Shiva Balak Misra

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Shiva Balak Misra
Born (1940-03-01) 1 March 1940 (age 84)
Barabanki, United Provinces, British India
NationalityIndian
CitizenshipIndian
Education University of Lucknow
Memorial University of Newfoundland
Known forDiscovery of the oldest example of multicellular life on Earth, Social Work, writer
SpouseNirmala Misra
Children Neelesh Misra
Shailesh Misra
AwardsApeejay India Volunteer Award in 2011, Laadli Media Award for writing on gender sensitivity in 2014
Scientific career
FieldsGeology
Education
Rural Upliftment
Social Work
Institutions Kumaun University
Bhartiya Gramin Vidyalaya
Thesis Geology of Biscay Bay-Cape Race area, Avalon Peninsula, Newfoundland.  (1969)
Website www.sbmisra.in
mistakenpointfauna.sbmisra.in , graminschool.org
storyofanindian.blogspot.in
www.facebook.com/BharatiyaGraminVidyalaya/ ,

Shiva Balak Misra is an Indian geologist, writer and social worker from Barabanki district of Uttar Pradesh in India and is known for his contribution to the knowledge of earliest life forms on earth.

Contents

In 1968, Misra made the discovery of Ediacaran fossils attributed as the oldest multicellular life on Earth, [1] [2] The area of the formation containing the fossils was protected as the Mistaken Point Ecological Reserve in 1984, and declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2016. [3] [4] The fossils were later named after Misra in 2007 as Fractofusus misrai . [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]

In 1969, Misra returned from Canada after completing his MS Degree and established a school near his native village Deora in Barabanki district in India [10] and continues to serve this school until today.

Early education

Misra grew up in a small village called Deora near Lucknow in Northern India, [10] and had to walk 12 Kilometers (8 miles) to the nearest school as a child. Brought up in hardships, he completed his Higher Secondary Certificate education from Lucknow.

Fossil discovery at Mistaken Point

Misra received a scholarship to pursue a Masters in Science from Memorial University of Newfoundland in Canada. Misra was first to prepare and present a systematic geological map of the region, [11] to classify and describe the rock sequence of the area and to work out the depositional history of the rocks.

During this geological mapping, in the summer of 1967, he discovered a rich assemblage of imprints of soft-bodied organisms on the surface of large rock slabs in the Conception Group of Avalon Peninsula of Newfoundland at Mistaken Point. These were unusual impressions of previously unknown soft-bodied sea animals on the surfaces of Argillite (mudstone) included Coelenterates and other Metazoa of the Ediacaran.

The discovery was reported in 1968 in a paper [12] [13] in Nature. Later, Misra described the Mistaken Point Fauna in more detail in 1969, in another paper [14] [15] published in the Bulletin of the Geological Society of America. He described the fossil assemblage into groups namely:

  1. Spindle-shaped
  2. Leaf-shaped
  3. Round lobate
  4. Dendrite like
  5. Radiating

Social work

After completing his master's degree, remembering the hardships he had undergone, Misra decided to return to India and establish a village school [16] with support from his wife Nirmala Misra, a Teacher by profession.

He served as professor of geology and dean science at the Kumaun University in Nainital and after retirement from this position again joined his wife Nirmala Misra in serving. [16] After retirement, he also serves as Editor-in-chief of "Gaon Connection". a rural news paper.

In his 80s, Misra resides in Lucknow with his wife. His eldest son Neelesh Misra is a well known Indian journalist, author, radio storyteller, Bollywood scriptwriter, and lyricist.

Awards

Misra was awarded the Laadli Media Award for writing on gender sensitivity in 2014. Misra was also recognized with the Apeejay India Volunteer Award [17] in 2011.

Books authored

Misra has authored two books:

  1. Dream Chasing, One Man's Remarkable, True Life Story. [18]
  2. Nature & Indian-ness (भारतीयता और पयार्वरण)

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cambrian</span> First period of the Paleozoic Era, 539–485 million years ago

The Cambrian is the first geological period of the Paleozoic Era, and of the Phanerozoic Eon. The Cambrian lasted 53.4 million years from the end of the preceding Ediacaran period 538.8 million years ago (mya) to the beginning of the Ordovician period 485.4 mya. Its subdivisions, and its base, are somewhat in flux.

The cloudinids, an early metazoan family containing the genera Acuticocloudina, Cloudina and Conotubus, lived in the late Ediacaran period about 550 million years ago. and became extinct at the base of the Cambrian. They formed millimetre-scale conical fossils consisting of calcareous cones nested within one another; the appearance of the organism itself remains unknown. The name Cloudina honors the 20th-century geologist and paleontologist Preston Cloud.

<i>Charnia</i> Genus of frond-like lifeforms

Charnia is an extinct genus of frond-like lifeforms belonging to the Ediacaran biota with segmented, leaf-like ridges branching alternately to the right and left from a zig-zag medial suture. The genus Charnia was named for Charnwood Forest in Leicestershire, England, where the first fossilised specimen was found. Charnia is significant because it was the first Precambrian fossil to be recognized as such.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doushantuo Formation</span> Fossil formation in south-central China

The Doushantuo Formation is a geological formation in western Hubei, eastern Guizhou, southern Shaanxi, central Jiangxi, and other localities in China. It is known for the fossil Lagerstätten in Zigui in Hubei, Xiuning in Anhui, and Weng'an in Guizhou, as one of the oldest beds to contain minutely preserved microfossils, phosphatic fossils that are so characteristic they have given their name to "Doushantuo type preservation". The formation, whose deposits date back to the Early and Middle Ediacaran, is of particular interest because it covers the poorly understood interval of time between the end of the Cryogenian geological period and the more familiar fauna of the Late Ediacaran Avalon explosion, as well as due to its microfossils' potential utility as biostratigraphical markers. Taken as a whole, the Doushantuo Formation ranges from about 635 Ma at its base to about 551 Ma at its top, with the most fossiliferous layer predating by perhaps five Ma the earliest of the 'classical' Ediacaran faunas from Mistaken Point on the Avalon Peninsula of Newfoundland, and recording conditions up to a good forty to fifty million years before the Cambrian explosion at the beginning of the Phanerozoic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Avalon Peninsula</span> Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland

The Avalon Peninsula is a large peninsula that makes up the southeast portion of the island of Newfoundland. It is 9,220.61 square kilometres (3,560.10 sq mi) in size.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barabanki district</span> District of Uttar Pradesh in India

Barabanki district is one of the five districts of Ayodhya division in the central Awadh region of Uttar Pradesh, India. Barabanki city is the administrative headquarters of Barabanki district. Total area of Barabanki district is 3891.5 Sq. km.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vendobionta</span> Group of extinct creatures that were part of the Ediacaran biota

Vendobionts or Vendozoans (Vendobionta) are a proposed very high-level, extinct clade of benthic organisms that made up of the majority of the organisms that were part of the Ediacaran biota. It is a hypothetical group and at the same time, it would be the oldest of the animals that populated the Earth about 580 million years ago, in the Ediacaran period. They became extinct shortly after the so-called Cambrian explosion, with the introduction of fauna formed by more recognizable groups and more related to modern animals. It is very likely that the whole Ediacaran biota is not a monophyletic clade and not every genus placed in its subtaxa is an animal.

<i>Aspidella</i> Genus of Ediacaran animals

Aspidella is an Ediacaran disk-shaped fossil of uncertain affinity. It is known from the single species A. terranovica.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thectardis</span> Member of the Ediacaran biota

Thectardis avalonensis is a triangular-shaped member of the Ediacaran biota, dating from 574 to 565 million years ago. The organism took the form of an elongated cone with a central depression, and its apex was anchored to the substrate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ediacaran biota</span> All organisms of the Ediacaran Period (c. 635–538.8 million years ago)

The Ediacaranbiota is a taxonomic period classification that consists of all life forms that were present on Earth during the Ediacaran Period. These were enigmatic tubular and frond-shaped, mostly sessile, organisms. Trace fossils of these organisms have been found worldwide, and represent the earliest known complex multicellular organisms. The term "Ediacara biota" has received criticism from some scientists due to its alleged inconsistency, arbitrary exclusion of certain fossils, and inability to be precisely defined.

<i>Fractofusus misrai</i> Frondose Ediacaran fossil

Fractofusus misrai is an Ediacaran fossil discovered in 1967 by S.B. Misra at Mistaken Point, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, which has since become the Mistaken Point Ecological Reserve. It was named after Professor Misra in 2007. It represents a frondose rangeomorph.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neelesh Misra</span> Indian journalist, writer, and musician

Neelesh Misra is an Indian journalist, author, radio storyteller, scriptwriter and lyricist. He hosted Yaadon Ka IdiotBox on BIG FM 92.7. He is co-founder and editor of Gaon Connection, a rural newspaper. He is working on "The Neelesh Misra Show" on Red FM 93.5 and "Kahaani Express" on Saavn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mistaken Point Ecological Reserve</span> Protected area in Newfoundland, Canada

Mistaken Point Ecological Reserve is a wilderness area and a UNESCO World Heritage Site located at the southeastern tip of Newfoundland's Avalon Peninsula in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. The reserve is home to the namesake Mistaken Point Formation, which contains one of the most diverse and well-preserved collections of Precambrian fossils in the world. Ediacaran fossils discovered at the site constitute the oldest known remnants of multicellular life on Earth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mistaken Point Formation</span>

The Mistaken Point Formation is a geologic formation in Newfoundland and Labrador. It is recognized as a Lagerstätte preserving fossils dating back to the Ediacaran period. It contains a stratum dated to 565 ± 3 million years ago.

Ed Landing is an American geologist and paleontologist.

<i>Parviscopa</i> Genus of frondose

Parviscopa is a genus of frondose forms characterized in 2008 based on specimens from Newfoundland, Canada. Parviscopa is a member of the Ediacaran biota, and is more specifically part of the Avalon type assemblage, which is from the older part of the Ediacaran and is characterized by deep water deposits.

Yaadon Ka Idiot Box is an Indian radio show launched by BIG FM 92.7, hosted by Neelesh Misra. The show was introduced by Big FM in 2011 and comprises story parts that are known as "seasons". YKIB stories involve listeners in an unreal world where they feel and remember what happened to them. Listeners in India and Pakistan encouraged the storytelling thought of Yaadon Ka Idiot Box, known as "Yaadon Ka Idiot Box With Neelesh Misra".

Hadrynichorde is a frondose organism from the Ediacaran period discovered in Newfoundland, Canada. It is a sessile, benthic marine organism. resembling modern sea whips.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palaeopascichnid</span>

A "Palaeopascichnid" describes a multitude of elongate fossils made up of multiple sausage-shaped chambers. They appear only in Ediacaran sediments. Fossils of Palaeopascichnids consist of an occasionally branching series of globular or elongate chambers. These fossils started appearing in the Vendian about 580 million years ago. Fossils of Palaeopascichnids are found in East European platform, Siberia, South China (Lantian), Australia, India (Tethys), Avalonia

References

  1. ↑ "Mistaken Point Ecological Reserve". NL Department of Environment and Conservation. Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
  2. ↑ "40 yrs after his Canada find, UP geologist's name etched in fossil". The Indian Express. No. 19 September 2007. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  3. ↑ "Mistaken Point Fauna – The Discovery". Mistaken Point Fauna – The Discovery.
  4. ↑ "Mistaken Point Site was declared UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2016". 17 July 2016. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
  5. ↑ "Rare honour for Indian geologist". BBC News. No. 18 September 2007. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  6. ↑ "Fossil fame chases Samaritan scientist – Priceless find named after Indian". The Telegraph. No. 19 September 2007. Archived from the original on 18 August 2016. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  7. ↑ "Canada names fossil after Lucknow-based geologist". The Times of India. No. 19 September 2007. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  8. ↑ "Fossil discovery a challenging job: Misra". The Hindu. No. 21 September 2007. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  9. ↑ "Mistaken Point is a snapshot of life 565 million years ago". The Telegram. 24 July 2013.
  10. 1 2 Pitroda, S.B. Misra ; as told to Neelesh Misra ; foreword by Sam (2011). Dream chasing : one man's remarkable, true life story : dream, hope, betrayal, grit, sacrifice, triumph. New Delhi: Roli Books. ISBN   978-8174368195.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  11. ↑ "Map of Avalon Peninsula". mistakenpointfauna.sbmsira.in. Shiva Balak Misra. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  12. ↑ "Fossils found in pre-Cambrian Conception Group of Southeastern Newfoundland". mistakenpointfauna.sbmisra.in. S.B.Misra. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  13. ↑ Anderson, M. M.; Misra, S. B. (16 November 1968). "Fossils found in the Pre-Cambrian Conception Group of South-eastern Newfoundland". Nature. 220 (5168): 680–681. doi:10.1038/220680a0.
  14. ↑ "Criteria for Recognizing Pre-Cambrian Fossils". mistakenpointfauna.sbmisra.in. S.B.Misra. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  15. ↑ Anderson, M. M.; Misra, S. B. (6 September 1969). "Criteria for recognizing Pre-Cambrian Fossils". Nature. 223 (5210): 1076. doi: 10.1038/2231076b0 .
  16. 1 2 "Bharatiya Gramina Vidyalaya" . Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  17. ↑ "Apeejay India Award". Archived from the original on 6 September 2014.
  18. ↑ Misra S.B (2011). Dream Chasing: One Man's Remarkable, True Life Story: : 9788174368195: Amazon.com Books. Roli Books. ISBN   978-8174368195.
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