Fossils dating back 230 million years discovered in Mancherial

Wood and animal fossils estimated to be 230 million years old were discovered in Bopparam village, Kotapalli mandal, during a joint exploration by SCCL and the Telangana Archaeology Department. Officials confirmed the fossils will be displayed in the State museum. The discovery adds to earlier finds in the region, including dinosaur fossils and plant remains from the Kota Formation.

Mancherial: Wood and animal fossils dating back around 230 million years were discovered during exploration of soil at Bopparam village in Kotapalli mandal on Thursday. The exploration was carried out jointly by Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) and Telangana Archaeology department.

The SCCL and Archeological officials confirmed that the fossils of both wood and animals were unearthed during the exploration. They stated that the antique fossils would be displayed in the State museum for the convenience of visitors. They opined that the region was once inhabited by a wide range of animals and tree species.

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Incidentally, a 16-foot-high (over 5 metres in height) and 14 metres long fossil from the Jurassic age, dating back to about 160 million years, was found during an excavation by the Geological Survey of India (GSI) in Vemanapalli mandal between 1974 and 1982. Fossils of dinosaur bone fragments, tortoise and animal footprints also found at this site,

Fossils of other reptiles, fish and micromammals have also been found at the site. Plant fossils and charophytes are also known to have been discovered from the Kota Formation.

Fieldwork was carried out in Jakkepalli, Lingala and Metpalli areas of erstwhile Adilabad district. The fossil of a dinosaur – Barapasaurus tagorii – has been discovered by scientists of ISI, Kolkata, from the site near Sironcha on the eastern side of the Pranahita river.

A composite skeleton of a dinosaur titled– Kotasaurus yamanpalliensis Yadagiri (named after Yamanapalli village and scientist Yadagiri) – was installed at the Birla Science Centre, Hyderabad.

Geologists said that a fossil park could be established in the region and attract historians by displaying the findings discovered in Godavari-Pranahita valley.