It is officially known as Sonbhadra Fossils Park and is located in the Sonbhadra District of Uttar Pradesh.
- It qualifies as a geo-heritage site under IUCN’s 2020 guidelines for "Evolution of Life" and matches UNESCO’s 2021 framework on Earth’s history and life evolution.
About Salkhan Fossil Park
- It is located in Kaimur Range (part of the Vindhya range), adjacent to Kaimur Wildlife Sanctuary.
- One of the oldest and most well preserved sites in the world (fossils dating approx 1.4 billion years).
- The site’s fossil assemblage features Stromatolites which are created by communities of Cyanobacteria or blue green algae
- These fossilized microbial structures record the Great Oxidation Event, when oxygen first accumulated in the atmosphere.
- The site’s fossil assemblage features Stromatolites which are created by communities of Cyanobacteria or blue green algae
- Significance of Salkhan Fossil Park
- Understanding early environment: The park features varied stromatolite forms—domal, columnar, and stratiform—indicating changes in ancient water depth,sedimentation and wave activity.
- Filling the Precambrian Gap: Addresses a significant gap in the World Heritage fossil record by showcasing the Precambrian era.
- It covers 85% of Earth’s history that remains largely underrepresented worldwide.
UNESCO World Heritage Sites
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