Discovery of 100 million-year-old bones of sauropods in Meghalaya

Researchers have identified fossil bone fragments of long-necked dinosaurs called sauropods from an area around West Khasi Hills District in Meghalaya.which dates back to about 100-million-years.

Context

Researchers have identified fossil bone fragments of long-necked dinosaurs called sauropods from an area around West Khasi Hills District in Meghalaya.which dates back to about 100-million-years.

Key findings

• The findings are made by the Geological Survey of India's Palaeontology division in North-East.
• This is the first record of sauropods of probable Titanosaurian origin discovery in the region.
  • Titanosaurs were a diverse group of sauropod dinosaurs, which includes genera from Africa, Asia, South America, North America, Europe, Australia and Antarctica.
  • The fossils are presumably of Late Cretaceous that is about 100 million years ago.
  • In India, the Late Cretaceous sauropod dinosaur generally belongs to the titanosaurian clade.
• Discovered parts: The partially preserved limb bone of 55 centimetres (cm) long, an incomplete limb bone measuring 45cm in length and an incomplete chevron of caudal vertebrae and also cervical vertebrae.

Other States in India with similar findings

• The finding makes Meghalaya the fifth state in India and the only state in Nort-East:
  • Gujarat
  • Madhya Pradesh
  • Maharashtra
  • Tamil Nadu
• Region: The discovery in India has extensively been taken place in Gondwana.
  • Gondwana is the southern half of the Pangaean supercontinent which existed some 300 million years ago.
  • It is composed of the major continental blocks of the South America, Africa, Arabia, Madagascar, Sri Lanka, India, Antarctica, and Australia.