Claim to find 200 million years old fossil in Jharkhand
Millions of years old fossils have been found on the palace of Rajmahal in Sahibganj district of Jharkhand.
These fossils have leaf impressions of Jurassic period trees. It is claimed to be 150-200 million years old.
It is believed that these fossils belong to those trees, which were once the food of vegetarian dinosaurs.
Now the possibilities of finding fossils (animal fossils) of Jurassic age (Mesozoic Age) in this area have increased again.
If this happens, then new doors of interest will open to researchers.
Dr. Ranjit Prasad Singh, Professor of Geology at PG College, Sahibganj, gave information.
He said that he is writing a letter to the Chief Secretary and some other officials to preserve these fossils found in Dudhkol village of Taljhari block and declare the area as Eco Sensitive Zone. So, after the corona infection subsides, scientists from Lucknow-based Birbal Sahni Institute and Geological Survey of India (GSI) can dig here and find fossils.
Dudhkol village is 45 km from the under-construction Fasils Park at Mandro in Sahibganj district and about 425 km from Ranchi, the capital of Jharkhand.
Doctor Ranjit Kumar Singh has been doing research on fossils of Rajmahal hills for the last 12 years. He has been a part of many research teams of Birbal Sahni Institute, IIT Kharagpur and Geological Survey of India. He has been a participant in all the research expeditions conducted in this area and his identity is as a fossil expert in Jharkhand.
Mysterious palace hills
Even earlier such fossils have been found in the palace hills. Apart from Sahibganj, such fossils have also been found in Pakur and other nearby districts. Such leaf impressions have been seen earlier inside the fossils found earlier in this area.
However, earlier such leaf impressions have been found inside fossils. Scientists saw such impressions of breaking fossils and the seeds of two rocks. This is the first time such impressions have been found in the upper part of the fossils and in abundance. These can be easily seen.
Fossil expert Dr Ranjit Singh told the BBC, “Some leaf impressions found above the fossils in milkcool are from plants of the genus Tilophyllum. Such vegetation was found in the Jurassic period. But, there are also some leaf impressions which cannot be identified. For now, one can assume that these trees must have been tall and vegetarian dinosaurs would eat such leaves and twigs of these trees. “
He also said, “There have been botanical fossils of the Jurassic period here, so digging of the earth should be done to find out whether there are fossils of animals or not. How is it possible that here dinosaur era trees Find fossils but no trace of dinosaurs. If researched properly, fossils of dinosaurs or other animals of the Jurassic period or other things (eg eggs) can be found on the palace hills. “
How to get fossils
A girl from Dudhkol village went towards the hills with her cattle. Then she saw the shining stone under a tree of Mahua and picked it up and brought it home. The people of the house felt that the figures of Hindu deities Parvati and Shankar were made on that stone. Frightened by this, the family again put the stone under the same tree. Then this thing spread throughout the village.
Lakhan Pandit of the village told that the villagers started worshiping him as a deity. Now the process of building a temple is being done there. People from other villages have also started coming to see it. There is a fair view these days. The villagers have laid siege to bamboo bullets there.
Lakhan Pandit said, “In the meantime I reported it to geologist Dr. Ranjith. Then they came to my village and told that this stone is actually quartz mineral. After that, along with dozens of villagers, they went towards other parts of Doodkol Hill, so He saw fossils with leaf impressions. Then we all helped him and did some digging, then he found many such fossils. He has impressions of beautiful leaves. Now the villagers are protecting him from his level. “
Pahadia tribal village – Dudhkol
Most of the population of Dudhkol village with about 60 houses is of Pahadia tribals. Some houses are also of Santhals and non-tribal castes. The movement of people on the hill located in the village is equal.
Therefore, the path to climb the hill is quite thin and comes out from among the bushes. For this reason, no one noticed these fossils before.
Birbal Sahni has also done research
Scientists associated with Geological Survey of India (GSI) have been digging the hills of Rajmahal before. They found fossils of eggs in the Katghar village of this area, which were like Reptiles.
The famous scientist Birbal Sahni also spent a long time on these hills. In the 1940s, he discovered the plant fascials of the species Pentozily here. After them, many scientists of the country and the world came here and fossils were discovered.
Geologist Dr. Ranjith says that the main reason for the founding of such fossils on the hills of Rajmahal is the large volcanic eruptions that have ever occurred in this area. It is believed that those explosions changed the settlements here and then the trees and animals got stuck between the rocks. Now his fossils continue to be found. But, no animal fossils here yet Have met. It should be discovered.
Taljhari block development officer Simon Marandi told the BBC, “I am aware of the occurrence of fossils found in the village of Dudhkol. Detailed information is being collected. After this a report will be sent to senior officials.”
How many fossils
There are three types of vegetable fossils. Scientists have placed them in the compression, impression and tethered categories. Compression fossils are fossils that formed due to being buried in two rocks. In this process, soft tissues were removed to the plants but hard tissues remained. Impressions are fossils, which were then imprinted. For example, the impression of roots, leaves or twigs of trees. Fossils found in Dudhkol are impression fossils, as they have the impression of leaves.
Doctor Ranjit is a variety of tethered fossils that was created due to holes in trees. Due to any hole in the trees, silica went inside them and after years, the whole tree started to look like stone. All such types of fossils exist on the palace hills.
Country’s only fossils park
For this reason, the only Fosils Park in India is being built in the mandirs of Sahibganj district.
After completion of its construction, various types of fossils will be kept here. The full details of its discovery will be written on them, so that the researchers have no problem in collecting information about it.
