Biozonation of Marwar Supergroup Around Jodhpur Area, Rajasthan, India : Palaeobiological and Biostratigraphical Studies

Research work concerns the biozonation and correlation of the Marwar Supergroup (MSG) with special reference to the Jodhpur and adjoining areas, which are exposed in the western part of the Rajasthan. The basin is considered as a lagerstätten in context of fossils ranging from Late Neoproterozoic to Early Cambrian in age. The Marwar Supergroup has yielded miscellaneous fossils viz. Animal Body fossils, Plant Body fossils, Microbially Induced Sedimentary Structure (MISS) and Stromatolites. The biozones have been categorised on the basis of Body fossils, Organo-Sedimentary Structures, Trace fossils, Microfossils, etc. Though, there are limited parameters available for defining biozones, the fossil pattern obeys the chronological order as the lower part of Marwar Supergroup consists of fossils of the Ediacaran age; followed by the middle part i.e. the Bilara Group comprising stromatolites which possibly characterized the Pc-C, and the upper part, i.e. the Nagaur Group having fossils of Early Cambrian age. These fossils in the MSG provide a robust database to throw light on the evolving life in the Precambrian-Cambrian (Pc-C) time span in the global context.