200-million-year-old Jurassic era fossil discovered in northwestern India

A 200-million-year-old phytosaur fossil from the Jurassic era was discovered in the northwestern Indian state of Rajasthan.

The crocodile-like fossil is the first well-preserved, definitive specimen of the prehistoric-era reptile discovered in India, despite another phytosaur fossil being discovered on the Bihar-Madhya Pradesh border in 2023, according to a report by local broadcaster NDTV on Monday.

Last week, locals digging near an ancient lake in Megha village, about 45 kilometers (28 miles) from Jaisalmer, discovered an approximately two-meter (6.5-foot) long fossil.

A fossilized egg, believed to be from a phytosaur, was also discovered near the fossil.

"The fossil indicates a medium-sized phytosaur that probably lived near a river here millions of years ago and ate fish to survive," paleontologist Professor VS Parihar was quoted by the media outlet as saying.

"Around 180 million years ago, it was an area where the dinosaurs thrived in the Jurassic age, and Jaisalmer is part of what geologists term the Lathi Formation," said geologist Narayan Das Inakhiya, who has been leading fossil studies in Jaisalmer.

The Lathi Formation in west Jaisalmer shows signs of freshwater, marine life, and an aquatic environment.

"That's why it is no surprise that the recent fossil find has been identified as a phytosaur, as in this area, there was probably a river on one side and a sea on the other," Inakhiya said.