Ichnofossils and their significance in the Cambrian successions of the Parahio Valley in the Spiti Basin, Tethys Himalaya, India

The Spiti Basin exposes well preserved Cambrian successions in the Tethys Himalaya. The present ichnofossil assemblage is reported from the Debsakhad Member of the Kunzum La Formation. The ichnofossils includes the ichnogenera Bergaueria, Chondrites, Cruziana, Didymaulichnus, Dimorphichnus, Diplichnites, Helminthorhaphe, Merostomichnites, ?Monocraterion, Monomorphichnus, Nereites, Palaeopascichnus, Palaeophycus, Phycodes, Planolites, Rusophycus, Skolithos, Scolicia, Treptichnus, etc. along with annelid worm, burrow and scratch marks. These ichnogenera can be assigned to cubichnial, repichnial, pascichnial to fodinichnial behaviors. The ichnofossils reported from this section provide evidence regarding the developmental patterns during the early phase of life. In absence of trilobites, the present assemblage of ichnofossils is very significant in assigning the age of the Debsakhad Member. The abundance of ichnofossils in sandstone, siltstone and in shale beds indicate that the ichnocenosis is dominated by a high behavioral diversity ranging from the suspension to deposit feeders. Three lithofacies were observed in this section, they show a vertical disposition, which further reflects general upward coarsening trend. Ichnofossils are mostly produced by arthropods along with crustacean, polychaetes and polyphyletic vermiforms. Due to the paucity of body fossil, as well as microbiota in the lowermost beds of the Debsakhad Member, the Precambrian–Cambrian boundary could not be demarcated. However, the presence of Treptichnus and Phycodes can be considered as a horizon marker for the beginning of Lower Cambrian in this section.

► Ichnofossils from the Lower Cambrian of Spiti Basin are useful for the study of paleoenvironment and paleoecological condition, mainly availability of oxygen and nutrient influx.
► Distribution of Ichnofossil reflects increase in taxonomic and morphological diversity.
► An anaerobic to aerobic conditions were marked by faunal changes from endobenthic, soft-bodied, deposit feeders to epibenthic grazers.
► Lower Cambrian Ichnofossils from Spiti Basin are mostly produced by arthropods, crustacean, priapulid worm, polychaetes and polyphyletic vermiforms.