Geologists have discovered?fossilised leaves, assessed to be around 150-200 million years of age, in JharkhandˇŻs Sahibganj region.??
A couple of 20 cm by 5 cm fossilised leaves of genus Ptilophyllum have been found in Dudhkol mountain in Taljhari area on Saturday and further excavation is underway, lead geologist assistant professor Ranjit Kumar Singh of Sahibganj PG College said.?
The uncovering is being directed in relationship with National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow under a task of the Department of Science and Technology of the Union government.?
ˇ°Such leaves were devoured by herbivorous dinosaurs.Littler fossils from Upper Jurassic to Cretaceous period were prior found in the area. We may even discover fossilized dinosaur eggs during further unearthing,ˇ± Singh told PTI.
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ˇ°I and my group have been working in the area throughout the previous 12 years yet we never discovered such noticeable fossils,ˇ± he said.??
According to a report by The Telegraph, the Jharkhand government has sanctioned Rs 11 crore for setting up a fossil park in Sahebganj and released nearly Rs 4 crore in the last financial year 2018-19 for the park at Mandro.?
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Rajmahal hills, located in Santhal Pargana, are known for rich fossils that attract geologists and paleo-botanists from across the world. Most of these are found in Mandro area, which is why the park has been set up there.
Back in 2016, a team of experts from Jharkhand and Bengal has unearthed plant fossils and reptilian eggs, believed to be 70-150 million years old and dating back to the Jurassic Period, atop the Rajmahal Hills of Sahebganj, reports The Telegraph,?
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Ferns, ginkgoes and some conifers flourished during the Jurassic Period. Petrified wood is a special type of fossilised remains of terrestrial vegetation.??