Freshwater Gourami fish fossils found for 1st time in country in Shivalik foothills near Doon outskirts | Dehradun News
DEHRADUN: In a significant find, paleontologists have discovered aquatic life fossils for the first time in the Shivalik foothills near Mohand on the outskirts of Dehradun — a site previously known exclusively for terrestrial animal remains. Scientists believe the find may reshape the understanding of the region’s prehistoric environment. It also gives a rare insight on Pliocene epochs freshwater ecosystem of Shivalik, which scientists say ranges from 5 to 2.5 million years.The discovery was made by researchers from Dehradun-based Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (WIHG) and other institutions. The findings comprise ear bones, or otoliths, of three distinct freshwater fish species — snakehead (Channa sp.), goby (Gobiidae indet), and gourami (Trichogaster fasciata).Senior scientist Ningthoujam Premjit Singh of WIHG said, “The discovery of gourami fish fossil marks its first recorded appearance in India and only the second in the world, after a previous find in Sumatra, Indonesia. This discovery will widen our understanding of past aquatic ecosystems and the biogeographic history of South Asian freshwater fishes.”According to Singh, these fossils are estimated to be around 4.5 million years old. “This otolith assemblage represents the first Pliocene otolith record from the region and provides a valuable window into the past freshwater ichthyofauna of northern India. Notably, it includes only the second fossil record of an osphronemid fish globally. The presence of Trichogaster fasciata otoliths extends the known evolutionary history of Osphronemidae and sheds light on the historical biogeography of this predominantly Southeast Asian family,” said the peer-reviewed research study which was published by Springer-Nature in its Palaeobiodiversity and Paleoenvironments journal on March 31.“This tells us a lot about similar climatic and ecological conditions of the landscapes,” added Singh, who is the study’s lead author.“The fossil fish assemblages in the area indicate that there was a calm and stable freshwater body surrounded by dense vegetation during the Pliocene. This is evident from the presence of Osphronemidae, a family to which the current living gouramies belong, as they prefer quiet waters for spawning, and Channa species, which exhibit ambush behaviour,” read the study. Explaining the field work undertaken by the researchers, Singh said that bulk sediments weighing approximately ‘500 kg’ were collected from fossil localities during the field season in 2024 and processed in the WIHG laboratory.In its conclusion, the multi-institutional study said, “The newly discovered Pliocene otoliths provide direct evidence of freshwater fishes in the ecosystems of northern India during this period, offering a more comprehensive view of the regional palaeobiodiversity… Further fossil discoveries and expanded sampling efforts may add to the species inventory and help refine the ancient freshwater ecosystems.” The study included researchers from Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, Ghaziabad; Biodiversity Research Centre, Taiwan; dept of geology of Doon University; dept of geology, Panjab University; and dept of geology of Central University of South Bihar, Gaya.
