Do you know: Kevda plant is older than human civilization & predates Himalaya formation; learn more about this amazing discovery
Fossil leaves recovered from a coalfield in the North East state of Assam have revealed that Kevda plant well known for the fragrant kewra essence, used in sweets, traditional medicine and also in temples has survived in the Indian subcontinent for at least 2.4 crore years and is a living survivor from India's ancient tropical forests.
The study helps in understanding the role of India as a refuge for ancient plant lineages, the evolution of biodiversity during periods of climate change as well as comprehending future ecosystem responses.
Scientists, through regular investigations of the rich fossil flora of northeast India, chanced upon fossil leaves showing remarkable similarities to modern Kevda-- the fossil records of which are extremely rare worldwide.
This led the scientists from Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, (BSIP) Lucknow, an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) to trace the evolutionary history of this culturally important plant.
Harshita Bhatia and Gaurav Srivastava collected the four well-preserved fossil leaves recovered from the Tikak Parbat Formation of the Makum Coalfield, Assam, dating to about 24 million years ago, and studied them using detailed morphological and microscopic analyses.
The fossils closely resembled modern Kevda leaves. They have preserved distinctive features that are still seen in modern Kevda plants, including long sword-shaped leaves, parallel veins, and characteristic marginal prickles.
The fossils from Assam show that India served as an important refuge where this ancient lineage survived while it disappeared from many other parts of the world.