Nothopegia

A team of researchers from the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences (BSIP), Lucknow, has made a significant discovery in the Makum Coalfield of Assam, uncovering the world’s oldest known fossil record of the plant genus Nothopegia. These fossilized leaves date back approximately 24–23 million years, to the late Oligocene epoch.

Here are the key findings:

• Discovery Location: Fossil leaves were collected from the Makum Coalfield in Assam.
• Identification Method: Researchers analyzed the morphological traits of the fossil leaves and identified them through herbarium comparison and cluster analysis.
• Modern Resemblance: The fossil leaves were found to resemble modern plant species of the Nothopegia genus.
• Geographical Anomaly: Strangely, the Nothopegia genus is no longer found in northeast India today. Modern Nothopegia species thrive thousands of kilometers away, deep in the rain-drenched forests of the Western Ghats.
• Tracing the Journey: The scientists’ study, published in the journal Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, traced the journey of this plant species from the Northeast of the subcontinent to its current distribution in the Western Ghats.

(Source: PIB)