Uttar Pradesh's Salkhan Fossil Park makes it to USESCO tentative list: Stunning facts about the park
Good news coming from Uttar Pradesh. Salkhan Fossil Park , also known as Sonbhadra Fossils Park, has recently been added to UNESCO’s Tentative List for World Heritage Sites. It’s an incredible achievement for Uttar Pradesh which is a step towards international recognition of its geological and paleontological attraction . Situated in Salkhan village in Sonbhadra district , near Robertsganj, the park is spread across 25 hectares in the Kaimur Range. It boasts fossils up to 1.4 billion years old!
Here are five stunning facts about Salkhan:
Home to Prehistoric Stromatolites and Living Relics of the Mesoproterozoic
The park offers an insight into the planet’s earliest life forms as it is home to stromatolites which are layered sedimentary structures formed by ancient cyanobacteria or blue-green algae. These are microorganisms that have been photosynthesized. These stromatolites belong to the Mesoproterozoic era (1.6–1.0 billion years ago). These are extremely rare geological formations across the globe. Salkhan is much older than sites like Shark Bay in Australia and Yellowstone the USA.
An insight into early life
Salkhan is an extremely important site for many reasons as it has shattered the beliefs of scientists and geologists. For years, geologists thought life existed only from around 570 million years ago. However, stromatolites discovered at Salkhan are older than that. These fossils are landmarks offering new perspectives about the Earth's earliest biosphere and oceanic ecosystems.
Opening of the park
Though geological surveys in the region began as early as the 1930s, the site was officially opened as a fossil park in 2002. A major Canadian-led workshop in December 2002 brought 42 scientists from around the globe, including renowned geologist H. J. Hoffman. He called the fossils “beautiful and clear”.
Eco-Tourism hub
The Uttar Pradesh government has actively funded the site. The government has approved INR 1.5 crores for visitor amenities. It includes nature trails, security, and interpretive centers. An MoU with Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences in Lucknow has supported scientific documentation, leading to UNESCO Tentative List submission by June 2025. A dossier for final UNESCO candidacy is being prepared by local authorities which will be prepared by 2026.
The fossil park is about 12 km from Robertsganj in Sonbhadra district and can be easily reached via SH‑5A.
Here are five stunning facts about Salkhan:
Home to Prehistoric Stromatolites and Living Relics of the Mesoproterozoic
The park offers an insight into the planet’s earliest life forms as it is home to stromatolites which are layered sedimentary structures formed by ancient cyanobacteria or blue-green algae. These are microorganisms that have been photosynthesized. These stromatolites belong to the Mesoproterozoic era (1.6–1.0 billion years ago). These are extremely rare geological formations across the globe. Salkhan is much older than sites like Shark Bay in Australia and Yellowstone the USA.
An insight into early life
Salkhan is an extremely important site for many reasons as it has shattered the beliefs of scientists and geologists. For years, geologists thought life existed only from around 570 million years ago. However, stromatolites discovered at Salkhan are older than that. These fossils are landmarks offering new perspectives about the Earth's earliest biosphere and oceanic ecosystems.
Opening of the park
Though geological surveys in the region began as early as the 1930s, the site was officially opened as a fossil park in 2002. A major Canadian-led workshop in December 2002 brought 42 scientists from around the globe, including renowned geologist H. J. Hoffman. He called the fossils “beautiful and clear”.
Eco-Tourism hub
The Uttar Pradesh government has actively funded the site. The government has approved INR 1.5 crores for visitor amenities. It includes nature trails, security, and interpretive centers. An MoU with Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences in Lucknow has supported scientific documentation, leading to UNESCO Tentative List submission by June 2025. A dossier for final UNESCO candidacy is being prepared by local authorities which will be prepared by 2026.
The fossil park is about 12 km from Robertsganj in Sonbhadra district and can be easily reached via SH‑5A.
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