Stegodon Fossil discovered from Saharanpur estimated to be 5 to 8 Million Years Old

Over decades, a number of richest fossil records in South Asia have been found at the Dhok Pathan Formation of the Sivalik range. This time, the researchers found a fossil of an extinct ancestor of Elephant, that is estimated to be around between 5 to 8 million old. The fossil was discovered in the state of Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur District’s Badshahi Bagh area.

The fossil found during this remarkable discovery is said to be of a Stegodon (now extinct, a type of Elephant found until the late Pleistocene). Specimens of Stegodon were available at the Dehradun’s Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, the fossil discovered was compared with the specimen after a proper examination.

Earlier as well fossils of Stegodon were discovered at other hills or locations of the Sivalik mountain range, but the one that was discovered this time was the oldest fossil that has been found from the Sivalik mountain range to date. With this discovery, it can be concluded that there was the existence of a dense forest in the Siwalik range millions of years back, it can also be stated that a lot of river and other water sources were also present in the area.

About the Newly Discovered Fossil

The fossil was embedded in sedimentary rock-Sandstone. It was informed that the Stegodon Fossil discovered has nine well-developed ridges on its surface. The enamel of the molar is very thick while the length of the molar is approx 24 centimeters. The nature of the sandstone has characteristics of the middle Sivalik range as the lithology found embedded on the fossil is medium grained.

Month: Current Affairs - June, 2020