Palynological studies of the late Maastrichtian infratrappean and intertrappean sedimentary beds from various stratigraphic levels in the Deccan continental flood basalt of the Nand-Dongargaon Basin in central India show that infratrappean sediments (Maastrichtian C30n-C29r) are characterized by gymnosperm ( Araucariacites , Classopollis , Cycadopites , Podocarpidites ) and angiosperm ( Cretacaeiporites , Compositoipollenites , Graminidites , Longapertites , Palmaepollenites ) palynomorphs. A distinct floral turnover is observed in intertrappean sediments with the initiation of volcanic activity in the basin. At the lowest stratigraphic level, the earliest floral change is recorded by the appearance of angiosperm-pteridophyte–dominated association ( Aquilapollenites , Azolla , Gabonisporis , Tricolpites , Triporopollenites , and Normapolles group pollen) and the appearance of peridinoid dinoflagellates. At higher stratigraphic levels in C29r, this palynofloral association continues with the appearance of new forms, such as Scabrastephanocolpites spp., Scollardia conferta , and Triporopollenites cracentis . A sharp decline in diversity of titanosauriform-abelisaurid–dominated dinosaurian fauna is also observed with the onset of Deccan volcanic activity. At this time, out of at least eight dinosaur species, only a single taxon of titanosauriform dinosaurs survived the onset of volcanism. This suggests that the floral change and decreased dinosaur diversity are strongly linked with the initiation of Deccan volcanism in C29r in India. The peak eruption of this volcanic phase resulted in the Deccan's largest volume of lava flows, which played a significant role in the global mass extinction at the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary.

Abstract: Late Cretaceous-Early Paleogene sediments associated with Deccan Continental Flood Basalt (DCFB) sequences of central and western India record the timing of the introduction and extinction of Late Cretaceous dinosaurs in India based on magnetostratigraphy and magnetic susceptibility stratigraphy. Current taxonomy indicates that only two genera of titanosaurs (e.g., Isisaurus and Jainosaurus ), at least four species of large-bodied abelisauridae theropods (e.g., Rajasaurus narmadensis, Rahiolisaurus gujaratensis, Indosuchus matleyi and Indosaurus raptorius ) and a small-bodied theropod Laevisuchus inhabited India during the Maastrichtian. Their stratigraphic and geographic distribution suggests that these dinosaurs were dominated by titanosauriforme and abelisauridae that first appeared before the advent of Deccan volcanism in the magnetochron C30n and were well established with the acme of breeding and nesting during C30n to maastrichtian C29r. Their decline in diversity and abundance coincides with initiation of DCFB eruptions when most of the early taxa were terminated and only a few titanosauriforme sauropods survived becoming extinct at about 350 kyr before the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary (KPB). Dinosaur extinction in India is thus directly tied to Deccan volcanism with no evidence of an asteroid impact.