Lucknow, April 4 -- In a recent discovery, scientists have found a culm of a thorny bamboo fossil. Thorns are a rare trait found in only three to four genera out of the 115 known bamboo genera. The discovery of the petrified fossil in Manipur, estimated to be as old as 35 million years, was made by scientists at the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences (BSIP). It is particularly significant as it is the oldest thorny bamboo fossil found in Eurasia to date.

Scientist Gaurav Srivastava, who was part of the research, said that the discovery has helped in understanding the evolution of bamboos. "Two major bamboo hotspots in the world are Yunnan Province in China and Northeast India. These regions are known for having maximum bamboo diver...