Snippets of Information
Paleontology (the scientific study of fossils)
* 13 Apr 2026
Palaeontologists have uncovered rare aquatic fossils in the foothills of the Shivalik Hills
near Dehradun, offering fresh insights into India’s ancient past. The
discovery, led by experts at the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology,
dates back nearly 4.5 million years. The fossils were recovered near
Mohand, along the Saharanpur-Dehradun border, and belong to the Pliocene
period. This era plays a key role in helping scientists understand how
landscapes and climates evolved in the Himalayan foothills.
For years, the Shivalik region was mainly associated with fossils of
land-dwelling animals. Palaeontologists have now identified fossilised remains of freshwater fish
(gourami fish scientifically known as Trichogaster fasciata),
suggesting that the area once supported stable aquatic ecosystems
alongside terrestrial life. Along with the gourami, palaeontologists
also discovered fossils of snakehead fish from the genus Channa and
members of the Gobiidae family. These findings came after researchers
carefully processed large quantities of sediment collected during
fieldwork.
The presence of both predator and prey species indicates a
well-developed and balanced aquatic ecosystem. This suggests that the
water bodies in the region were stable enough to support a complete food
chain.
Source: 4.5 million-year-old rare fish fossil discovered in Dehradun's Shivalik Hills by Ashwini BN, newspointapp.com, Apr 2026
* 13 April 2026
Mandro Fossil Park, a geoheritage site nestled in Jharkhand's Rajmahal
Hills, holds fossilized trees from the Cretaceous period. Preserved by
volcanic ash, these fossils still showcase visible growth rings and
cellular structures, making them a rare geological marvel. These silent
witnesses of Earth's prehistoric past offer a rare glimpse into ancient
ecosystems and geological evolution.
Source: Geological Survey of India - fb
In the year 1946 Professor Birbal Sahni, FRS- the founder of the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences (BSIP),
Lucknow first visited the heavily forested area of the Rajmahal Hills
in the state of Jharkhand and continued to visit the site from
1946-1948. Over time, his visits led to the discovery of numerous
specimens of petrified wood.
The Mandro Fossil Park is located in Mandro, a community block in
the Sahibganj District of Jharkhand lying in the forested hilly area of
Gurmiin the Rajmahal Hills. It broadly constitutes the areas of
Sahibganj, Pakur, Dhumka and, and Godda districts of Jharkhand. The
Rajmahal Basin is characterised by rocks dating to the early Cretaceous
period or about 120 million years ago when present day Africa and South
America had split from Australia, India, and Antarctica. It was a period
when dinosaurs still roamed the earth and the climate was warm with
rising sea levels. The rocks in the basin thus belong to the 'Rajmahal
Formation' which is characterised by the presence of
volcanic-sedimentary deposits and basalt flows.
Owing to its extensive coal and mineral resources along with
well-preserved and diversified plant fossils, the Rajmahal Basin is
considered a historical and economic repository. Excellent plant fossils
of more than 100 million years old are naturally preserved in this
area. The Tara village adjacent to Mandro in fact possesses in-situ
gymnospermous petrified fossil woods which are indicative of the
existence of a well preserved forest about ~120 million years ago.
Preliminary research on the plant fossils reveals similarities between
early Cretaceous flora discovered in Antarctica and Australia with the
Indian fossilised flora (Ptilophyllum flora) present in the Rajmahal
Hills region. The plant fossils being recovered from this region may
also hold significant clues to understand the crucial early evolutionary
history of angiosperms (flowering plants) on our planet and the past.
floral ecology.
Source: bsip.res.in
* 2 Jan 2026
Salkhan Fossil Park, officially known as Sonbhadra
Fossils Park, located in the Sonbhadra District of Uttar Pradesh, India,
is a remarkable geological site, nestled amidst the verdant embrace of
the Kaimoor Wildlife Sanctuary. It is situated near the village of
Salkhan, around 15 kilometres from Robertsganj, the district
headquarters. Spanning approximately 25 hectares, it sits within the
Vindhyan mountain range, characterized by rugged terrain, steep
escarpments, and a unique geological landscape. The park is home to a
rich repository of fossils dating back approximately 1.4 billion years,
making it one of the oldest and most well-preserved fossil sites in the
world.
The site’s fossil assemblage, scattered across various formations,
primarily features an exceptional collection of stromatolites, i.e.
formations created by communities of cyanobacteria or blue-green algae,
which are vital indicators of ancient environmental conditions and
microbial life. Dominant among the stromatolites on the site is
Eoentophysalis sp., a colonial cyanobacterium. The fossils appear as
ripple or ring-like/circular or oval stony formations scattered across
limestone rock surfaces. These formations are concentrated in specific
zones within the park.
Salkhan’s fossils are meticulously preserved offering invaluable
insights into the earliest forms of life that populated our planet,
during the Proterozoic Eon - a critical time in geological history,
essential for understanding the evolution of life forms on Earth. The
park boasts a variety of stromatolitic morphologies, including columnar,
stratiform, and domal forms, preserved within the Bhander limestone of
the Vindhyan Supergroup, which features one of the most extensive and
well-preserved collections of Proterozoic sedimentary rocks on Earth.
The Salkhan Park itself is situated within the ‘Semri Group’, the oldest
part of the Supergroup.
Source: Salkhan Fossil Park, Sonbhadra, whc.unesco.org
|
