These fossils found in India completely reset what we know about Earth's history.
Forget what you thought you knew. The ground beneath our feet holds secrets to lost worlds, epic extinctions, and the origin of the planet's most iconic creatures. This is India's story, written in stone.
Picture this: India wasn't always here. It was an island continent, drifting north after breaking from Africa. This epic journey created a unique 'lost world' of its own.
This is Rajasaurus narmadensis, the 'Regal Lizard from the Narmada Valley'. A home-grown Indian predator with a distinct crown-like horn, it was the undisputed ruler of the subcontinent.
As tall as an elephant and built like a tank, this carnivore was India's answer to the T-Rex. Its discovery proved that India had its own unique dinosaur dynasty.
Say hello to Isisaurus colberti. This massive, long-necked titan was named after the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) in Kolkata, where its bones were first studied.
Isisaurus was a plant-powered beast, munching on treetops. Its presence tells us that ancient India was a lush, green landscape, able to support herds of these colossal creatures.
66 million years ago, the dinosaurs vanished. We all know about the asteroid in Mexico. But India's geology tells a more complex, fiery story.
Enter the Deccan Traps. A series of volcanic eruptions so massive they blanketed half of India in lava, poisoning the atmosphere for thousands of years, right when the dinosaurs died out.
Unearthed in a Gujarat mine in 2024, meet Vasuki indicus. Named after the mythical serpent king from Hindu lore, this was one of the largest snakes to have ever existed.
Stretching up to 15 meters (50 feet), Vasuki was likely a slow-moving ambush predator, like a modern-day anaconda but the size of a school bus. It was a true monster from a hotter, ancient world.
Get this: Whales used to have legs. And their incredible transformation from land to sea began right here, in the ancient riverbeds of India.
Meet Indohyus, a small, deer-like creature found in Kashmir. Its unique ear bones and teeth are a near-perfect match for early whales. It's the missing link that solved one of evolution's biggest mysteries.
It's not just about ancient beasts. A fossilised skull cap from the Narmada Valley is one of the oldest known fossils of early humans in the entire subcontinent, connecting us to this deep past.
In places like Tiruvakkarai, Tamil Nadu, you can walk through an entire forest that was petrified 20 million years ago. Every detail of the wood is perfectly preserved in stone.
From a lone island continent to a dramatic collision with Asia. From a dinosaur haven to the cradle of whales. India's epic geological journey is Earth's history in miniature.
These discoveries are the result of decades of work by Indian scientists, piecing together our planet's past, one fossil at a time. True national treasures.
The next mind-blowing discovery could be anywhere. Under a field, in a mine, or along a riverbank. India's ancient story is still being written. The greatest secrets may still be buried.