Abstract
Petrographic observations of two Vindhyan black shales (Rampur Shale of the Semri Group and Bijaigarh Shale of the Kaimur Group) revealed the following features:
-
•general wavy lamination,
-
•contorted and folded thin shreds of organic matter,
-
•wavy pyritic laminae,
-
•‘teeth and socket’ structure.
These features are indirect evidence of microbial mat colonization during the Proterozoic. The microbial mats probably fixed carbon at the sediment surface, stabilized sediment and recycled organic matter and were the primary producers, unlike during the Phanerozoic time.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Banerjee S and Schieber J 2003 Paleoproterozoic condensed zone sediments in the Kajrahat Formation, Vindhyan Supergroup, Central India;Abstracts with programs — Geological Society of America 35 173.
Banerjee S and Jeevankumar S 2005 Microbially originated wrinkle structures on sandstone and their stratigraphic context: Paleoproterozoic Koldaha Shale, central India;Sedim. Geol. 176 211–224.
Bose P K, Sarkar S, Chakrabarty S and Banerjee S 2001 Overview of the Mesoto Neoproterozoic evolution of the Vindhyan basin, Central India;Sedim. Geol. 141 395–419.
Gehling J G 1999 Microbial mats in terminal Proterozoic siliciclastics: Ediacaran death masks;Palaios 14 40–57.
Gerdes G and Krumbein W E 1987 Biolaminated deposits; In:Lecture notes in earth sciences (eds) Bhattacharji S, Friedman G M, Neugebauer H J, Seilacher A (Berlin: Springer-Verlag), 183p.
Hagadorn J W, Pflüger F and Bottjer D J 1999 Unexplored microbial worlds;Palaios 14 73–85.
Horodyski R J, Bloeser B and Von Der Haar S 1977 Laminated algal mats from a coastal lagoon, Laguana Mormona, Baja California, Mexico;J. Sed. Pet. 47 680–696.
Krumbein W E and Cohen Y 1977 Primary production, mat formation and lithification: Contribution of oxygenic and facultative anoxygenic cyanobacteria; In:Fossil Algae (ed) E Flügel (New York: Springer-Verlag), pp. 37–56.
Nair N G K and Ray A 1977 Syndepositional and diagenetic features in the Pyrite Ores of Amjhore, Bihar, India;Mineral. Deposita 12 151–154.
O’Brien N R 1990 Significance of lamination in the Toarcian (Lower Jurassic) shales from Yorkshire, Great Britain;Sedim. Geol. 67 25–34.
Pflüger F 1999 Matground Structures and Redox Facies;Palaios 14 25–39.
Ray J S, Veizer J and Davis W J 2003 C, O, Sr and Pb isotope systematics of carbonate sequences of the Vindhyan Supergroup, India: age, diagenesis, correlations and implications for global events;Precamb. Res. 121 103–140.
Sarkar S, Banerjee S and Eriksson P G 2004 Microbial mat features in sandstone illustrated; In:The Precambrian earth: tempos and events (eds) Eriksson P G, Altermann W, Nelson D R, Mueller W U, Catuneanu O (Amsterdam: Elsevier), pp. 673–675.
Sarkar S, Banerjee S, Eriksson P G and Catuneanu O 2005 Microbial mat control on siliciclastic Precambrian sequence Stratigraphic architecture: Examples from India;Sedim. Geol. 176 195–209.
Schieber J 1986 The possible role of benthic microbial mats during the formation of carbonaceous shales in shallow Mid-Proterozoic basins;Sedimentology 33 521–536.
Schieber J 1989 Pyrite mineralization in microbial mats from the Mid-Proterozoic Newland Formation, Belt Supergroup, Montana, U.S.A;Sedim. Geol. 64 79–90.
Schieber J 1999 Microbial mats in terrigenous clastics: The challenge of identification in the rock record;Palaios 14 3–12.
Schieber J 2004 Microbial mats in the siliciclastic rock record: a summary of diagnostic features. In:The Precambrian earth: tempos and events (eds) Eriksson P G, Altermann W, Nelson D R, Mueller W U, Catuneanu O (Amsterdam: Elsevier), pp. 663–673.
Schwarz H U, Einsele G and Herm D 1975 Quartz sandy, grazing contoured stromatolites from coastal embayments of Mauretania, West Africa;Sedimentology 22 539–561.
Seilacher A and Pflüger F 1994 From biomats to benthic agriculture: A biohistoric revolution; In:Biostabilization of sediments: Bibliotheks und Informationssystem der Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg (BIS) (eds) Krumbein W E, Paterson D M, Stal L J (Germany: Oldenburg), pp. 97–105.
Soni M K, Chakraborty S and Jain V K 1987 Vindhyan Supergroup — a review;Geol. Soc. India Memoir 6 87–138.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sur, S., Schieber, J. & Banerjee, S. Petrographic observations suggestive of microbial mats from Rampur Shale and Bijaigarh Shale, Vindhyan basin, India. J Earth Syst Sci 115, 61–66 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02703026
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02703026