37,000-Year-Old Thorny Bamboo Fossil – Manipur

Context:

A team of scientists from the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences (BSIP) has discovered a 37,000-year-old fossilized bamboo stem in the Imphal Valley of Manipur. This rare fossil provides the earliest evidence of thorny bamboo in Asia and offers important insights into Ice Age climate conditions and plant evolution.

Discovery:

• Found in silt-rich deposits of the Chirang River, Manipur.
• Conducted by Botanical Survey of India – BSIP (under DST).
• Species Identified: Chimonobambusa manipurensis
• Fossil retains thorn scars, nodes, and buds, features rarely preserved due to bamboo’s hollow, fragile structure.

Significance of the Discovery

• Earliest Evidence of Thorniness in Asian Bamboo:
  • Shows that herbivore-defense traits in bamboo evolved before or during the Ice Age.
• Palaeobotanical Milestone:
  • Exceptional preservation of delicate structures aids reconstruction of ancient ecosystems.
• Palaeoclimate Insights:
  • Confirms Northeast India as a climatic refugium, while harsh Ice Age conditions wiped bamboo out in regions like Europe.
• Evolutionary and Biodiversity Implications:
  • Provides rare insights into plant evolution, resilience, and biodiversity in the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot.
• Modern Linkage:
  • Fossil traits are similar to modern thorny bamboos like Bambusa bambos.