In News:

India’s fossil heritage, spanning hundreds of millions of years, holds clues to the evolution of plants, dinosaurs, mammals, and marine life. Yet, the absence of strong protection laws and national repositories leaves this heritage vulnerable to theft, vandalism, and illegal global trade.

India’s Fossil Wealth

• Diverse Record: Fossils in India range from the Precambrian era to the Cenozoic, covering ancient plants, marine life, dinosaurs, and mammals.
• Key Discoveries:
  • Vasuki indicus – a 47-million-year-old giant snake (~15 m long) from Kutch.
  • Indohyus – an early ancestor of whales, discovered in Central India.
  • Dinosaur nests and eggs – particularly in the Narmada Valley and Deccan basalt formations.
• Unique Evolutionary Insights: India’s prolonged isolation after separating from Gondwanaland (~150 million years ago) and later collision with Asia (50–60 million years ago) created unique fossil beds documenting crucial evolutionary transitions.

Sites of Importance

• Kutch, Gujarat – rich in marine fossils and large vertebrates.
• Narmada Valley, Madhya Pradesh – known for dinosaur eggs, nests, and bones.
• Deccan Traps & Himalayan foothills – diverse vertebrate and invertebrate fossils.
• Balasinor, Gujarat – developed as India’s Dinosaur Fossil Park.