24-Million-Year-Old Fossil Discovery in Assam Links Northeast India to Western Ghats’ Ancient Flora

The fossil leaves bear a close resemblance to species of Nothopegia genus, a group of flowering plants now found only in the Western Ghats.

In a remarkable breakthrough, scientists have discovered a 24-million-year-old fossilised leave in Assam’s Makum Coalfield, revealing a striking connection between Northeast India and the Western Ghats. The study, led by researchers from the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences (BSIP) in Lucknow, was published in the journal Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology.

The fossil leaves bear a close resemblance to species of the Nothopegia genus, a group of flowering plants now found only in the Western Ghats. According to the researchers, Nothopegia once thrived in the warm, humid forests of Northeast India, but vanished from the region due to dramatic climatic and geological changes.

The team explained that the uplift of the Himalayas, caused by tectonic shifts, drastically transformed the region’s climate—lowering temperatures and altering rainfall and wind patterns. These changes rendered Northeast India unsuitable for many tropical species, leading to their extinction or migration.

“Fossil evidence suggests that Nothopegia had a much wider distribution during the late Paleogene, flourishing in conditions similar to those in the Western Ghats today,” the study notes.

Using advanced climate reconstruction tools like the CLAMP method, the scientists confirmed that Northeast India experienced a warm, humid climate during the late Oligocene epoch, around 24 million years ago. These conditions were comparable to the current climate of the Western Ghats, where Nothopegia has endured as a living relic of ancient ecosystems.

“This fossil discovery offers a glimpse into Earth’s deep ecological past and underscores how biodiversity has long been shaped by climate change,” said Dr Harshita Bhatia, co-author of the study. She stressed the importance of protecting ecological refuges like the Western Ghats, where ancient plant lineages continue to survive.

With over 60% of tropical endemic species at risk from climate change, the study warns that the Western Ghats could lose all its endemic plant species by 2050 if urgent conservation measures are not taken.

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