Discovery of palm fossils proves Himalayas rose from sea: Expert

Tribune News Service

Shimla, November 4

The discovery of 20 million large palm leaves, discovered from Tethyan sediments in Ladakh, has further substantiated the fact that the Himalayas were once below the sea which separated India and Tibet.

It is geo-hydrologist Ritesh Arya who chanced upon these almost four-feet-long palm leave fossils. “The presence of fossils of palm from the sediments of Indus Mollase in Ladakh clearly shows that the Himalayas in Ladakh were once below the sea and the sediments from where these fossils were found were below the sea,” said Arya.

He explains that Tethys Sea once separated India and Tibet in geological history 20 million years ago and therefore, the Himalayas were not born but rose from the Tethys. The presence of palm fossils represents near coastal environment, the gigantic size of actual specimens shows that the conditions at the time of deposition would have been hot and humid, conforming more to equatorial climatic conditions, he adds.

“This type of flora is nowhere found in modern-day Himalayas. Fossils of palm leaves were found in Kasauli by Medlicott in 1864, which were named Sabal Major by O Fiestmantel,” said Arya. Later, Arya discovered palm fossils from Kasauli, while doing his PhD thesis.

Other evidences of near coastal faces for Kasauli formation have been established by Arya on the basis of fossils of garcinia, gluta, combretum and syzygium, which were discovered by him in 1994. The fossil of palm from Ladakh is comparatively very big in size.

Arya explains that on the basis of these palm and other leaf fossils, it could be concluded that Kasauli and Ladakh were deposited in-near coastal environment, probably near the equator. “Kasauli sediments on the basis of charophytes are dated to be 20 million years’ old. The Ladakh sediments from where these palms are found are also 20 million years’ old. This also means that the basin of Kasauli and Ladakh were homotaxial and deposited at the same time,” he says.

The fragile nature of the sediments makes the recovery of specimens difficult. “In situ preservation of the specimen and declaring it as geoheritage site can help in its preservation. Moreover, this can help educate locals about the rich fossil and rock heritage of the Ladakh Himalayas,” says Arya, who plans to set up geological laboratories in schools.

Finding fossils is rare but procuring and preserving these is an even greater challenge, he says.

Conforms to equatorial conditions

• Geo-hydrologist Ritesh Arya chanced upon these almost 4-foot-long palm leave fossils while searching specimens for his first school museum to be set up in Ladakh
• He says the presence of palm fossils represents near coastal environment and the gigantic size of actual specimens shows that the conditions at the time of deposition must have been hot and humid, conforming to equatorial climatic conditions

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