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News: Scientists discovered freshwater fish fossils in Saharanpur, including first gourami fossil in India and second globally, indicating a Pliocene ecosystem.
About Gourami Fossils
- The Gourami fossils are freshwater fish remains identified through otolith structures from ancient ecosystems.
- Discovered by: The fossils were discovered by scientists led by Dr. Ningthoujam Premjit Singh of the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology.
- Location: The fossils were found in the Siwalik foothills at Mohand in Saharanpur district of Uttar Pradesh.
- Geological Era: The fossils belong to the Pliocene Epoch, dated about 4.8 million years ago.
- Rarity: This is the first record of a Gourami fossil in India and only the second globally (the first was in Sumatra ).
- The Fossil Type: The fossils are otoliths, which are calcium carbonate structures used for hearing and balance in fishes.
- Key Findings
- Structured Food Chain: The presence of snakeheads, gouramis, and gobies shows a clear food chain, where smaller fish acted as prey and snakeheads acted as predators.
- Freshwater Ecosystem: The fossils indicate a calm and stable freshwater body surrounded by dense vegetation during the Pliocene period.
