Overview
- India’s environment minister said the Thoothukudi fossils are up to 12,000 years old.
- A Zoological Survey of India field team confirmed a previously unknown fossil bed after a local request.
- Heavy rains caused soil erosion that exposed the buried deposits.
- Scientists say the site can show which species lived there and what conditions shaped the late post–ice age landscape.
- Researchers warn the exposed material can decay fast without protection and plan controlled digs and dating work next.