Reconstruction of Late Pleistocene palaeoecology of the Upper Narmada valley (Central India) using fossil communities

Pleistocene deposits of Narmada valley are exposed in the Jabalpur and Narshingpur districts of Central India and have yielded microvertebrates (rodents, lizards and fish) as well as invertebrates (gastropods and pelecypods). The Late Pleistocene fossil-bearing horizons are from two fossil localities, Bhedaghat and Devakachar. Earlier report of Homo erectus from the valley strengthens palaeoecological interpretations. Here, we combine our study of microfossils with the earlier work on large mammals in our tentative reconstruction of palaeoecology of the area. The most common microfossil communities belong to stream, pond–pond bank, wooded grassland and arid to semi-arid habitats.