Jaisalmer: In the deserts of Jaisalmer district, palaeontologists have stumbled upon nearly 47 million-year-old fossils of primitive whale, shark teeth, crocodilian teeth and turtle bones, which according to experts suggest that the area was under sea in the pre-historic age.The western region of Geological Survey of India (GSI) had been conducting research on fossils in different parts of Gujarat and Rajasthan for over a year.Experts found number of fossils of vertebrates such as whale, shark teeth, crocodilian teeth and bones of turtle belonging of middle Eocene Age were unearthed from Bandah village 80kms from Jaisalmer. On the other hand, at sultana area in Jaisalmer, senior geologist Dhirendra K Pandey has found fossils of shark and other animals.The presence of the marine fossils of Middle Eocene period indicates that about 47 million years ago, there was a sea in this area, he said, adding that faunal record shows similarity with earlier reported fauna of middle Eocene Harudi formation, Kachhch Basin and Gujarat, thus representing similar shallow marine deposition under tropical-temperate conditions.These important finding was carried out by the Krishna Kumar, Senior Geologist and Smt. Pragya Pandey Geologist under the overall supervision of Debasish Bhattacharya, Director, Palaeontology Division.The Eocene Epoch constitutes the middle part of the Paleogene period (65-23 million years ago), preceded by the Paleocene and succeeded by the Oligocene epoch (34-23 million years ago); all of these periods and epochs were part of the Cenozoic Era (65 million years ago).GSI PRO Manoj Kumar said “Eocene continues from 56 to 39 million years ago from today. Eocene was divided into three parts (lower, middle and upper). At this time there were many birds, reptiles and mammals living in land as well as in the sea. In the Land, Perissodactyls (odd-toed ungulates) and artiodactyls (even-toed ungulates) were evolved during this time. At the same time in the sea, various types of fish (shark, ray etc.) and some marine mammals, such primitive whales and sirenian (sea cow) were evolved. The finding of primitive whale fossil indicates the early evolution of the whale during Eocene time in Jaisalmer Basin.”

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