J&K: Seven new fossil sites discovered in Kulgam, samples date back to over 400mn years

Around seven additional fossil sites have been discovered in South Kashmir, months after the fossil site was discovered in the Aharbal district of Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam. According to the excavation's instructors, Rouf Hamzah and Manzoor Javaid, the discovery of the fossil site in Aharbal in August this year sparked a wave of fossil discoveries in Kashmir's south. According to Hamzah, a Kashmiri lecturer, "We started finding fossils from Aharbal. Today, we have exposed some new sites in south Kashmir, particularly in the Kulgam and Anantnag districts."

These fossil sites were discovered in Mughal Achabal and its surrounding areas in the Anantnag district. During the survey, some staff members from Government Higher Secondary Dethu accompanied the team. "The site, located near a Government Higher Secondary School, Dethu in Anantnag, has fossils of various Paleozoic organisms like Brachiopods, Stromatoporoids, Stromatolites, Bivalves, Glossopteris, extensive Piddock rock borings, petrified wood, ichnofossils of various types and stones with mud crack impressions," said Hamzah.

J&K: Seven new fossil sites discovered in South Kashmir

Mohammed Yusuf Ganie, a Kashmiri lecturer, added, "We started looking for fossils, and the first site that we found has been visited and inspected and appreciated by many. We have disclosed almost seven such sites today". Experts believe the site, which is rich in fossil biodiversity, contains fossil samples dating from 488 to 354 million years old. However, radiocarbon dating is the only way to determine the exact date. Manzoor Javaid, State Nodal Officer at School Herbal Garden Scheme Jammu and Kashmir, said, "We have visited several interesting sites and have witnessed the marvel of very old fossils". 

Dinosaur Fossil Which Had 7 Pairs Of Blades As Tail Discovered In Chile

According to a study published in the magazine Nature, researchers in Chile found a new dinosaur species with a distinctive cutting tail weapon. The dog-sized dinosaur, which lived 72-75 million years ago, possessed spiked tails that may have been used as stabbing weapons, according to palaeontologists. According to Alex Vargas, the main author of the study, some of them possessed tails with clubs and seven pairs of "blades" pointing out sideways, similar to a slicing weapon employed by ancient Aztec warriors. Stegourous Elengassen is a unique armoured dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous period of Magallanes in southernmost Chile, with a semi-articulated skeleton of small build (about 2 metres).

Inputs: ANI 

(IMAGE: ANI)