Dinosaur Fossils National Park
Dinosaur Fossils National Park is a protected fossil site located near the town of Bagh in Dhar district, Madhya Pradesh, India. The park conserves Late Cretaceous-era fossil deposits, including dinosaur eggs bones, and associated flora and fauna. It is one of the few designated fossil parks in India and a proposed site for UNESCO Global Geopark recognition.
Location and extent
The park is situated in the Narmada Valley and covers approximately 89.4 hectares. The site lies within sedimentary rock formations known for yielding fossil material from the Late Cretaceous period, dating between 100 and 66 million years ago.Discovery and establishment
Tribals of the surrounding region used to worship the petrified stone eggs as their guardian deity for centuries. Fossils in the Bagh region were first documented in the early 2000s. In 2006, the discovery of a well-preserved dinosaur egg led to increased interest from researchers and the state government. Further investigations revealed additional eggs, bone fragments, and fossils of ancient marine species. In response to the scientific significance of the site, the Government of Madhya Pradesh declared the area a protected fossil park in 2011.Fossil record
The fossil beds at the site have yielded:- Dinosaur eggs attributed to herbivorous species
- Skeletal remains of sauropods and abelisaurids
- Fossilised teeth of prehistoric sharks
- Petrified wood and plant remains
- Marine invertebrates such as molluscs