The fossils of bison, deer, wild boar and early humans have been unearthed on the banks of Wardha river near Dhanora village in Chandrapur district recently. This is the first such ground-breaking discovery in Maharashtra. Prof Suresh Chopane, Geology and Archaeology Researcher from Chandrapur struck success in discovering these fossils after extensive research conducted along the banks of Wardha river near Dhanora and Bhoyegaon bridge. The discovery also contains stone age tools. These artefacts and fossils have been safely preserved at the Rock Museum established by Prof Chopane in Chandrapur. He said, these fossils are recent fauna, dating back 20,000 years to the Late Ice Age. “Among the remains found near the river, fossils of bison were the most abundant. Additionally, smaller quantities of wild boar teeth, deer bones, and various human and animal bones—accompanied by Stone Age tools—were recovered,” said Prof Chopane to ‘The Hitavada’.

 

“The discovery of Stone Age human tools in close proximity to the remains of these animals serves as concrete proof that early humans actively hunted them. Approximately 20,000 years ago, the world was in the grip of an Ice Age; subsequently, rising temperatures caused the ice to melt, triggering massive floods,” informed Prof Chopane. As per the researcher, during this cataclysmic flood, the entire fauna of the Vidarbha and Chandrapur regions was swept away into the river and buried beneath layers of silt.

 

Over the course of several thousand years, these remains gradually transformed into fossils. “In certain locations within the Warora and Chandrapur talukas along the banks of the Wardha River, deposits of silt, sand, and stones carried downstream by the river can be found, and these are the same sites where I found these fossils,” he added. Fossils in Chandrapur district: Chandrapur is regarded as the most significant district in Maharashtra and the country likened to a natural geological museum. Prof Chopane has unearthed a wealth of fossils, spanning a timeline ranging from 2 billion (200 crore) years ago to as recently as 20,000 years ago. These discoveries include 1.5-billion-year-old Stromatolites; 200-million-year-old fossils of trees and leaves; 60-million-year-old fossils of dinosaurs, trees, and shells; and—most recently—fossils of elephants dating back 20,000 years.