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Figure 1. (A) Geological map of the Himalaya showing location of Trans-Himalayan Plutonic Belt, suture zones, and major boundary thrusts of Himalaya.
(B) Detail of western Himalaya showing extension of Indus-Shyok sutures in Kohistan-Ladakh block and Karakoram Terrane of India; Location of early
Permian Gondwanic palynomorphs bearing outcrops near Tirit Bridge and Skuru along the Shyok Suture Zone of Northern Ladakh (modified after Kirstein
et al., 2006). (C) Photograph showing the tectonic juxtaposition of Gondwanic palynomorphs bearing outcrop across a geological section near Tirit Bridge.
(D) Field photograph of Gondwanic palynomorphs bearing highly cleaved outcrop of pebbly mudstone near the village of Skuru. (E) Close-up of outcrop
(D) showing dark gray to black fragmentary remains of unidentifiable plant fossils near Skuru.

the north. These sutures mark the closing of 2002, 2014; Borneman et al., 2015, and ref- units derived from the southern Asian mar-
different branches of the Tethys Ocean with erences therein). The more northerly Shyok gin that were juxtaposed when Kohistan/
the Indus Suture, recording the final colli- Suture (Figs. 1 and 2) separates Ladakh Ladakh collided with Asia at 102–85 Ma or
sion of India with Asia at 60–50 Ma from Asian continental rocks of the 40 Ma (Gansser, 1977; Beck et al., 1995;
(Gansser, 1977; Beck et al., 1995; Burg et Karakoram mountains to the north and Burg et al., 1996; Bouilhol et al., 2013;
al., 1996; Bouilhol et al., 2013; Upadhyay, contains ophiolitic mélanges and thrust Upadhyay, 2002, 2014; Borneman et al.,

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