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PESD_GSU_20200724_0147_(ongoing): Gondwana vertebrates of peninsular
India; a new perspective from field collection and morphometric data

PESD_GSU_20200724_0147_(ongoing)
1. Title of the Project:

Gondwana vertebrates of peninsular India; a new perspective from field collection and
morphometric data

2. Name of Proposing Scientists:
Dhurjati Prasad Sengupta and Saswati Bandyopadhyay
3. Brief objectives and justification:
Purpose of the project is to carry out morphometric analysis of Mesozoic temnospondyl
amphibians of the world with special reference to those collected from the Gondwana deposits
of peninsular India. We have simulated two-dimensional morphospaces for temnospondyl
amphibians with some success.

Morphospace is a multivariate space showing range of morphological shapes which an
organism can display theoretically. This project aims to use the shapes of those fossil
vertebrates to solve taxonomic and adaptation related problems. As a corollary, bone
histology of fossil vertebrates will also be used to understand the issues of body sizes, role of
taphonomy. Geochemistry of the host rocks as well as geochemistry of the fossilized bones
may also help in this regard.

Over and above morphometry, histology and geochemistry will be added to the earlier
knowledge of classical paleontology to understand the diversity and ecology of Mesozoic
vertebrates of peninsular India from a new angle.

The morphometric methods will also be tried to some newly collected vertebrates from
Cenozoic of Kutch for comparative studies. A short field trip will be conducted to Kutch in
addition to the field trips in Gondwana basins of peninsular India to search for new fossils.
4. Name of Others Scientists associated with their affiliation:
From the Institute:
i) Prof. Subhas Chandra Nandy (ACMU) ii) Prof. Susmita Sur-Kolay (ACMU) iii) Prof.
Parthasarathi Ghosh, (GSU) v) Ms. Sanjukta Chakravorti, SRF,Ms. Sreemoyee Chakravorti
SRF and New JRF, GSU
From Other Institutions:
i) Dr. Josep Fortuny, Institut Catala de Paleontologia M. Crusafont. Z building, Universitat
Autonoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Valles, Barcelona, Spain. ii) Dr. Dorota Konietzko-
Meier, Depatment of Biosystematics, University Opole, Poland.
5. Date of Commencement:

01/04/2018
6. Expected date of Completion:
31/03/2023
7. Interim report(max 500 words) including complete list of publications and patents
based on the work from the project:

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