An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c14.s8.t1: 9.8.1 Plio-Pleistocene boundary
An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c14.s8.t1
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9.8.1 Plio-Pleistocene boundary
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The boundary separating the Pleistocene from the preceding Pliocene is a much debated subject both in India and elsewhere. Recent work on sea sediments has thrown welcome light on this problem and there appears to be a considerable agreement in placing the Plio-Pleistocene boundary at about two million years ago. Ericson and Wollin, 1966, have shown that the boundary is marked by the following: (i) extinction of discosters which had abounded for the preceding 75 million years; (ii) first appearance of *Globoratalia truncatulinoides*; (iii) extinction of *Globigerinoides sacculiferon fistulosa* above the boundary; and (iv) appearance of a uniform lineage of *G. menardii*. Significantly enough, this boundary is also marked by a geomagnetic event, the Olduvai Normal, during the Matuyama Reversed Epoch (Leakey, 1965). Zeuner, 1959, suggested that the appearance of Villefranchian fauna (*Equus*, *Bos* and *Elephas*) and the appearance of the first major glaciation (Alpine Günz) marked the Plio-Pleistocene boundary on land.
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The Kashmir glacial cycle has been correlated with the Potwar sequence by de Terra and Paterson, 1939. They assigned the Dhok Pathan beds to the Pliocene and Tatrot to the Lower Pleistocene because of the occurrence of *Equus* and *Elephas* in the latter beds. Later on more detailed work by Sahni and Khan, 1959, produced *Equus sivalensis*, *E. cautleyi*, *Hypselaphus hysudricus* and *Bubalus platyceros* from the Pinjaur zone and on this basis they assigned it to the Lower Pleistocene and Tatrot to the Upper Pliocene.
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Badam, 1972, has reported *Sivatherium giganteum*, *Bos* sp., *Sus* sp., *Giraffa* sp., *Elephas hysudricus*, *Equus sivalensis*, etc., around the Zangam plateau from the *karewa* beds of Kashmir and on this basis assigns them to the Lower Pleistocene.
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No radiometric dates are available for any Indian formations. Porter, 1970, working in Swat Kohistan (Pakistan) reports only a threefold glacial sequence, whereas the Geological Survey workers report an eight-fold sequence. For a firmer definition of the Plio-Pleistocene boundary further work is necessary.
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Badam, G.L., 1972, in *Current Science*, 41, pp. 529-30. De Terra, H., & Paterson, T.T., 1939, *Studies on the Ice Age in India & Associated Human Cultures*, Washington. Ericson, D.B., & Wollin, G., 1966, *The Deep and the Past*; 1968, in *Science*, 162, pp. 1227-34. Leakey, L.S.B., 1965, *Olduvai Gorge 1951-61*, 1. Porter, S.C., 1970, in *Bull. Geological Soc. of America*, 81, pp. 1421-40. Sahni, M.R., & Khan, 1959, in *Jour. Palaeontological Soc. of India*, 4, pp. 61-74 (for Kashmir boundary). Vishnu-Mittre, 1963, in *Palaeobotanist*, 12, pp. 270-6 (also for Kashmir). Zeuner, F.E., 1959, in *Proc. Pan African Congress on Prehistory*, pp. 55-9.—D.P. AGRAWAL