BIOSTRATIGRAPHY OF EARLY EOCENE MARGALA HILL LIMESTONE IN THE MUZAFFARABAD AREA (KASHMIR BASIN, AZAD JAMMU AND KASHMIR)

The Early Eocene Margalla Hill Limestone is well exposed in core of Hazara Kashmir Syntaxis. A section at Battlian is measured and sampled for paleontological studies, where its lower contact with Patala Formation and upper contact with Chorgali Formation is transitional and conformable. The total observed thickness is 73 meters and 60 samples were collected from bottom to top at different levels, 50 thin sections were studied. 19 species of larger forams including age diagnostic Nummulites mamillatus, Nummulites atacicus, Assilina spinosa, Assilina laminosa, Assilina granulosa, Assilina exponens, Textularia sp., Miliolid sp., Alveoloina pasticillata, Alveolina elliptica, Alveolina ovulum, Quinqueloculina, Discocyclina peruviana, Rotalia trochidiformis, Ranikothalia sindensis, Skeasaria ornata Nodosaria sp., Lockhartia tipper and Dasycladacean algae were also observed. In conclusions, presence of benthic foraminifera indicated that Margala Hill Limestone was deposited in Neotethys warm and shallow marine in the Battlian area Muzaffarabad, whereas early Eocene age is assigned on the basis of benthic foraminifera observed. .