Contents Pages Preface i Foreword iii Acknowledgements v Chapter 1. Introduction 1 Chapter 2. Geology of the Eastern Karakoram 5 2.1 Lithostratigraphy of Upper Shyok Valley 5 Karakoram Granitoid 5 Pangong Tso Group 6 Karakoram Group 6 Saser Brangsa Formation 6 Aq Tash Formation 8 Chhongtash Formation 8 Morgo Formation 9 Burtsa Formation 9 Qazil Langer Formation 9 2.2 Lithostratigraphy of Lower Shyok Valley 9 Hundiri Formation 10 Saltoro Flysch Formation 10 Saltoro Molasse Formation 11 Chapter 3. Biostratigraphic studies in the Eastern Karakoram 12 3.1 Biostratigraphy of Upper Shyok Valley 12 Saser Brangsa Formation 12 i) Unzoned (Zone-I) 12 ii) Arakaevella arakaica – Elenella corpulenta Assemblage Zone (Zone-II) 12 Aq Tash Formation 14 i) Conodontophorida – Algae Assemblage Zone (Zone-I) 14 ii) Marginara tamerae –Elanenella corpulanta Assemblage Zone (Zone-II) 16 iii) Diplosphaerina inaequelis – Neoarchaesphaera magnaAssemblage Zone (Zone-III) 16 Chhongtash Formation 17 i) Brachiopod shells – Trace fossils Assemblage Zone (Zone-I) 17 ii) Eosigmoilina explicata-Brachiopods Assemblage Zone (Zone-II) 17 iii) Misellina confragaspira – M. saraburiensis Assemblage Zone (Zone-III) 17 iv) Monodiexodina cf. M. shiptoni – Cancellina cf. C. primegnera Assemblage Zone (Zone-IV) 20 v) Pachyphloia sp. – Aeolisaccus sp. Assemblage Zone (Zone-V) 21 Morgo Formation 21 Burtsa Formation 22 i) Aulotortus sinousus – Auloconus permodiscoides Assemblage Zone (Zone-I) 22 ii) Heterastridium pachystyms–Triasina huntkeni Assemblage Zone (Zone-II) 22 iii) Arinovidalina chialingchialingensis – Involutina liassica Assemblage Zone (Zone-III) 22 iv) Nautiloculina oolithica – Gaudryina sp. Assemblage Zone (Zone-IV) 25 v) Trocholina valdensis – Dentalina sp. Assemblage Zone (Zone-V) 26 Qazil Langer Formation 26 3.2 Biostratigraphy of Lower Shyok Valley 26 Hundiri Formation 26 a) Hora Sostan Section 26 i) Praeorbitolina cormyi – Rudistis Assemblage Zone (Zone- I) 27 ii) Palorbitolina hedini- Orbitolina discoidea Assemblage Zone (Zone- II) 27 iii) Mesorbitolina ? drasensis – M. parva-texana Assemblage Zone (Zone-III) 27 b) Sukur Nala Section 27 c) Dosam Section 28 Saltoro Flysch Formation 29 Saltoro Molasse Formation 30 Chapter 4. Biostratigraphic correlation 31 4.1. Fauna and Biostratigraphic correlation in the Eastern Karakoram with 31 Western Karakoram and adjoining regions 4.1.1 Upper Shyok Valley 31 Saser Brangsa Formation 31 Aq Tash Formation 32 Chhongtash Formation 32 Burtsa Formation 33 4.1.2 Lower Shyok Valley 34 Chapter 5. Palaeobiogeography 36 5.1 Upper Shyok Valley 36 5.2 Lower Shyok Valley 37 Chapter 6. Conclusions 39 6.1 Upper Shyok Valley 39 6.2 Lower Shyok Valley 39 References 41 Explanations of Plates 53 Plates (1-45) 67 Field photographs (1-27)