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4.5-Million-Year-Old Fish Fossils Discovered in the Himalayan Foothills
- The Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology conducts ongoing research related to the Himalayas. This latest discovery was made during a study conducted by the institute in the Mohand region, located along the border of Uttarakhand.
- While only fossils of terrestrial organisms had been discovered in this region until now, this marks the first time that fossils of aquatic organisms have been unearthed.
- Dr. Ningthoujam Premjit Singh, a senior scientist at the Wadia Institute who led the research, stated that these fossils—which include the ear bones of three distinct fish species—provide insights into the prehistoric environment of the Siwalik region.
- His team discovered fossils belonging to three types of fish: the Snakehead, the Goby, and the Gourami. Among these, the Gourami variety is extremely rare; this marks only the second time in the world—and the first time outside of Sumatra, Indonesia—that it has been discovered.
- Dr. Premjit Singh noted that these are not merely fossils, but rather remnants of a lost ecosystem. The study suggests that, approximately 4.5 to 4.8 million years ago, the Mohand region was a tranquil freshwater environment surrounded by dense vegetation. It was likely either a lake or a slow-moving river.
