Museum Of Department Of Applied Geology At Sagar University Is A Treasure Trove Of Fossils

Sagar: The museum of the Department of Applied Geology at Sagar University stands out as a treasure trove of invaluable fossils.

It houses precious articles like 180 crore years old algae fossils along with 6.5 crore year old fossilized trunk of a massive tree. There is also a fossil of a tree that dates back 4.5 crore years and provides an insight into the flora and climate of its time. The remarkable world of plant fossils offers a wealth of information and helps scientists explore the evolution of the Earth along with its climate and natural resources.

A rare fossil which is displayed at a museum (ETV Bharat)

Fossils are the preserved remains or traces left by plants, animals and microorganisms that lived on Earth millions of years ago. Typically, when a tree falls or an animal dies, its remains are buried under sand, soil and mud over time. Gradually, these remains take the form of rock that may contain fossils of plants, animals and microorganisms. Among animals, fossils are mostly found of their teeth, claws and bones. Similarly, among plants, fossils are mostly found of their stems and sometimes of leaves.

A rare fossil which is displayed at a museum (ETV Bharat)

The museum at Sagar University houses numerous priceless fossils, including a remarkable collection of plant fossils.

Rhizopalmoxylon was discovered nine years ago in Moti village near Sagar by geologists PK Kathal and RC Mehrotra of Sagar University. Dating back approximately 6.5 crore years, it is a fossil palm that was found in the Deccan Intertrappean rocks of Madhya Pradesh. Similar fossils have been found in Sagar and Chhindwara districts of Madhya Pradesh, suggesting a warm and humid climate during the late Cretaceous period, millions of years ago.

Assistant Professor Gaurav Singh explained, "Plant fossils are mostly the hard parts of trees, mostly tree trunks. This fossil clearly shows a fiber-like structure within it. This suggests that when a plant needs energy, it reaches the trunk through the roots. This fossil has been preserved very well."

The 4.5 crore-year-old palm tree fossil at the museum was found in Ghughua in Mandla. Its unique feature is that if one polishes the piece, one can see a tree-like ring structure within the fossil, making it difficult to distinguish between a tree and its fossil. It also appears just like a tree under a microscope, and in many cases, it appears even better than the tree itself.

Dr Gaurav added, "The museum of the Applied Geology Department also houses Precambrian fossils, which are approximately 180 crore years old. Precambrian fossils are among the oldest in the Earth's history, ranging from 3.5 billion to 540 million years old. The museum also houses Precambrian fossil algae. These fossils appear to be layered one above the other. One layer is limestone, and the other is algae. This is because algae require sunlight for photosynthesis."

He added that algae are found wherever sunlight reaches the water.

A rare fossil which is displayed at a museum (ETV Bharat)

As long as sunlight is available, their growth is good. However, a layer of lime present in the water covers the algae, which affects the process of photosynthesis. In such a situation, some algae pierce the layer of lime and come up and perform photosynthesis. In this way, a layer of algae and a layer of limestone gets deposited, thus forming multiple layers. This is usually found in Precambrian rocks.

"This is because the organisms that eat algae did not exist on Earth at that time. Therefore, algae were present at a very early time," he said.

Gaurav further stated that the study of plant fossils is very important and gives us information about billions of years ago.