Pradesh) and from Ariyalur and Sayamalai area of Tamil Nadu. 2. No. offamilies, genera and species in the country so far reported 32 families, 47 genera, 92 species (19 not determined upto specific level). 3. Areas covered (A) Family wise : Captorhinidae, Pelomedusidae, Ch~loniidae. Emydidae, Test:ldinidae, Trionynhidae, Carcttochelidae, Ichthyosauridae, Plesiosauridae, Rhynchosauridae. Varanidae, Pylhonidae, Colubridae, Erythrosuchidae, Phytosauridae, Pholidosauridae, Crocodylidae, Gavialidae, Rhamphorhynchidae, Coeluridae, Compsognathidae, Ornithomimidac, Teratosauridae, Megalosauridae, Allosauridae, Thccodontosauridae, Cetiosauridae, S tegosauridae, Nodosauridac, DicynodonLidae, Lystrosauridae, Endothiodontidae, plus two families not specified. (8) Survey wise : Siwalik Hills, Jammu &Kashmir, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Tripura, Assam, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Trunil Nadu.
4. Present work of the survey in relation to work done in other Institutes Geological Survey of India, Indian Statistical Institute, Calcutta and Centre of Advanced Study in Geology, Punjab University, Chandigarh surveyed for these fossils from India. 5. Areas to be explored (A) Survey wise : All the areas reported under item 3(B). (8) Family wise: As under item 3(A).
(4) Bibliography on/ossil aves/rorn the world 1. Historical : Lydckkcr (1879) rccorded the first avain fossil froln India followed by Davies (1880), Foote (1884), Blanford (1885) and Harrison (1979); Howard (1963) discussed the avian evolution. 2. No. offamilies, genera and species in the country sofar reported 11 families, 15 genera, 19 species (3 were not reported upto specific level). 3. Areas covered (A) Family wise : Pelecanidae (pelecaniformes); Anatidae (Anseriforme~); Phasianidae (Galliformes); Ardeidae &Ciconiidae (Ciconiformes); Accipitridae (Falconiformes); Gruidae (Gruiformes): Strigi~ae (Strigiformes); Suuthiidae (Struthiniformes); Dromiceidae (Casuariiformes) plus two families not reported. (B) Survey lvise : Reports are available from Kurnool Caves (Andhra Pradesh)' and Siwalik Hills.
4. Present work of the survey in relation to work done in other Institutes
Geological Survey of India, Southern Region and Archaeological Department, Deccan College of Science, Pune, have surveyed the kurnool Caves. 5. Areas to be explored (A) Survey wise : There is scope for further exploration in the two areas. (B) Family wise : In India, getting the fossil aves is a problem because of the excessive disturbance of nature from a long time, except in Siwaliks caves. Since we have a rich modem A vifauna, it is quite possible to assume that some of their ancestral forms have definitely occurred in the bygone in India.
(5) Bibliography offossil Carnivora
1. Historical : Falconer &Cautley (1835) fast described fossil Carnivora from Siwalik Hills. In their series of papers Lydekker (1875-1887) and Pilgrim (1908-1941) have advanced our knowledge to a great extent chiefly based on the specimens collected from the Siwalik Hills. Since then a number of workers added their contribution to the subject. Bose (1879), Woodward (1915), Kaltzoi (1929);Mathew (1923), Lewis (1933), Colbert (1933), Rao (1934), Prasad (1963), Pascoe (1964), Gupta &Badam (1972), Dutta (1976), Dassarma (1982), Saha (1984), have discussed the relative statigraphy and evolution of Indian fossil Carnivora. 2. No. offamilies, genera and species in the country sofar reported 10 families, 67 genera and 168 species (19 not determined). 3. Areas covered (A) Family wise: Canidae, Felidae, Hyaenidae, Mustelidae, Procyonidae, Ursidae, Viverridae, Hyaenodontidae, Mesonychidae. (B) Survey wise : Siwalik Hills, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu.
4. Present work of the survey in relation to work done in other Institutes Geological Survey of India and Deccan School of Archaeology, Pune, conducted surveys earlier in these areas. 5. Areas to be explored (A) Survey wise : There is a scope for further exploration. (B) Family wise : As under item 3(A).
6. Studies on fossil Bovidae and other artiodactyls and perissodactyls ofIndia 1. Historical : Prinscp (1834) was first to record a fossil ruminant from the Siwalik of India and this work was followed by Caurley and Falconer (1836), Falconer (1845), Lydekker (1876, 1877, 1878, 1884, 1885, 1886, 1887) Brown (1926); Colbert (1933, 1935); Pilgrim (1915, 1937, 1939); Azzaroli (1954); Prasad and Satsangi (1963, 1968, 1969); Prasad (1936); Pascoe (1964); Tripathi (1965); Trivedy (1966); Sahni and Khan (1968); Badam (1969); Hooijer (1950), Banerjee et al. (1987), Tobien (1988), Dassarma et ale (1982) and Jayakaran (1980). Pilgrim's (1939) work on fossil Bovidae is a monographic work. Most of these fossil records are from Siwalik, a few are from Kutch• and Kurnool caves (A.P.). Only two species of Bubalus and three species of Bos have been reported from India and adjacent (Falconer, 1859, 1868; Lydekker, 1877•, 1878, 1898). Pilgrim (1939) listed the known species from India, basing on Falconer and Lydekker. Mamgain and Sastry (1967) also obtained broken fragments of /:1os sp., from Trichinopoly Cretaceous beds in South India. During a survey tour conducted by Lakshminarayana, a large fossil right humerus was obtained on Marudaiyar River beds in Tamil Nadu. This large fragment was studied in the Section and on comparison with the available extant and extinct material of Bubalus or Bos available in the Geological and Zoological Survey on India respectively was found to belong to yet another new species of Bubalus and described it as Bubalus maruvattoorensis sp. nov. (Ghosh, Paul and Saba 1973).
Dental fragments and lower jaws of bovids have been reported earlier by Mamgain and Sastry (1967) and those of equines by Rao (1927) and Rao and Seshachar (1927) respectively. Lakshminarayana has also collected lower right 3rd premolar (possibly near to that of Equus namadicus Falc. &Caut.) and the upper left second molar ofBos sp. (the first upper tooth reported so far from India). A note on these teeth have been published by Saba (1976). 2. No. offamilies, genera and species estimated in the country 7 families; 58 genera and 119 species. 3. Areas covered (A) Family wise: Tragulidae, Cervidae, Giraffidae and Bovidae. (B) Survey wise : Kashmir, Siwaliks, Tripura, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu.
4. Present work ofthe Survey in, relation to work done in other Institutes in India
A large number of contribution on these families are based on G.S.!. collections. Dept. of OeoJogy and Zoology, Central College of Bangalore and Deccan College of Archaeology, Pune have also conducted surveys in Tamil Nadu. S. Areas to be explored (A) Survey wise : There is a scope for further exploration in Kashmir, Siwalik, Tripura, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu. (B) Family wise : Tragulidae, Cervidae, Giraffidae and Bovidae.
(7) Bibliography onfossil Primates
1. Historical : Falconer &Cautley (1837) first described the fossil primates from Siwalik Hills. Since then a number of scientists contributed to the subject. Lydekker (1879), Pilgrim (1910), Wadia &Aiyengar (1937), Hooijer (1951), Pascoe (1964), Gupta (1970) and Prasad (1972) discussed the relative statigraphy and evolution of Indian fossil Primates.
Primatological studies are now receiving greater attention from different parts of the world including India. Therefore, it was felt desirable to have a fossil bibliography on this subject so that the workers on the extinct primates will have an easy access for the fossil literature and thereby the evolutionary significance and importance of primates in time and space can be better understood. 7 families, 24 genera, 44 species (3 not determined). 3. Areas covered (A) Family wise: Cercopithecidae, Pongidae, Lemuridae, Simiidae, Plesiadapidae, Adapidae, Hominidae; (B) Survey wise: Siwalik, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and Andhra Pradesh.
4. Present work of the survey in relation to work done in other Institutes
Geological Survey of India and Deccan School of Archaeology, Pune, conducted surveys earlier in these areas. 5. Areas to be explored (A) Survey wise : There are several unexplored caves in Kumool District and Siwalik Hills the survey of which can be taken up. (B) Family wise : As under item 3(A).
Selected References
Colbert. E. H. 1935. Siwalik Mammals in American Museum of Natural History. Trans. Amer. Phil. Soc. N. S. vol. 26; pp. 160-162; 314-323. Falconer, H. &Caulley, P. T. 1864. Fauna Antiqua Sivalensis, London. Huxley, T. H. 1865. Vertebrate fossils from the Panchet Rocks. Pal. Indica, Ser IV, I, Pt. 1,3¬ 242. Lydekker, R. 1884. Siwalik and Narbada .Bunodont Suina. Pal. Ind. Sere X, vol. 3, Pt 2, pp. 35¬ 104. Menon, A. G. K. 1959. Catalogue and Bibliography of'Fossil Fishes of India. J. Palaeonl. Soc. India vol. IV, pp. 51-60. Pilgrim. G. E. 1937. Siwalik antelopes and Oxen in'the American Museum of Natural History.
Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hisl.• vol. 72, Art. 7 .• pp. 729-874. Pilgrim. 1939. The Fossil Bovidae of India. Pal. Ind. N. S., vol. 26, Mem. I, pp. 1-356.
