Why India’s Immense Fossil Wealth Has Remained Hidden?

India has numerous fascinating fossils – from huge dinosaur eggs to odd prehistoric creatures. However, many of them remained buried in the ground. 

Jeffrey A. Wilson, a paleontologist, was surprised when he saw one Indian fossil in 2000. While visiting the Central Museum of Nagpur, Wilson saw some baby dinosaur bones and eggs found in the same specimen. One of his fellows has excavated the sample Dholi Dungri, Gujarat, in 1984. He was utterly fascinated.  

The bones he examined had two tiny vertebrae connected to the specimen. That is something only snakes had, Wilson said. So, he looked for the same pattern along the spinal cord. And sure enough, Wilson found it. Is it possible that there’s a prehistoric snake in the fossil? 

Unfortunately, India does not have a facility to deep clean fossils. Because of this, it took Wilson four years to get the GSI approval to bring the specimen to the US. The Geological Survey of India is a government organization that manages geological surveys. And, it took him another year of cleaning to remove the rocky patterns around the bones.

Paleontologists, scientists, and snake experts concentrated on Indian fossils in the following years. 

Sanajeh indicus

In 2013, Wilson co-authored a paper unfolding the secrets of the India fossils. The researchers confirmed the presence of a prehistoric snake. They also discovered that its jaws were opened as if it were about to eat the newly hatched baby dinosaur. The hatchling was beside a clasp of dinosaur eggs, still whole. 

The geologist studying the project assumed that the animals had probably been buried in a mudslide.

That’s how Sanajeh indicus made its worldwide debut. Scientists disclosed that prehistoric snakes couldn’t open their jaws wide enough to swallow big prey. It’s a skill that some modern snakes have acquired through the process of evolution.

India’s fossil heritage 

There isn’t enough funding or systematic study of Indian fossils despite the revolutionary findings. Professional paleontologists have not systematically explored large parts of India. 

“I believe India’s fossil heritage is generally untapped and has been forgotten. India has the earliest whales and some of the largest rhinos and elephants. Plus, countless dinosaur eggs and strange prehistoric reptiles. But there are so many concerns that still need to be resolved.” – Advait M Jukar, a vertebrate paleontologist at Yale University.

Challenges

Awareness of Indian fossils has improved in recent years. Sadly, theft and vandalism of dinosaur sites across the country remain a challenge. 

Professor Wilson pointed out that it is not only a problem in India. If you find a fossil site in the US, you can do whatever you want. There’s no existing law that protects dinosaur fossils. Instead, they are treated like minerals. Unlike minerals, the value of a dinosaur fossil is not instantly visible. And in India, vast amounts of paleontological data are lost due to mining and other developmental activities. 

According to Indian paleontologists, the problem is often the lack of space to store the bones. Most fossils end up in the corridors of universities due to a lack of proper museum infrastructure. Ashok Sahni, a pioneering paleontologist, said that inconsistent funding could also hinder the projects. 

Paleontology requires much funding, support, and world-class museums, which developing countries often do not have, Jukar said.

Also, there is a need for better regional cooperation between scientists. Indian paleontology can’t do it alone, according to Wilson. 

India is inseparable from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Myanmar in terms of fossil wealth. All these countries are one region, but politics can make it hard for scientists to travel and exchange information freely. Further learning would be more accessible through stronger regional cooperation, Wilson concluded. 

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