Ostracode fauna of the Niniyur Formation (Palaeocene), Cauvery Basin, Tamil Nadu, Southern India

A rich and interesting ostracode assemblage comprising 29 taxa, are recorded from the Niniyur Formation of the Cauvery Basin, Tamilnadu, Southern India. Of these, 6 species are new, 19 species are already reported and 4 species are left under open nomenclature. The new species are Hemicyprideis oertlii, Cyamocytheridea? niniyurensis, Costa niniyurensis, Stigmatocythere gowdai, Protobuntonia jaini and Pontocyprella niniyurensis. The present paper gives distribution, age and affinity of the fauna with systematic descriptions of six new species and four indeterminate species. The assemblage shows affinity to Palaeocene and Eocene forms of Western Europe, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and other areas in India. The overall palaeontological evidences suggest a Palaeocene age for the Niniyur Formation.