Did Dinosaurs Exist in Kerala? Unveiling Fossil Discoveries and Living Fossils in India

Yes, dinosaurs did exist in the region that is now Kerala, India. Fossil evidence indicates that the Indian subcontinent was home to various dinosaur species during the Mesozoic Era, particularly in the Cretaceous period. While specific dinosaur fossils have not been extensively documented in Kerala itself, the broader region of India has yielded significant dinosaur discoveries including in states like Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.

Fossil Evidence and Geological Studies in Kerala

Kerala's geological studies and some fossil findings suggest that the area was part of a larger landmass that included diverse ecosystems capable of supporting dinosaur life. However, due to the dense vegetation and geological changes over millions of years, fossils are not as commonly found in Kerala compared to other parts of India. This fact does not negate the historical presence of dinosaurs in the region.

New Fossil Discovery: The Aenigmachanna gollum

What if I told you that a living fossil exists in Kerala even today? Yes, that is right. They rediscovered Aenigmachanna gollum, a species that is 103 million years old and dates back to the time of the dinosaurs. This fascinating discovery was first identified as a new species and genus in May 2019 in a study published in Zootaxa. The 'gollum' part of the name is derived from a Lord of The Rings character, and it remained hidden from view in underground aquifers until now.

Description and Classification

The Aenigmachanna gollum looks like a dragon and swims like an eel. It does not belong to any known class of living marine life and scientists have classified it as belonging to the family of dragon snakeheads that lived long ago when land-based dinosaurs roamed the surface of the earth. Researchers Ralf Britz, Neelesh Dahanukar, VK Anoop Siby, Philip Rajeev, Raghavan Brett Clark, and Lukas Ruber have titled its family as Aenigmachannidae, a new family of snakehead fish. They expanded this family definition because they also found Aenigmachanna mahabali, another related species belonging to the same family.

Rare Discovery: How it All Began

In early 2018, Rajeev Raghavan, a researcher at the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies and co-author of the present study, saw an image of a curious fish that a person had found in a well in the backyard. He could not recognize the creature and emailed the picture to Britz, who couldn’t understand it either. Raghavan and his colleagues started to collect more specimens of the fish for a scientific study, which brought Britz all the way to India. Then in a flooded paddy field in Kochi, Britz saw the elusive fish rise to the surface late one night. This rare discovery officially solidified the presence of a living fossil in Kerala, much like the dinosaurs that roamed the Earth millions of years ago.

Reptilian Connections: Diverse and Intriguing

The scientific evidence is now here. The generally stereotyped view of dinosaurs as land-based reptiles is often challenged by the existence of flying reptilians, such as pterosaurs, which are also considered dinosaurs. If we can classify flying reptilians as dinosaurs, why should we discriminate against marine reptilians? The Aenigmachanna gollum fits this criterion perfectly. Just like pterosaurs, the gollum snakehead looks like a dragon, has a snake-like head, and moves like a sea snake. So, the reptilian connection is indeed strong and multifaceted.

Conclusion

While the fossil records might not be as abundant in Kerala as in other regions of India, the discovery of the Aenigmachanna gollum reiterates the historical presence of diverse life forms, including dinosaurs, in this part of the land. This living fossil serves as a fascinating example of how life perseveres and evolves over millions of years, leaving behind traces of its ancient heritage.