Source: DD News
Context: Scientists from the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences unearthed 24-million-year-old fossilized Nothopegia leaves in Assam’s Makum Coalfield.
- This is the oldest known fossil record of the genus, revealing ancient climate patterns and biodiversity shifts.
About Nothopegia Leaves:
- What is Nothopegia?
- A genus of flowering plants belonging to the Anacardiaceae family (same as mango).
- It includes several tropical tree species known for their ecological and medicinal importance.
- Present Habitat: Currently found only in the Western Ghats, a biodiversity hotspot in peninsular India.
- Fossil Discovery: Fossil leaves of Nothopegia were discovered in Assam’s Makum Coalfield, dating back to the late Oligocene epoch (24–23 million years ago).
- Key Features:
- Broad, reticulate-veined leaves.
- Adapted to warm, humid tropical climates.
- Fossils resemble modern Western Ghats species, indicating a past distribution in Northeast India.
- Reason for Local Extinction in Northeast:
- Tectonic shifts and Himalayan uplift drastically altered regional climate.
- Changes in rainfall, temperature, and wind patterns made the Northeast inhospitable.
- Nothopegia migrated southward, surviving in the climatically stable Western Ghats.
About Makum Coalfield:
- Location: Located in Tinsukia district, Assam, within the Dibrugarh–Tinsukia coal belt.
- Features:
- Rich in Tertiary-period fossil records and peat-based coal deposits.
- A valuable site for paleobotanical and geological research.
- Offers insights into climatic transitions and ancient flora of India.
