TITLE:
Plates Boundary and Structural Geology of Balochistan and Indus Basins through Field Observations on Chaman Transform Fault and Western Indus Suture (Pakistan): Dinosaurs from Pakistan with Attributed Bones and Key Features: Titanosaurs from India with Updated Assessment on Jainosaurus
AUTHORS:
Muhammad Sadiq Malkani
KEYWORDS:
Plates Boundary, Chaman Transform Fault, Western Indus Suture, Structural Geology, Balochistan Basin, Tethys Link, Indus Basin, Gondwanan Link, Dinosaurs, Titanosaurs, Comparison, Maastrichtian, Pakistan, India, Jainosaurus
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Geology,
Vol.12 No.11,
November
30,
2022
ABSTRACT: The plate boundary between Balochistan and Indus basins is found on the position where Western Indus Suture and Chaman Transform fault converge in the south (Uthal-Bela-Ornach-Nal-Basima). From Basima to northward the both structures bifurcate and separate more than 50 km in the Zhob region, the Chaman Transform fault lies in the west as straight way in flysh and slates of Balochistan basin, and Western Indus suture lies in the east mostly straight and wide (more than 20 km wide) galaxy way like belt (gentle wavy in the central portion from Quetta to Zhob). Plate boundary between Balochistan basin and Indus basin lies in the Western Indus suture. The both structures are about 1000 - 1500 km trends northward. The northward bending of strikes in the southern Balochistan basin (from Arabian sea to Kharan) on the western flank of Chaman transform fault and dragging of Kharan limestones revealed left lateral strike slip fault. The structures of Balochistan basin are mostly imbricated while the structure of Indus basin is mostly folded. Different basins in Pakistan yielded dinosaurs and diverse Mesozoic vertebrates like poripuchian titanosaurian sauropods, vitakrisaurid abelisaurian theropods, induszalimids, sulaimanisuchid and mithsaraikistanid mesoeucrocodiles, saraikisaurid pterosaurs, wasaibpanchid bird, madtsoiid snake, zahrisaurid plesiosaur and some fishes. From Pakistan 10 titanosaurs were named while from India 5 titanosaurs were named and discussed here. The updated assessment for the attribution of bones to Jainosaurus septentrionalis resulted the braincase its type or in other case braincase and scapula referable to Isisaurus colberti matching its long articular surface for coracoid of distal scapula. Key bones which were previously referred to Jainosaurus septentrionalis belong to mostly Gspsaurus pakistani and Balochisaurus malkani (stocky titanosaurs) and a few bones to Isisaurus colberti and Pakisaurus balochistani (slender titanosaurs).