Youth unearths pre-historic fossils in Himachal Pradesh

Majakra (Himachal Pradesh), Sep 11(ANI): A 19-year-old youngster has unearthed fossil remains of a prehistoric creature buried in Majakra village in Himachal Pradesh's Kangra district.

Nishant Kumar, a student, chanced upon the fossils while digging up a sewage tank pit in the backyard of his house.

"Two months ago, we dug up a pit and found these fossils in there. According to me, they could be of a dinosaur or a giant," said Nishant Kumar.

Realising that the fossil could be of great importance, he dug up meticulously more to unearth about 15 skeletal remains, which include a jaw and some teeth.

With utmost care, Nishant scooped these out and kept them safely in his house, he believes there may be some more fossils hidden under the ground.

To ascertain the worth of his discovery, Nishant sought the advice of the Professor of Geology at the Dharamsala Degree College.

Dr. Sunil Dhar, Head of Department of Geology analysed the fossil remains and assessed them to be dating back to 4 to 10 million years. He was of the view that these could be of primitive horse, elephant or any other animal.

"These fossils prove that after a certain time, the lesser Himalayan environment was marine in its character. After the marine era, this Shivalik region became continental. So these fossils indicate that Shivalik are continental and fresh water in origin," said Dr. Dhar.

According to geologists, the Shivalik range in the Himalayas was formed 25 million years ago and the outer mountains of the Himalayas have evidences of life that existed and evolved here millions of years ago.

Many pre-historic fossils have been found in the state earlier, but this discovery in the Kangra district has come after a long gap.

Further, geologists have said that the fossils could be of great academic value and should be kept safely in museums or labs for students and researchers. (ANI)