Search the Community

India’s invaluable dinosaur fossils lie neglected and forgotten in this Kolkata museum, Scroll Magazine , India https://scroll.in/magazine/903796/indias-invaluable-dinosaur-fossils-lie-neglected-and-forgotten-in-this-kolkata-museum https://scroll.in/topic/55864/museums-of-india Yours, Paul H.

https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/scientists-unearth-asias-first-fossil-dioscorea-yam-leaf/article25920318.ece

Have anyone ever brought fossils into or out of India? I am headed there for a few days to give paleontology lessons, and I'll be using my own ammonites, spino teeth, dino bones etc as part of the lessons. Google search didn't show anything about fossils being illegal to be brought in/out, but thought I should still check here. I've emailed their customs already but they are slow to respond. I am guessing that they too are scratching their heads as they've never had anyone ask such a question. That, or they are unwilling to commit an answer.

Hey guys, Found a rock on the beach and it has a bulge, it feels like something is there inside, could it be a fossil?

I found a tooth on the beach, but I am unable to identify the animal to which it belonged to. It has a width of about 1.5inches, so it is fairly large. Anyone who tries to identify it, your help will be much appreciated.

I noticed that in the wide world of vertebrate paleontology, not a lot of attention is given to India, despite some rather good Mesozoic (notably Triassic) vertebrate sites. I thought it would be nice to share this with the other TFF members, to promote a bit the advances in Indian vertebrate paleo: https://www.researchgate.net/project/Mesozoic-Microvertebrates Some of the papers have the full text available. What do you people think? -Christian

Any chance someone knows what these are? They are most probably Holocene-aged (last 12,000 years). They come from a dry playa lake setting (inland) in India - the Thar Desert. Size is about 1mm wide, and 1.5+mm long... there is a funny raised hollow insert. Would love to get some tips!

Scientifically vital fossils vanish, Masol’s claim to fame in danger Siddarth Banerjee | TNN | April 30, 2018 https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/scientifically-vital-fossils-vanish-masols-claim-to-fame-in-danger/articleshow/63969904.cms 2.6-million-year-old ‘priceless’ fossil on sale for just Rs 4500 Sidharth Banerjee | TNN | July 24, 2017 https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/2-6-million-year-old-priceless-fossil-on-sale-for-just-rs-4500/articleshow/59729760.cms Some papers are: Chapon-Sao, C., Abdessadok, S., Tudryn, A., Malassé, A.D., Singh, M., Karir, B., Gaillard, C., Moigne, A.M., Gargani, J. and Bhardwaj, V., 2016. Lithostratigraphy of Masol paleonto-archeological localities in the Quranwala Zone, 2.6 Ma, northwestern India. Comptes Rendus Palevol, 15(3-4), pp. 417-439. https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01323986/ Malassé, A.D., Moigne, A.M., Singh, M., Calligaro, T., Karir, B., Gaillard, C., Kaur, A., Bhardwaj, V., Pal, S., Abdessadok, S. and Sao, C.C., 2016. Intentional cut marks on bovid from the Quranwala zone, 2.6 Ma, Siwalik Frontal Range, northwestern India. Comptes Rendus Palevol, 15(3-4), pp. 317-339. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/292209224_Intentional_cut_marks_on_bovid_from_the_Quranwala_zone_26_Ma_Siwalik_Frontal_Range_northwestern_India https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Anne_Dambricourt_Malasse Malassé, A.D., Singh, M., Karir, B., Gaillard, C., Bhardwaj, V., Moigne, A.M., Abdessadok, S., Sao, C.C., Gargani, J., Tudryn, A. and Calligaro, T., 2016. Anthropic activities in the fossiliferous Quranwala Zone, 2.6 Ma, Siwaliks of Northwest India, historical context of the discovery and scientific investigations. Comptes Rendus Palevol, 15(3-4), pp.295-316. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/292077679_Anthropic_activities_in_the_fossiliferous_Quranwala_Zone_26Ma_Siwaliks_of_Northwest_India_historical_context_of_the_discovery_and_scientific_investigations https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Anne_Dambricourt_Malasse Gargani, J., Abdessadok, S., Tudryn, A., Sao, C.C., Malassé, A.D., Gaillard, C., Moigne, A.M., Singh, M., Bhardwaj, V. and Karir, B., 2016. Geology and geomorphology of Masol paleonto-archeological site, Late Pliocene, Chandigarh, Siwalik Frontal Range, NW India. Comptes Rendus Palevol, 15(3-4), pp.379-391. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/281291986_Geology_and_Geomorphology_of_Masol_paleonto-archeological_site_Late_Pliocene_Chandigarh_Siwalik_Frontal_Range_NW_India https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Anne_Dambricourt_Malasse Gaillard, C., Singh, M., Malassé, A.D., Bhardwaj, V., Karir, B., Kaur, A., Pal, S., Moigne, A.M., Sao, C.C., Abdessadok, S. and Gargani, J., 2016. The lithic industries on the fossiliferous outcrops of the Late Pliocene masol formation, Siwalik frontal range, northwestern India (Punjab). Comptes Rendus Palevol, 15(3-4), pp.341-357. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/293332452_The_lithic_industries_on_the_fossiliferous_outcrops_of_the_Late_Pliocene_Masol_Formation_Siwalik_Frontal_Range_north-western_India_Punjab https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Claire_Gaillard2 Yours, Paul H.

Sanjay Kumar, 2018, A one-man fossil rescue mission Science 06 Apr 2018: Vol. 360, Issue 6384, pp. 24 DOI: 10.1126/science.360.6384.24 http://science.sciencemag.org/content/360/6384/24.full An amateur fossil enthusiast spends countless hours— and his own money—saving fossils from looting Yours, Paul H.

A good news for all fossil hunters who plan to visit India http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-maharashtra-to-soon-have-fossil-park-with-jurassic-era-remains-2573680

Fossil of ‘fish lizard’ from Jurassic-era found: Researchers relate India to Gondawana, The TeCake, October 27, 2017 https://tecake.in/news/science/first-jurassic-era-fish-lizard-fossil-discovered-gujarats-kutch-area-39424.html First Jurassic ichthyosaur fossil found in India https://phys.org/news/2017-10-jurassic-ichthyosaur-fossil-india.html Prasad, G.V.R., Pandey, D.K., Alberti, M., Fürsich, F.T., Thakkar, M.G., and Chauhan, G.D. 2017. Discovery of the first ichthyosaur from the Jurassic of India: Implications for Gondwanan palaeobiogeography. PLoS ONE 12(10): e0185851. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0185851 http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0185851 Yours, Paul H.

Archaeopteryx

Ok before I get laughed off the forum, I have to state that I purchased this not knowing if it was real but loving it for the aesthetic factor. Been a long time beachcomber/shell collector and as a result have found some sea fossils over the years, like shark's teeth and fossil shells. I do not know anything about ammonites. I bought this at a store that specializes in home décor and often has a mish mash of imported items. I have seen real shells there as well as agate décor items. I basically love anything with a seashell or sea fossil on it, real or not! Began to look at rough fossil ammonites on line and really can't determine how to tell difference. I do not see any holes in this one produced by air bubbles, which was one thing to look for. I smelled it and I get a clay smell. Have done pottery with clay so I know the smell. It measures about 7" x 7" widest part and about 2 5/8" deep. Weighs 5 lbs 15.9 ounces. I know this came wrapped in plastic with an "India" stamp on plastic before they unwrapped to sell. So you ammonite experts have a go at it and tell me what you see! I love to learn!

Hello ! Thank you for having a site out there for wanderers like us . Can you identify these consecutive grooving patterns ? Are these fossils or just my imagination ? I've posted these pictures online on google+ here : The four "fossils" (Excuse the hair ;-p) And if it helps, I found them here at the banks of Ramganga river in India (Jim Corbett Park), here : Where I found them... It would be amazing to know the truth at least.

Before talking about the fossils, let me give you some background on the caves of Meghalaya (Northeast India). Since 1992, annual expeditions by European and US cavers, mapped more than 300 kms of cave passages in numerous caves. The exploration is supported locally by the Meghalaya Adventurers Association as a part of the “Abode of the Clouds Project”. I have been to India five times so far. During December 2012 expedition to the West Khasi Hills, Meghalaya, a 5-member exploration team from Meghalaya and the US explored a spectacular river cave, Krem Amarsang (krem=cave in the local Khasi language), formed in Siju Limestone Formation. The cave entrance (360m asl), located deep in the jungle, is adorned with stone pendants, and leads steeply over large boulders to a lower gallery where a stream emerges from under the breakdown. The cave is decorated with large rust-colored flowstone curtains, rimstone dams as well as stalagmites and stalactites. Uniquely, much of the course of the underground river follows a succession of symmetrical dissolutional potholes with diameters often exceeding three meters indicating substantial volume and velocity of water. Margins where consecutive potholes meet form razor sharp edges. Beyond the second 3-meter waterfall, the river passage bifurcates. The cave was partly mapped (length = 743m; depth = -40m) with both river passages continuing with no end in sight. Horseshoe bats, fish, crayfish, snails, spiders, and crickets were observed. In this context, the Eocene Siju Limestone offers an abundance of fossils, particularly nummulites (foraminifera). These fossils are found in the limestone outside as well as inside the cave. Since as a principle we do not remove any rocks, formations, or fossils from caves, no cave fossils were collected. The cave walls are clean-washed rock and the fossils that I observed and photographed in situ were embedded in the limestone bedrock. Because we were making a map of the cave and exploration required bolting and ropes, I only had the time to take several pictures of the fossils in the cave – see photos A1-A2 for examples of what we saw in the upper part of the cave. I believe that these photos show nummulites of various sizes, but I do not know if these might represent different species or the size is dictated by the number and hypertrophy of the protist cells contributing to each colony. Please feel free to correct me, as I am essentially new to fossil identification. So far, these fossils seem ordinary, however deeper in the cave, and at the last point of the exploration, I found an intriguing fossil, which I will present in my next post. Any comments will be much appreciated. Mike