Exploring India’s Dinosaur History

Watch how India’s prehistoric giants lived, from rivers of Jurassic Jaisalmer to the forests of Isisaurus in Maharashtra.

Transcript

00:00These are dinosaur fossils unearthed in Jaisalmer, offering a rare window into India's prehistoric

00:09giants. Scientists found a Phytosaur skeleton and a fossilized egg here. They are said to be

00:14200 million years old. This discovery gives fascinating clues about the evolution of

00:19reptiles and dinosaurs in India. The Phytosaur was a semi-aquatic animal that lived in rivers

00:24and on land. Measured about 1.5 to 2 meters in length, the fossil in Jaisalmer was found with an

00:29egg preserved on its left side. The newly discovered fossils come from the Lathe Formation in Jaisalmer.

00:35This is an early to middle Jurassic rock layer, more than 180 million years old, known for preserving

00:42fossils including early dinosaurs. But India's dinosaur story does not stop here. It stretches

00:47across time into another crucial layer of history. The Lometa Formation, a sedimentary geological

00:52formation found in parts of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra. It was formed during the late

00:57Cretaceous, the final chapter of the dinosaur era around 66 million years ago. The early Jurassic saw

01:03giants like Paripasaurus, discovered in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh in the 1960s, and Cotosaurus, found in

01:09Kota, Rajasthan in 1980. These long-necked herbivores grazed lush forests shaping the land they roamed.

01:16Not all were gentle giants though. Indusacus, a carnivore from the Lometa Formation discovered in

01:21the 1930s, crowned India's late Cretaceous landscapes. And Rajasaurus, the apex predator discovered in

01:28Rhyoli of Mahisagar district Gujarat in the 1980s, ruled its territory with strength and agility.

01:34Isisaurus was found in the Lometa Formation near Dungargaon, Maharashtra in the 1990s.

01:39It was a massive tytonosaur that dominated the late Cretaceous forests. Its fossils are among

01:44India's largest sauropod remains, showing just how big these creatures could get.

01:49India also had dinosaur nurseries. The Lometa Formation preserves over 90 nesting sites and

01:54256 eggs, offering a glimpse into how these giants reproduced. From towering herbivores,

02:00to fierce predators, India's dinosaurs tell a story of evolution and survival. And with Jurassic

02:06fossils unmerged in Jaisalmer, that story is still unfolding, with millions of years of history

02:11waiting beneath the sands. But do tell us if you have anything interesting to add on the dinosaurs

02:16of India. Follow more our channel for more no fluff explainers like this one,

02:20and share this video with friends and family. I'm Manisha Dikari, thank you for watching,

02:23plus things fast.