Paleogene Indian Plate Dynamics and Palaeoclimate: A Review from Palynological Perspective

At the dawn of the Paleogene that was the beginning of the Cenozoic era, the continents drifted farther apart, heading toward their modern positions. After India separated from Gondwana, it took 160million years to travel 9000 km northward from the Southern Hemisphere to Northern Hemisphere and to its modern geographical position coupled with Eurasia. During that voyage as an isolated Island continent, India experienced various climatic conditions due to latitudinal changes as well as extreme climate variations. Documentation of India's climate during its journey across the paleoequatorial region allows us to assess biotic as well as climatic changes across the low latitudes, at a time when global climate was exceptionally warm. It is also postulated that the similar situation might be experience in the future. The palynological studies of the Paleogene deposits of Indian subcontinent can provide substantial information of past vegetation and climate, and can serve as a natural laboratory to understand the relationship between biota and climate.