Vastan Lignite Mine: Ypresian, India
collected 2004, 2006

List of taxa
Where & when
Geology
Taphonomy & methods
Metadata & references
Taxonomic list
Angiospermae - Araceae
Proxapertites sp. Van der Hammen 1956
Alimohammadian et al. 2005
Insecta - Diptera
Alimohammadian et al. 2005
"fly"
Insecta - Hymenoptera - Formicidae
Alimohammadian et al. 2005
"ant"
Arachnida
Alimohammadian et al. 2005
Alimohammadian et al. 2005
unclassified
Alimohammadian et al. 2005
Rose et al. 2020
Amphibia - Temnospondyli
Rose et al. 2006
"?Hyloidea or ?Ranoidea"
Amphibia - Temnospondyli - Bombinatoridae
Folie et al. 2013 201 specimens
Holotype: GU/RSR/VAS 5001
Amphibia - Temnospondyli - Rhacophoridae
Folie et al. 2013 2 specimens
Holotype: GU/RSR/VAS 5220
Amphibia - Temnospondyli - Ranidae
"Ranidae" indet. Rafinesque 1814
Folie et al. 2013 17 specimens
Amphibia - Temnospondyli - Pelobatidae
Eopelobates sp. Parker 1929
Folie et al. 2013 1 specimen
Amphibia - Temnospondyli - Discoglossidae
Discoglossidae indet. Günther 1859
Rose et al. 2006
Reptilia
Mayr et al. 2007 5 specimens
GU/RSR/VAS 441 (holotype). GU/RSR/VAS 442-444, 647
Reptilia - Palaeophiidae
Rose et al. 2006
Palaeophis sp. Owen 1841
Rage et al. 2008 22 specimens
Bajpai and Head 2008 3 specimens
Rage et al. 2008 1 specimen
Reptilia - Madtsoiidae
Rage et al. 2008 1 specimen
Reptilia
Rage et al. 2008 8 specimens
Reptilia - Boidae
Boidae indet. Gray 1825
Rose et al. 2006
Reptilia - Russellophiidae
Rage et al. 2008 1 specimen
Rage et al. 2008 11 specimens
Reptilia - Priscagamidae
Rana et al. 2013 4 specimens
GU/RSR/VAS-2035 (holotype), nearly complete left dentary; VAS-2036, nearly complete left maxilla; VAS-2046, anteriormost part of left dentary; VAS-2050, jaw fragment
Reptilia - Agamidae
Prasad and Bajpai 2008 8 specimens
IITR/SB/VLM 1050 (holotype), left dentary; IITR/SB/VLM 793, left dentary; IITR/SB/VLM 886, right dentary; from ref 60272: GU/RSR/VAS-2001 and -2002, two nearly complete right dentaries; VAS-2003, anterior part of left dentary; VAS-2007, anteriormost part of left maxilla; VAS-2031, anteriormost part of right maxilla
Rana et al. 2013 1 specimen
GU/RSR/VAS-2009 (holotype), incomplete left dentary
Rana et al. 2013 3 specimens
GU/RSR/VAS-2030 (holotype), nearly complete right dentary; VAS-2033, partial left maxilla; VAS-2040, middle to anterior part of right dentary
Agamidae indet. Gray 1827
Rose et al. 2006 19 specimens
Prasad and Bajpai 2008
IITR/SB/VLM 904 (holotype), left dentary; IITR/SB/VLM 1051, maxilla; IITR/SB/VLM 748, right dentary; IITR/SB/VLM 820, right dentary; IITR/SB/VLM 1040, right dentary; from ref. 60272: GU/RSR/VAS-2008, 2015, 2037-2039, 2051-2052, seven dentary fragments; VAS-2016-2018, 2022-2023, 2025-2026, seven maxillary fragments
Mammalia
Bajpai et al. 2005
Mammalia - Chiroptera
Chiroptera indet. Blumenbach 1779
Rose et al. 2006
"very small"
Mammalia - Chiroptera - Hassianycterididae
Smith et al. 2007
Mammalia - Chiroptera - Archaeonycteridae
cf. Archaeonycteris sp. Revilliod 1917
Rose et al. 2006
Smith et al. 2007
Smith et al. 2007
Mammalia - Chiroptera - Palaeochiropterygidae
Smith et al. 2007
Mammalia - Chiroptera
Bajpai et al. 2005
Mammalia - Chiroptera - Icaronycteridae
Rose et al. 2006
Smith et al. 2007
Mammalia - Primates
Bajpai et al. 2005 1 specimen
Rana et al. 2005 2 specimens
Mammalia - Primates - Notharctidae
Rose et al. 2009
Bajpai et al. 2005 2 specimens
Bajpai et al. 2005 1 specimen
Bajpai et al. 2008
IITR/SB/VLM 1137 (type), 1100, 1017, 1201
Rose et al. 2020
unnamed sp. nov.
Adapoidea indet. Trouessart 1879
Rose et al. 2006
    = Asiadapis cambayensis n. gen., n. sp. Rose et al. 2007
Rose et al. 2007
type specimen also illustrated by Rose et al. 2006
Mammalia - Primates - Omomyidae
Rose et al. 2009 5 specimens
(GU/RSR/VAS 441 (holotype). GU/RSR/VAS 442, 443, 444, 647
Bajpai et al. 2005 2 specimens
Mammalia - Rodentia - Chapattimyidae
cf. Chapattimyidae indet. Hussain et al. 1978
Rose et al. 2020
Mammalia - Rodentia - Ischyromyidae
cf. Meldimys sp. Michaux 1968
Rose et al. 2020
Rose et al. 2006
Rana et al. 2008
Mammalia - Lagomorpha
Lagomorpha indet. Brandt 1885
Rose et al. 2008
GU/RSR/VAS 711 and 712
Mammalia - Nyctitheriidae
Das et al. 2022
Mammalia - Vastanidae
Mammalia - Diacodexeidae
Kumar et al. 2010 3 specimens
Gujaratia pakistanensis (Thewissen et al. 1983)
Mammalia - Procreodi - Arctocyonidae
Bajpai et al. 2009 1 specimen
Mammalia - Perissodactyla
Bajpai et al. 2006 6 specimens
Rose et al. 2006 8 specimens
GU/RSR/VAS 5, left maxilla with dP3-4, P4 (from crypt), M1 (holotype). GU/RSR/VAS 18, right M1; GU/RSR/ VAS 12, right maxilla with heavily worn M2; GU/RSR/VAS 1, partial left M3; tentatively referred: GU/RSR/VAS 10, upper C; GU/RSR/VAS 2, left p1; GU/RSR/VAS 3, left p2; GU/RSR/ VAS 4, talonid of right m1
Mammalia - Perissodactyla - Helaletidae
Smith et al. 2015
GU/RSR/VAS 323 - holotype; referred specimen: GU/RSR/VAS 1681
Mammalia - Perissodactyla
Rose et al. 2020
Mammalia - Creodonta - Hyaenodontidae
Bajpai et al. 2009 4 specimens
Mammalia
Rose et al. 2020
Mammalia - Esthonychidae
Rose et al. 2009
GU/RSR/VAS 1587, 1651
Rose et al. 2013 1 specimen
GU/RSR/VAS 762 - holotype
Rose et al. 2020
Rose et al. 2020
Mammalia - Apatemyidae
Mammalia - Coryphodontidae
Rose et al. 2020
Mammalia - Cimolestidae
unclassified
Kapur et al. 2017 1 specimen
Holotype: IITR/SB/VLM-804
Thaumastophiidae
Rage et al. 2008 4 specimens
Holotype: GU/RSR/VAS 1017, mid trunk vertebra. From Zaher et al. 2021: GU/RSR/VAS 1097, anterior- most trunk vertebra; GU/RSR/VAS 1095, 1096, 1098, 1100, anterior trunk vertebrae; GU/RSR/VAS 1085, 1086, 1087, 1089, 1090, 1091, 1092, 1093, 1094, 1101, mid-trunk vertebrae; GU/RSR/VAS 1088, 1103, mid-posterior trunk vertebrae; GU/RSR/VAS 1099, 1102, 1106, posterior trunk vertebrae; GU/RSR/VAS 1082-1084, caudal trunk vertebrae
see common names

Geography
Country:India State/province:Gujarat County:District Surat
Coordinates: 21.4° North, 73.1° East (view map)
Paleocoordinates:6.7° South, 70.7° East (Wright 2013)
Basis of coordinate:stated in text
Time
Period: Paleogene Epoch: Eocene
Stage: Ypresian 10 m.y. bin: Cenozoic 2
Key time interval: Ypresian
Age range of interval: 56 - 48.07 m.y. ago
Stratigraphy
Formation:Cambay Shale
Stratigraphic resolution:group of beds
Stratigraphy comments: age based on Nummulites burdigalensis, which implies Shallow Benthic Zone 10 according to Bajpai et al, and SBZ 10-11 according to Rose et al.
most small and large mammals are from two different, immediately superposed beds above Lignite 2 and at the base of the estuarine cycle 1, low in the section, but additional mammals are from supratidal deposits well above the highest lignite at the top of cycle 6 (Rose et al. 2009)
Lithology and environment
Primary lithology: argillaceous,carbonaceous siltstone
Secondary lithology: claystone
Includes fossils?Y
Includes fossils?Y
Lithology description: alternate dark grey carb. shale & greenish black shale/marl or (according to Rose et al. 2006) "dark, organic-rich, clayey silt at the contact between a marine shelly layer, containing shark and fish remains, and a continental clay layer" or (according to Rose et al. 2009) "smaller terrestrial vertebrates... come from a thin lens (<0.5 m thick) of dark, clayey silt and shale with abundant plant matter... Approximately 1-2 m higher is a dark clay zone that has produced larger mammals"
Environment:lagoonal
Geology comments: from a "near-shore lagoonal setting" according to Bajpai et al. 2007 (JVP abstract)
Taphonomy
Modes of preservation:body,original phosphate
Size of fossils:macrofossils,mesofossils
Disassociated minor elements:many
Collection methods and comments
Collection methods:bulk,sieve,field collection
Reason for describing collection:general faunal/floral analysis
Collection dates:2004, 2006
Collection method comments: "About a ton of sediment has been screen-washed and has yielded 23 jaws and >140 isolated teeth of continental mammals" (Rose et al.)
the Bajpai et al. and Rose et al. collections appear to have been made separately, and the latter are in the Department of Geology, H. N. B. Garhwal University
Taxonomic list comments:Rose et al. list four insectivores sensu lato that may or may not be the same as those described by Bajpai et al.: ? Cimolestidae (said to be new), ? Adapisoriculidae (said to be new), a larger insectivore, and ? Erinaceomorpha
Metadata
Database number:55494
Authorizer:M. Uhen, P. Holroyd, J. Alroy, P. Mannion, P. Barrett, J. Head Enterer:M. Uhen, J. Head, T. Cleary, P. Holroyd, J. Alroy, P. Mannion
Modifier:G. Varnham Research group:vertebrate
Created:2005-10-27 13:30:07 Last modified:2025-02-22 15:12:02
Access level:the public Released:2005-10-27 13:30:07
Creative Commons license:CC0
Reference information

Primary reference:
14970. S. Bajpai, V. V. Kapur, D. P. Das, B. N. Tiwari, N. Saravanan and R. Sharma. 2005. Early Eocene land mammals from Vastan Lignite Mine, District Surat (Gujarat), Western India. Journal of the Palaeontological Society of India 50(1):101-113 [M. Uhen/M. Uhen]

Secondary references:

34084 H. Alimohammadian, A. Sahni, R. Patnaik, R. Singh Rana, and H. Singh. 2005. First record of an exceptionally diverse and well preserved amber-embedded biota from Lower Eocene (52 Ma) lignites, Vastan, Gujarat. Current Science 89(8):1328-1330 [J. Alroy/J. Alroy]
35461 S. Bajpai and J. J. Head. 2008. An early Eocene palaeopheid snake from Vastan Lignite Mine, Gujarat, India. Gondwana Geological Magazine 22(2):85-90 [J. Head/J. Head]
24168 S. Bajpai, V. V. Kapur, J. G. M. Thewissen, D. P. Das, B. N. Tiwari, R. Sharma, and N. Saravanan. 2005. Early Eocene primates from Vastan Lignite Mine, Gujarat, western India. Journal of the Palaeontological Society of India 50(2):43-54 [M. Uhen/M. Uhen]
14980 S. Bajpai, V. V. Kapur, J. G. M. Thewissen, B. N. Tiwari, and D. P. Das. 2005. First fossil marsupials from India: Early Eocene Indodelphis n. gen. and Jaegeria n. gen. from Vastan Lignite Mine, District Surat, Gujarat. Journal of the Palaeontological Society of India 50(1):147-151 [M. Uhen/M. Uhen]
24166 S. Bajpai, V. V. Kapur, J. G. M. Thewissen, D. P. Das, and B. N. Tiwari. 2006. New early Eocene cambaytheres (Perissodactyla, Mammalia) from the Vastan Lignite Mine (Gujarat, India) and an evaluation of cambaythere relationships. Journal of the Palaeontological Society of India 51(1):101-110 [M. Uhen/M. Uhen/J. Alroy]
30579 S. Bajpai, V. V. Kapur, and J. G. M. Thewissen. 2009. Creodont and condylarth from the Cambay Shale (Early Eocene, 55-54MA), Vastan Lignite Mine, Gujarat, Western India. Journal of the Palaeontological Society of India 54(1):103-109 [M. Uhen/M. Uhen]
27910 S. Bajpai, R. F. Kay, B. A. Williams, D. P. Das, V. V. Kapur and B. N. Tiwari. 2008. Oldest Asian record of Anthropoidea. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 105:11093--11098 [J. Alroy/J. Alroy/J. Alroy]
19720 J. I. Bloch, M. T. Silcox, D. M. Boyer and E. J. Sargis. 2007. New Paleocene skeletons and the relationship of plesiadapiformes to crown-clade primates. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA 104(4):1159-1164 [J. Alroy/J. Alroy/P. Mannion]
82014 D. P. Das, N. Carolin, and S. Bajpai. 2022. A nyctitheriid insectivore (Eulipotyphla, Mammalia) of Asian affinity from the early Eocene of India. Historical Biology 34(7):1157-1165 [P. Holroyd/P. Holroyd/P. Mannion]
62687 A. Folie, R. S. Rana, K. D. Rose, A. Sahni, K. Kumar, L. Singh, and T. Smith. 2013. Early Eocene Frogs from Vastan Lignite Mine, Gujarat, India. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 58(3):511-524 [P. Holroyd/P. Holroyd]
62931 V. V. Kapur, D. P. Das, S. Bajpai and G. Prasad. 2017. First mammal of Gondwanan lineage in the early Eocene of India. Comptes Rendus Palevol 16:721-737 [P. Holroyd/P. Holroyd/P. Mannion]
33863 K. Kumar, K. D. Rose, R. S. Rana, L. Singh, T. Smith and A. Sahni. 2010. Early Eocene artiodactyls (Mammalia) from western India. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 30(4):1245-1274 [M. Uhen/M. Uhen]
25493 G. Mayr, R. S. Rana, A. Sahni and T. Smith. 2007. Oldest fossil avian remains from the Indian subcontinental plate. Current Science 92(9):1266-1269 [J. Alroy/J. Alroy]
26889 G. V. R. Prasad and S. Bajpai. 2008. Agamid lizards from the Early Eocene of western India: oldest Cenozoic lizards from South Asia. Palaeontologia Electronica 11(1) [J. Alroy/J. Alroy]
35602 J.-C. Rage, A. Folie, R. S. Rana, H. Singh, K. D. Rose and T. Smith. 2008. A diverse snake fauna from the early Eocene of Vastan Lignite Mine, Gujarat, India. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 53(3):391-403 [J. Head/J. Head]
60272 R. S. Rana, M. Augé, A. Folie, K. D. Rose, K. Kumar, L. Singh, A. Sahni and T. Smith. 2013. High diversity of acrodontan lizards in the early Eocene Vastan lignite mine of India. Geologica Belgica 16(4):290-301 [P. Barrett/T. Cleary]
26477 R. S. Rana, K. Kumar, G. Escarguel, A. Sahni, K. D. Rose, T. Smith, H. Singh and L. Singh. 2008. An ailuravine rodent from the lower Eocene Cambay Formation at Vastan, western India, and its palaeobiogeographic implications. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 53(1):1-14 [J. Alroy/J. Alroy]
59962 R. S. Rana, K. Kumar, S. P. Zack, F. Solé, K. D. Rose, P. Missiaen, L. Singh, A. Sahni, and T. Smith. 2015. Craniodental and postcranial morphology of Indohyaenodon raoi from the early Eocene of India, and its implications for ecology, phylogeny, and biogeography of hyaenodontid mammals. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 35(5):e965308:1-22 [P. Mannion/P. Mannion]
24169 R. S. Rana, H. Singh, A. Sahni, K. D. Rose, and P. K. Sarswati. 2005. Early Eocene chiropterans from a new mammalian assemblage (Vastan Lignite Mine, Gujarat, western peninsular margin): Oldest known bats from Asia. Journal of the Palaeontological Society of India 50(1):93-100 [M. Uhen/M. Uhen/M. Uhen]
59959 K. D. Rose, V. B. DeLeon, P. Missiaen, R. S. Rana, A. Sahni, L. Singh, and T. Smith. 2008. Early Eocene lagomorph (Mammalia) from Western India and the early diversification of Lagomorpha. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 275:1203-1208 [P. Mannion/P. Mannion]
59960 K. D. Rose, L. T. Holbrook, R. S. Rana, K. Kumar, K. E. Jones, H. E. Ahrens, P. Missiaen, A. Sahni, and T. Smith. 2014. Early Eocene fossils suggest that the mammalian order Perissodactyla originated in India. Nature Communications 5:5570:1-9 [P. Mannion/P. Mannion/M. Uhen]
74273 K. D. Rose, L. T. Holbrook, K. Kumar, R. S. Rana, H. E. Ahrens, R. H. Dunn, A. Folie, K. E. Jones, and T. Smith. 2020. Anatomy, Relationships, and Paleobiology of Cambaytherium (Mammalia, Perissodactylamorpha, Anthracobunia) from the lower Eocene of western India. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 39(Supp. 1):1-147 [M. Uhen/M. Uhen]
49142 K. D. Rose, K. Kumar, R. S. Rana, A. Sahni, and T. Smith. 2013. New Hypsodont Tillodont (Mammalia, Tillodontia) from the Early Eocene of India. Journal of Paleontology 87(5):842-853 [M. Uhen/S. Alam/P. Mannion]
27924 K. D. Rose, R. S. Rana, A. Sahni and T. Smith. 2007. A new adapoid primate from the early Eocene of India. Contributions from the Museum of Paleontology, University of Michigan 31(14):379-385 [J. Alroy/J. Alroy]
59953 K. D. Rose, R. S. Rana, A. Sahni, K. Kumar, L. Singh and T. Smith. 2009. First tillodont from India: Additional evidence for an early Eocene faunal connection between Europe and India?. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 54(2):351-355 [P. Mannion/P. Mannion]
32172 K. D. Rose, R. S. Rana, A. Sahni, K. Kumar, P. Missiaen, L. Singh, and T. Smith. 2009. Early Eocene primates from Gujarat, India. Journal of Human Evolution 56(4):366-404 [J. Alroy/J. Alroy]
24154 K. D. Rose, T. Smith, R. S. Rana, A. Sahni, H. Sing, P. Missiaen, and A. Folie. 2006. Early Eocene (Ypresian) continental vertebrate assemblage from India, with description of a new anthracobunid (Mammalia, Tethytheria). Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 26(1):219-225 [J. Alroy/J. Alroy]
35350 T. Smith, R. S. Rana, P. Missiaen, K. D. Rose, A. Sahni, H. Singh, and L. Singh. 2007. High bat (Chiroptera) diversity in the Early Eocene of India. Naturwissenschaften 94(12):1003-1009 [J. Alroy/J. Alroy]
59951 T. Smith, F. Solé, P. Missiaen, R. S. Rana, K. Kumar, A. Sahni, and K. D. Rose. 2015. First early Eocene tapiroid from India and its implication for the paleobiogeographic origin of perissodactyls. Palaeovertebrata 39(2):1-9 [P. Mannion/P. Mannion]
34085 M. M. Solórzano Kraemer and N. L. Evenhuis. 2008. The first keroplatid (Diptera: Keroplatidae) species from the Lower Eocene amber of Vastan, Gujarat, India. Zootaxa 1816:57-60 [J. Alroy/J. Alroy]
34086 M. M. Solórzano Kraemer and R. Wagner. 2009. The first psychodid (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae) species from the Lower Eocene amber of Vastan, Gujarat, India. Zootaxa 2152:63-68 [J. Alroy/J. Alroy]
81519 H. Zaher, A. Folie, A. B. Quadros, R. S. Rana, K. Kumar, K. D. Rose, M. Fahmy and T. Smith. 2021. Additional vertebral material of Thaumastophis (Serpentes: Caenophidia) from the early Eocene of India provides new insights on the early diversification of colubroidean snakes. Geobios 66-67:35-43 [P. Mannion/G. Varnham]