JODHPUR, May 17 -- A team of researchers has discovered fossilised palm leaf fragments dating back to the Early Eocene, around 55-52 million years ago, in the Gurha lignite mine of Bikaner, marking the first such find from Rajasthan. The discovery, recently published in a chapter of the Springer Geology volume titled, "Geosciences of the Rajasthan Basins, India", offers important insights into India's paleoclimate and vegetation history. Dr Mahasin Ali Khan, assistant professor at the department of botany, Sidho-Kanho-Birsha University in West Bengal's Purulia, said, "This is the first report of palm fossils from the sedimentary sequences of Rajasthan. The leaves belong to the fossil genus Amesoneuron, which typically represents unarmed segments of palmate palm leaves." He said that the specimens were recovered from maroon shale beds of the Palana Formation at the Gurha opencast lignite mine. The impressions were identified by their narrow, coriaceous blades, prominent mid-veins, and parallel-running secondary veins, features characteristic of tropical palms, he said. Khan added, "The presence of these fossil palm leaves strongly indicates a warm and humid tropical climate in the region during the early Eocene. This finding aligns with earlier discoveries of other thermophilic plant fossils from the same locality." The study noted that these fossilised leaves offer more than just taxonomic significance. The fossil genus Amesoneuron, previously found in Assam, Manipur, and Ladakh, serves as a marker of tropical conditions. The Gurha specimens now extend this paleobotanical record to Rajasthan, it added. In addition to the leaf fossils, the researchers found fungal remains embedded in the cuticle - another strong indicator of a humid environment. "Fungi are highly climate-sensitive organisms. Their presence, preserved in the fossil cuticle, supports our interpretation of a tropical rainforest-like setting," he said....