Baripada: A 15-million-year-old fossil believed to be of a shark has been discovered in Baripada city, Mayurbhanj.
Dr. Debrabrat Nandi, Assistant Professor in the Remote Sensing and GIS Department of Maharaja Sriram Chandra Bhanja Deo University, Baripada, made the discovery.
The huge fossil includes shark teeth and shark girdles along with some other unidentified elements. The remains were first spotted by students of the department during a field visit. Locals had earlier referred to the remains as “demon bones.”
Further investigation at the site led to the recovery of several fossils. Biologists from various paleontology institutes have been contacted for detailed analysis.
Dr. Nandi said the presence of shark teeth and other marine fossils proves that the region was once under the sea. “If there was no ocean here, fossils like shark teeth or other marine animals would not have been found,” he said.
The findings suggest the region was once part of an ancient marine environment, offering fresh insights into Odisha’s geological history. Experts and palaeontologists are now examining the fossils to better understand their significance.
The ocean is now about 60 kilometers away from Baripada. “Why the ocean moved so far away needs to be studied,” Professor Nandi added.