Table 2 Inferred depositional age of the Nimar Sandstone Formation based on biostratigraphic studies

Cenomanian age for the upper part of the Nimar Sandstone Formation (Chiplonkar and Badve 1973)

Microfaunal foraminiferal assemblage from the upper calcareous portion of the Nimar Sandstone Formation: Miliammina manitobensis, Ammobaculites obliquus, Tritaxia ellisore, T. pyramidata, Textularia angalica, Quinqueloculina semiplana etc.; occurrence of marker pre-Cenomanian forms such as Astarte sinuicostata, A. hexicostata, Cardium pharaensis and Protocardia pondicherriensis

Cenomanian (Chiplonkar 1974)

Onchopristis indicus sp. (fish tooth) from Oyster bed of the Nimar Sandstone Formation; Lamna texana (fish tooth) in Nimar Sandstone Formation in Phata area

Cenomanian (Taylor and Badve 1995)

Fragments of Chiplonkarina dimorphopora in the uppermost part of the Nimar Sandstone Formation

Cenomanian–Turonian (Kundal and Sanganwar 1998)

A diverse assemblage of calcareous algae from the top of the Nimar Sandstone Formation near Pipaldehla

Late Turonian–early Coniacian (Jafar 1982)

Nano-fossils assigned to the Eiffellithus eximius Zone

Early Cretaceous (Murty et al. 1963)

Plant fossil from the lower fluvial portion

Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous (Kumar 1994)

Palynomorph assemblage: Cyathidites australis, C. minor, Haradisporites mineri, Stereisporites sp., Cingutriletes sp., Callialisporites dampieri, C. trilobatus, Klausipollenites sp., Alisporites ovalis, Abiespollenites triangularis, Podocarpidites ellipticus, P. multesimus, Araucariacites australis, Cycadopites gracilis, C. sakrigaliensis and Striatites sp. in carbonaceous clays from the lower part of the fluvial portion of the Nimar Sandstone Formation at Umrali village, Jhabua District