Prehistoric fossils found in Telangana forest

Hyderabad: A new fossil site has been added to the already fossil-rich Telangana's fossil wealth. Researchers found gastropod fossils which lived around 6,50,00,000 years ago in Ginnedhari forest range of Asifabad district. A team led by MA Srinivasan, the general secretary of Public Research Institute of History (PRIHA), and Forest Range Officer and PRIHA member Thodishetty Pranay, conducted field survey in the area to recognise and collect the fossils.

These snail-like fossils are identified as the Physa Tirpolensis by eminent paleontologist and retired Deputy Director General of the Geological Survey of India (GSI), Chakilam Venugopal Rao. Similar gastropod fossils were discovered in Terpole village of Sangareddy district three decades ago by a geologist of GSI K Ayyasamy, hence the gastropod belonging to Genus Physa got its name Physa tirpolensis, disclosed Srinivasan.

Gastropods generally coil in clockwise direction with the aperture opened always on the right side. But what makes Physa special is they coil anti- clock-wise and the aperture opens on the left.

It is assumed that a lake which existed around 6,50,00,000 years ago this region was overlaid by the lava, and thus these snails along with many other life forms got embedded in the mud, and in the course of time were silicified, transforming into fossils. PRIHA team also identified many other specimens of wood fossils here. There is a possibility of finding micro fossils of algae and other plant and animal life. In the past also many fossils were found in the region between Maharashtra and west of Hyderabad which form Deccan traps in geological terms.

"Finding of a pre-historic limestone cave in the same region and now the fossils, the potential and importance for research in Asifabad is once again reiterated" said Srinivasan. These findings could happen with the encouragement and support of IFS officers, the DFO S Shantaram and FDO Dinesh," says according to Pranay.

In the past, Dr P Yadagiri of GSI and archaeologist Thakur Rajaram Singh found many fossils and prehistoric tools made of fossils in Asifabad, Mancheryal and Adilabad regions of north Telangana enriching the fields of geology and pre-history. PRIHA urges the government to establish a fossil park in this region to preserve these fossils and facilitate further research on Telangana region.