India unearths phytosaur fossil

A rare fossil of a phytosaur – a crocodile-like reptile that lived alongside dinosaurs more than 201 million years ago – has been discovered in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. Experts have hailed the find as one of the most significant in India’s geological history, as reported by ANI, a partner of the TV BRICS International Media Network.

Dean of the Faculty of Earth System Science at Jodhpur's Jai Narain Vyas University, Parihar, described the discovery as a major palaeontological breakthrough. "It is a crocodile that lived with the dinosaurs, and it mostly lived in the forests near the river or the seashores,” he said.

Senior hydrogeologist Narayan Das Inakhiya emphasised the importance of the find, calling it a proud moment not just for Rajasthan but for the nation as a whole. "After observation, it was found that it's a creature from the Jurassic era, and it's a fossil... To discover such a creature is a proud moment not only for Jaisalmer but for the whole nation. Such fossils provide a lot of information regarding human evolution," he explained.

Inakhiya also noted that villagers in the area have previously uncovered dinosaur bones and footprints, highlighting Jaisalmer’s potential as a treasure trove for palaeontologists and geologists alike.

The discovery in India reflects a wider trend of major archaeological and palaeontological finds across the BRICS nations. In Egypt, for instance, archaeologists recently uncovered significant sections of a 2,000-year-old sunken city off the coast of Alexandria reports TV BRICS' partner Sada el-Balad. Among the treasures retrieved from the waters of Abu Qir Bay were royal statues, limestone structures, and pre-Roman sphinxes, believed to be part of the once-thriving metropolis of Canopus.

Similarly, in Iran, authorities announced the recovery of 37 artefacts in the city of Tabriz, with four confirmed as historically authentic. These included a clay pot and several jars dating back to the first millennium BCE, as well as a clay seal bearing Arabic script from the Islamic period, according to Mehr News Agency, a partner of TV BRICS.