Ice Age thorny bamboo fossils found in Manipur

The fossil shows that while harsh Ice Age conditions restricted bamboo’s global distribution, Northeast India provided a safe refuge where the plant could continue to thrive

- PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

Scientists conducting a field survey in Manipur’s Imphal West district have discovered fossil evidence indicating that thorniness in bamboo was already present in Asia during the Ice Age, a government release said.

Researchers from the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences (BSIP), an autonomous body under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), found a bamboo stem with unusual markings in siltrich deposits along the Chirang River in Imphal Valley.

Their detailed analysis identified these as thorn scars, prompting further investigation into its identity and significance, it said.