In a dramatic twist from the fossil beds of Assam’s Makum Coalfield, scientists have discovered leaf imprints that don’t just belong to the past — they may guide our ecological future. The leaves, identified as belonging to the Nothopegia genus, are estimated to be 24 million years old and offer a unique window into climate-driven plant migration.
A Journey Across Millennia
A research team from the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences (BSIP), under India’s Department of Science and Technology, traced these ancient fossils to a plant lineage that today grows only in the Western Ghats — over 2,000 kilometers away. This marks the oldest known fossil record of Nothopegia, revealing that what is now a southern tropical species once thrived in the northeast of the Indian subcontinent.
Reconstructing an Ancient Climate
Using state-of-the-art climate modeling tools like the Climate Leaf Analysis Multivariate Program (CLAMP), researchers reconstructed the Oligocene-era climate of Assam. Their findings were unexpected — the region was once humid and tropical, resembling the Western Ghats today. This climate likely enabled the Nothopegia genus to flourish in ancient Assam before migrating south as geological changes reshaped the region.
The Himalayas and a Botanical Exodus
The rise of the Himalayas and the resulting shifts in monsoon patterns and temperatures gradually cooled the Northeast. This transformation made it inhospitable for many tropical species, including Nothopegia. However, the plant lineage survived in the climatically stable Western Ghats, suggesting an evolutionary escape route shaped by shifting environments.
A Message from the Past
“This isn’t just about an extinct plant,” said Dr. Harshita Bhatia, co-author of the study published in Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology. “It’s about understanding survival mechanisms in the face of massive environmental upheaval. Nothopegia adapted — it moved and endured.”
Relevance to a Warming World
As modern ecosystems face a rapidly warming planet, these ancient lessons offer urgent insights. The same forces — temperature shifts, changing rainfall, habitat fragmentation — are again shaping global biodiversity. The key difference? Today’s changes are happening in mere decades, offering little time for natural adaptation.
Guiding Conservation Today
The fossil study underscores the value of deep-time analysis in predicting ecological responses to climate change. It highlights biodiversity refuges like the Western Ghats as vital safe zones for ancient and modern species alike. Protecting such refuges may be central to preserving India’s ecological legacy.
A Living Record of Survival
More than just a scientific curiosity, this discovery affirms that climate-driven plant migration is a tangible, traceable process. From the coal seams of Assam to the monsoon valleys of the south, Nothopegia tells a story of adaptation, endurance, and evolution — offering a rare glimpse into Earth’s dynamic living history.
This article includes insights adapted and credited to the original report published on the Jackson School of Geosciences website: jsg.utexas.edu.
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