Ghughua Fossil Park

Ghughua Fossil Park
IUCN category II (national park)
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Location	Madhya Pradesh, India
Coordinates	23°6′38″N80°36′51″E / 23.11056°N 80.61417°E / 23.11056; 80.61417
Area	75 acres (0.30 km2) [1]
Created	1983

Ghughuwa fossil

Ghughuwa fossil park

Rock formations at Ghughua Fossil Park

Ghughua Fossil Park is a National Park, located near Shahpura in Madhya Pradesh, India, in which plant fossils belonging to 31 genera of 18 families have been identified. ^[2]

The site was founded during the 1970s by Dr. Dharmendra Prasad, a statistical officer of the Mandla district and honorary secretary of the district archaeology unit. It was declared a National Park in 1983. ^[3] Numerous plant, leaf, fruit, seed, and shell fossils can be found in this park, some of which date as far back as 65 million years, ^[3] the most prominent of which are the palm fossils. ^[2]

Notable fossils

A fossil wood bearing some similarities to eucalyptus found at Ghughua may be the oldest fossil of its type ever discovered. This find would support a gondwanan paleodistribution. ^[4] Additional notable discoveries include a dinosaur egg fossil. ^[5]

Transportation

Ghughua Fossil Park is located near National Highway 11. It is situated 14 km from Shahpura and 76 km from Jabalpur. ^[2]

See also

• Shivalik Fossil Park
• National Fossil Wood Park, Tiruvakkarai

References

1. "Dindori district - Points of Interest" . Retrieved 24 December 2021.
2. "Fossil National Park Ghughua (65 Million Year Old Heritage)". National Information Centre. Archived from the original on 25 February 2013. Retrieved 26 December 2012.
3. Mishra, Girima (17 January 2010). "A dino egg and other fossils". The Indian Express. Retrieved 26 December 2012.
4. Anumeha Shukla, R.C.Mehrotra, Antariksh Tyagi. "Research Communications" (PDF). Current Science Vol 103. No.1. 10 July 2012. Retrieved 26 December 2012.
5. Kumar, Vikas (21 February 2011). "6.5 crore-year-old fossil in Ghughua". The Sunday Indian. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 26 December 2012.