Madhya Pradesh: Paleontologists find rare dinosaur nests in Narmada valley
Bhopal, Jan 21: Paleontologists have reported a rare discovery of closely located dinosaur nests and 256 eggs of the herbivorous titanosaurs in the Narmada valley in Madhya Pradesh.
Researchers from the Delhi University and Indian Institute of Science Education and Research in Mohanpur-Kolkata and Bhopal have also reported discovery of ovum-in-ovo or multi-shell eggs in Bagh and Kukshi areas in Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh.
The findings were published in PLoS One research journal this week by Harsha Dhiman, Vishal Verma, and Guntupalli Prasad, among others.
A study of the nests and eggs has revealed intimate details about the lives of the long-necked sauropods that walked the region more than 66 million years ago.
"The eggs were found from the estuary formed at a place where the Tethys Sea merged with the Narmada when Seychelles had broken away from the Indian plate. The separation of Seychelles had led to the incursion of the Tethys Sea 400 kms inside the Narmada Valley," Verma, who works in the Higher Secondary School, Bakaner, Dhar district, told PTI here.
He said the nests found in the Narmada valley were close to each other. Generally the nests are located at some distance from each other.
Verma, considered the driving force behind a series of discoveries of dinosaur fossils in Narmada, said the reason behind multi-shell eggs could be the inability of the mother to find favourable conditions for laying eggs.
"In such conditions, the eggs remain in the oviduct and the shell formation begins again. There could also have been instances of a dinosaur dying before laying eggs," Verma said.
The eggs, which ranged between 15 cm and 17 cm in diameter, likely belonged to a number of titanosaur species.
The number of eggs in each nest ranged from one to 20.
"During the field investigations carried out between 2017 and 2020, we found extensive hatcheries of dinosaurs in Bagh and Kukshi areas in Dhar District, MP, notably from the villages Akhada, Dholiya Raipuriya, Jhaba, Jamniapura, and Padlya," the researchers said.
They said the region falls between the eastern most Lameta exposures at Jabalpur in upper Narmada in valley central India and Balasinor in the west in lower Narmada valley in western central India.
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Theft only motive, no gang behind attack on Saif: Minister
Mumbai: No underworld gang is behind the knife attack on Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan, Maharashtra minister of state for home Yogesh Kadam said on Friday.
“A suspect who has been detained in connection with the attack (and released later) is not part of any gang. No gang has carried out this attack,” Kadam told reporters in Pune.
Kadam said theft was the only motive behind the attack on the actor.
Police had picked up a carpenter in connection with the attack as he resembled the intruder and brought him to the Bandra police station for questioning on Friday morning, but released him later. A senior police official clarified the man was not related to the attack on Khan and no one has been arrested so far.
"There has been no intimation from Saif Ali Khan to police till date on whether he faced any threat,” the minister said. “He has not sought any security cover, but if he does so, we will follow due procedure,” he added.
Queried if the actor would be provided security following the incident, Kadam said Khan can put forth a demand if he believes there is a threat to his life.
"The police administration will take appropriate decision after a review (of the demand). There is a police committee which reviews applications seeking security. It is provided on the basis of severity of threat to a person," the minister added.
Khan (54) suffered grievous injuries after an intruder stabbed him with a knife repeatedly at his 12th-floor flat in upscale Bandra in the early hours of Thursday. The actor, who received multiple stab injuries, including in his neck, underwent an emergency surgery at Mumbai's Lilavati Hospital.
He is doing "very well" and expected to be discharged in two to three days, doctors said on Friday.
Asked about possible involvement of a criminal gang in the attack, the minister maintained primary investigations have ruled out any such angle. So far, theft seems to be the only motive behind the incident, he added.
CCTV footage showed the suspected assailant, wearing a red scarf and carrying a backpack, scurrying down the stairs from the sixth floor of the 'Satguru Sharan' building where Khan lives.
