Rare fossils in India threatened (BBC) {crushed for gravel}

[eppur_se_muova]

By Salman Ravi
BBC News, Sahebganj, Jharkhand

A treasure trove of history preserved by nature for millions of years in eastern India is threatened with extinction.

Plant fossils, scattered all over the Rajmahal Hills in Sahebganj district of Jharkhand state, are fast finding their way into the hundreds of crusher machines that are reducing them into stone chips to be used in road construction.

Spread over approximately 2,600 sq km, the Rajmahal Hills are home to plant fossils dating back between 68 million years and 145 million years.

Over the years, geologists and palaeobotanists from all over the world have visited the area for their research.

Here, scientists could lay their hands on some of the rarest plant fossils ever conserved by nature.
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more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7520868.stm