Lucknow: Ending the debate over the origin of SAL, the most sought-after hardwood used in the construction of houses and furniture, Birbal Sahni Paleoscience (BSIP) Institute has found 55 million year-old fossil pollen which revealed that the tree actually came from Africa.
Director of Bsip Vandana Prasad, a Bachelor of Research Mahi Bansal and a dozen researchers from India and abroad conduct strict research for more than 10 years to find out the history of the evolution of the Sal tree family.
They studied fossil pollen found from West India (from several sites in Rajasthan and Gujarat) and found that the family came from Africa around 102 million years ago.
Their research work was published in famous international journals, ‘Science’.
“Who would think that Sal’s ancestors who were exclusively found in India have evolved from Africa located by the ocean.
The family of Sal trees known as Dipterocarpaceae, such as lions in the forest, are appreciated for their stature,” said Mahi Bansal researcher.
“The family is important for the nature of the economy, religion and treatment and currently dominates Southeast Asian rainforests that provide shelter and food for some endangered orangutan, rhino, and elephant species,” he added.
Fossil-aged powder Aged ’55 million years found in Gujarat, Tim Rajasthan’our has found 55 million years of fossil pollen from Gujarat and Rajasthan and 68.5 million years old pollen from North Africa, which is included in the Sal family.
In combining this evidence with fossil resin and genetic DNA data, conducted to determine the relationship of evolution, we conclude the origin of SAL, “Bansal said.
When the Sal family is growing in Africa, India is located too southern in the world.
And climate conditions are not profitable for growth , he said.
“About 70 million years ago, the two continents were aligned together facilitating the dissolution of the Sal family from Africa to India.
This is the time when the world suffers the impact of the crater (asteroid) which results in the extinction of dinosaurs.
It is interesting to note that the sturdy Sal family survived the events of the mass extinction responsible for the loss of dinosaurs from the earth, “he said.
Director of Bsip Vandana Prasad said,” The study concluded that Africa and India have joint flower offspring.
Return to more than 100 million years ago, and their descendants dominate Southeast Asian forests today.
This research is also important for climate change studies.
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