The last of the dinosaurs could have inhabited parts of central India
Dinosaurs in Maharashtra? Hundreds of dinosaur eggs found buried just below the surface in Pisdura town in Chandrapur district of Maharashtra, provide strong evidence for this conjecture. Bone fragments and faecal matter of the reptiles have also been found. This evidence lends strength to the contention that all the dinosaurs did not become extinct 65 million years ago.
The inhabitants of Pisdura, Nand and Dongargaon, about 700 km north-east of Mumbai, had been finding the oval-shaped eggs, about six inches long and three inches wide, over the past several years. These fossils could provide clues to what led to the extinction of dinosaurs. The eggs are believed to be the youngest in the world, dating back to the late c retaceous period. This has led many scientists to believe that the entire Chandrapur region was home to the last of the dinosaurs.
The dinosaur eggs were preserved by petrifaction, where original organic matter is replaced by silica or other minerals. The eggs reveal complete transformation of egg protein and developing embryos into calcium carbonate and calcium phosphate. This indicates a phenomenal change in the environmental conditions of that period caused by tonnes of poisonous gases released into the atmosphere by an erupting volcano. According to a study based on fossilised egg samples, the dinosaurs might have been wiped out because of frequent volcanic eruptions, a global phenomenon in the Cretaceous period.
It is also expected that a biochemical analysis of the organic matter in the recovered faeces will provide significant information about the habitat of the dinosaurs.
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