Fossils dating back nearly 15 million years were discovered near Baripada in Mayurbhanj district, Odisha

Fossils dating back nearly 15 million years were discovered near Baripada in Mayurbhanj district, Odisha

¨     Fossils dating back nearly 15 million years were discovered near Baripada in Mayurbhanj district, Odisha, on 18 June 2026.

¨     The discovery includes shark teeth, shark vertebrae, fish bones, mollusc shells, and microscopic marine organisms.

¨     The fossils were found in the Baripada Fossil Bed along the Budhabalanga River.

¨     The fossils belong to the Miocene Epoch, which lasted from about 23 million to 5.3 million years ago.

¨     The presence of marine fossils indicates that parts of present-day Odisha were once covered by a shallow sea.

¨     The Baripada Fossil Bed contains both vertebrate and invertebrate fossils.

¨     Shark teeth and vertebrae are among the most common marine vertebrate fossils found at the site.

¨     Mollusc shells and microfossils are important for palaeoenvironmental studies, helping scientists reconstruct ancient environments.

¨     Preliminary studies show that shark remains account for nearly half of the fish fossils recovered from the site.

¨     The present-day Bay of Bengal coastline is about 60 km from Baripada, indicating that the region had a much older marine environment.

¨     The fossils were discovered during a student field trip led by Dr. Debabrata Nandi, Assistant Professor, PG Department of Remote Sensing and GIS, North Orissa University and Maharaja Sriram Chandra Bhanja Deo University.

¨     The discovery is being further studied in collaboration with palaeontologists and other research institutions.

¨     Local residents have long referred to the fossil remains as “Asura Hadda”, a traditional term meaning “demon bones”, reflecting regional folk memory associated with the fossils.