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A researcher at the Center for Natural History and Conservation said they have unearthed a dinosaur fossil, believed to be that of a three-horned Triceratops, on the banks of the Sahansara river in Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur district, PTI reported.
It said the fossil found at the dig site is believed to be the nasal horn of a Triceratops, which is 35-40 million years old.
Triceratops fossil found in India: What did the researcher say?
Speaking to PTI, Mohammad Omar Saif, founder of the Center for Natural History and Conservation in Saharanpur, said part of the dinosaur’s nose was excavated recently.
“A fresh fossil has been discovered, believed to be that of a Triceratops… The fossil is a part of its nose. Although we cannot say for sure that it belongs to a Triceratops, it is very similar to other Triceratops fossils found around the world. Its morphology, shape and size are very similar.”
Why is the discovery of Triceratops important?
According to Saif, Triceratops were generally found during the Late Cretaceous period, from 100.5 million years ago to 66 million years ago. He said, “The fossil is exceptionally well preserved because of the heavy mineralization that caused it to completely turn into sandstone as it remained buried in the Himalayan foothills for about 35-40 million years. It is a nice discovery.”
Many fossils millions of years old have reportedly been excavated from this area in recent years, which has increased the interest of researchers.
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