Nagpur/Chandrapur: Environmentalist and fossil researcher Prof Suresh Chopane has discovered fossils of Glossopteris plant leaves near Bhadravati in Chandrapur district. As per Chopane the fossils are from the Permian to Jurassic period meaning they date back to a period between 298 million years ago to 145 million years ago, according to a report in a local English daily.
According to the report, the Government’s Geology Department has a record of having the presence of fossils in the area, but samples collected so far were not of good quality. Chopne maintained that he has been searching the area for quite a few years and has now come across some good specimens of the fossils.
Chopne, an avid researcher, had earlier discovered fossils of dinosaurs, elephants, stromatolite, conch shells, tree and leaf etc at many places in Chandrapur district. He is also a collector of fossils, and has a private collection of fossils and prehistoric era tools in his personal museum.
The fossils of dinosaurs were discovered by Chopne in Bhadrawati and Warora areas. According to him, there is evidence of ancient fossils at few places in agriculture fields and forests on the Bhadrawati to Chandankheda road. “Chandrapur district is geologically a museum where many rocks are 300 to 60 million years old,” Chopne said.
Chopne said that 200 million years back, when the giant dinosaurs were alive, there was only one continent called Pangea on the earth. The landmass of India was adjacent to today’s Australia. There was a sea called Tethys between the landmass of ancient India and China. India’s landmass moved north and collided with the landmass China millions of years back. The collusion resulted in the formation of the Himalayas. The freshly discovered fossils of leaves found near Bhadravati were formed during the same period, Chopne said.
He claimed that there are many such secrets hidden underground in Bhadravati taluka. Chopne emphasized the need to conduct a detailed study of the area.
