25k or 2.5L year old? Uranium dating tech to determine 'age' of fossil in Madhya Pradesh

BHOPAL: In what could be a massive archaeological discovery, suspected Proboscidean fossils — believed to be 25,000 to 2.5 lakh years old — have been found in the hills of Sidhi in Madhya Pradesh, though scientific dating is yet to confirm their age, archaeologists said after a preliminary survey of the site.

The remains were discovered in Atrela hill near Korauli Kala village in Sihawal block of Sidhi district, where a team from PM Shri College of Excellence, Satna, carried out an initial exploration following local inputs. The team recovered fragments of teeth and bones of what appear to be large herbivorous mammals, pointing towards possible links with ancient elephant ancestors.

"We came to know about it locally and then undertook the initiative. Some experts from our college went and brought some fossils, and it is estimated that the fossils are of the Proboscidean era, though dating has to be done. However, our team of experts have concluded that the area is very rich in fossils as it was a meteoritic zone. These are primary observations, and we are in talks with other institutes for further exploration," principal of the PM Shri College of Excellence, Satna, Dr SC Rai, told TOI.

Experts said the region falls within the Son river valley, which is known for ancient sedimentary deposits. Dr Harshit Soni, part of the exploration team, said, "This is the valley of the Son river. It was reported locally that a skeleton, about 12 metres long, was found. When we came to know about it, we sought permission from our principal and then sought permission from local authorities for exploration."

"However, when we reached, we only found a tooth and some bones. From the pattern of the tooth, it showed that it could be of a herbivorous animal. The pattern of enamel suggests that this could be of the Pleistocene era, which is 25,000 to 250,000 years old. The exact date will be clear only after more accurate scientific dating. As of now, we are conserving the remains, and we will be reconstructing them. The entire area seems to have been prone to meteoritic activities in the past, thus it is rich in fossils. Since the samples are old, uranium dating could be a possible way to find out the exact age," he added.

Scientists said uranium dating and detailed geological studies will be required to establish the exact age and classification of the fossils. If confirmed, the find could be among the rare prehistoric discoveries in the Vindhya region, with indications that the area may hold more such buried evidence of ancient life.