This story is from June 20, 2020

Tamil Nadu: Fossil wood found on paddy farm in Sathanur

A broken piece of fossil wood has been found in a paddy field in Kudikadu, a village near Sathanur in Perambalur where the National Fossil Wood Park is situated. The 95-cm-long fossil wood has a circumference of 44 cm. Since the fossilized wood represents the remains of ancient forests, the team that found the wood has informed the Geological Survey of India which maintains the fossil wood park in Sathanur. "We have informed the officials of the GSI. They have checked the photographs and asked us to preserve it until a team of experts could reach there," said agriculture activist Ramesh Karuppaiya. Even though fossils of sea animals are found in the region, this is the first time such a long fossil wood has been found on a private paddy field.
Tamil Nadu: Fossil wood found on paddy farm in Sathanur
A fossilized wood is part of a tree trunk preserved in fossilized form
CHENNAI: A broken piece of fossil wood has been found in a paddy field in Kudikadu, a village near Sathanur in Perambalur where the National Fossil Wood Park is situated. The 95-cm-long fossil wood has a circumference of 44 cm. Since the fossilized wood represents the remains of ancient forests, the team that found the wood has informed the Geological Survey of India which maintains the fossil wood park in Sathanur.
"We have informed the officials of the GSI. They have checked the photographs and asked us to preserve it until a team of experts could reach there," said agriculture activist Ramesh Karuppaiya. Even though fossils of sea animals are found in the region, this is the first time such a long fossil wood has been found on a private paddy field.
There are two wood fossil parks in Tamil Nadu. While the National Fossil Wood Park in Tiruvakkarai has petrified wood fossils more than 20 million years old, the Sathanur Fossil Wood Park possesses wood fossils dating back to 120 million years ago. "The area was once submerged by sea. In the later period, the trees that grew here were mostly non-flowering conifers. We will know the importance of this wood only when we study it in details," he said.
Sathanu Kudikadu panchayat ward member K Sukumar, who accompanied the team, said the farmers were initially clueless about the trunk. "I have visited the fossil park in Sathanur many times and I knew how to identify a fossilized wood from normal ones. I noticed some common features that we normally see on a fossilized wood on this one too. I then checked it with experts who cleared my doubt," said Sukumar.
A fossilized wood is part of a tree trunk preserved in a fossilized form. "The tree and plant fossils provide a window into past environments. They help us understand the history and evolution of our earth. Lack of awareness is the main problem when it comes to wood fossils. Many people don't understand the importance of them," said Ramesh Karuppaiya.
Even though the team has informed the GSI officials about the discovery, lockdown brings in a stumbling block. "We were informed but we are not able to visit the place now due to lockdown. We have asked them to place the fossil wood safely until we reach there," said an official from the GSI.
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