Dead marine plankton provide clue to the extinction of dinosaurs during K-T period

Syed Akbar
Hyderabad:  The Krishna-Godavari basin near Rajahmundry has now
helped scientists solve the age-old mystery of disappearance of
dinosaurs and other animals, 65 million years ago.

A team of scientists from the USA and India collected samples of dead
plankton (microorganism) from the oil wells of the Oil and Natural Gas
Commission in the KG basin and subjected them to paleontological
studies. The results showed that dinosaurs and other animals were
wiped out of the earth, not because of a single meteor strike, but due
to intense volcanic activity in the Deccan region.

There were at least three major volcano eruptions in the Deccan, which
led to intense flow of lava, heavy dust and poisonous gases like
carbondioxide and suphur dioxide. The gases surrounded the earth
killing a majority of animals including the giant reptiles.

The volcanic eruption had its impact right through the present day
Mumbai and Hyderabad to Rajahmundry and down. The Indo-US team
comprised Dr Gerta Keller of Princeton University, and PK Bhowmick, H
Upadhyay, A Dave, AN Reddy and BC Jaiprakash, of the ONGC. The
researchers collected the plankton from the sediment trapped in the
Deccan lava flows, the largest flows on earth, near Rajahmundry. They
reject the prevailing theory that the extinction was caused by a
single large meteorite.

“Marine sediments from Deccan lava flows show that the population of a
plankton species widely used to gauge the fallout of prehistoric
catastrophes plummeted nearly 100 per cent in the thousands of years
leading up to the mass extinction,” Dr Keller told this correspondent.

"Our work provides the first one-to-one correlation between the mass
extinction and Deccan volcanism," she added.

The marine sediments preserved between lava flows from the second- and
third-phase eruptions contained evidence of the KT
(Cretaceous-Tertiary) boundary, a thin, worldwide geological layer
that marks the mass-extinction event. The activity wiped out nearly
100 per cent of planktonic foraminifera and ultimately initiated the
Cretaceous-Tertiary mass-extinction event. A less severe third
eruption phase occurred roughly
300,000 years after the mass extinction and kept the Earth nearly
uninhabitable for another 5,00,000 years.

According to the  researchers, the number of species evolving remained
low, and existing species dwarfed during the 5,00,000-year period
after the mass extinction. New, larger marine species did not appear
until after the third phase when Deccan eruptions went dormant.
Gradually, life began to recover as the atmosphere became less
poisonous.

Can we find God Particle in 2012?

Syed Akbar
Hyderabad:  The elusive God particle or Higgs Boson is likely
to be discovered in the next 12 months if it exists, says Dr Sridhara
Rao Dasu, senior physicist from Wisconsin University.

God particle is considered the source of the universe and a search for
it began 30 years ago. The mystery surrounding the universe can be
unraveled if the so-called God Particle, if it at all exists, is
discovered. Even as interest around the God particle gained momentum
after the Large Hadron Collider was set up in Europe, the USA had shut
down its Fermilab, which had been unsuccessfully searching the elusive
particle for quite long.

Dasu, who graduated from a city college, is now associated with the
Higgs Boson search team. He has been analyzing the data generated from
God particle search experiments in the USA and Europe.

“By end of 2012 we may be able to establish if Higgs Boson really
exists. We have gathered a few hints, but are yet to arrive at any
concrete conclusion. Once we find the God particle we should be able
to establish that it does not spin,” Dr Dasu said.

Delivering a lecture on the elusive God particle at BM Birla Science
Centre here on Thursday, Dr Dasu, who arrived in the city after
participating in the latest experiment, said scientists have now
zeroed in on the range between 115 to 130 gigaelectron volts to find
the Higgs. “We have now generated four times more data from various
experiments and are now analyzing it. However, the most interesting
region remains as elusive as ever. This makes our finding inconclusive
as of now,” he said adding that they may be able to find it by
December 2012.

Docodont: A new mammal of docodont group discovered: It is 150 million years old fossil

By Syed Akbar
Hyderabad: A new mammal belonging to the docodont group has
been discovered from the Kota Formation at Paikasigudem village in
Adilabad district.
The fossilised mammal is at least 150 million years old and this is the first
time that a docodont mammal has been found from the Southern Hemisphere.
Docodont mammals are primitive animals found during the Jurassic period
along with dinosaurs and they are considered to be the final line of
mammalian old-timers.
Scientists the world over thought that docodonts were present only in North
America and England as the remains of several species of docodont mammals
were excavated only from these parts in the Northern Hemisphere. The latest
discovery showed the presence of such animals in Southern Hemisphere too.
"It is now quite clear that docodonts were widely spread across the earth,"
says GVR Prasad, who discovered the animal remains.
The new animal has been named Gondtherium dattai in honour of the local
Gond tribal population. The find from Adilabad is of paramount importance
as it testifies to the presence of typical docodont mammals in Gondwanan
continents.
The Kota Formation, which dates back to late middle Jurassic period (150
million years ago) and lower Cretaceous period (65 million years), had
earlier
yielded mammal groups like symmetrodontan and eutriconodontan.
Bulk screen-washing of the clays and mud stones found in Kota Formation
produced an isolated mammalian upper premolar. A detailed study of the
tooth led to the discovery of the new mammal genius Gondtherium.
The premolar tooth has asymmetrical chewing/biting outline, two labial cusps
and other features very similar to the upper premolars of docodont mammals.
Detailed comparisons with the upper dentition of various known docodont
animals showed that the premolar pattern of the new specimen from Adilabad
was similar to Haldanodon, an animal found during the Mesozoic period.
The tooth of Gondtherium dattai differed from the upper molars of all known
docodont animals in having labial cusps with diverging tips that are
separated
by a broad notch. The enamel of the tooth was not preserved as also the
roots,
but from the broken dorsal surface it appeared that there were probably three
roots. The pulp chamber was widely open and had a smooth surface and
rounded edges as in permanent teeth.
Docodont mammals were earlier known only from the Upper Triassic,
Middle and Upper Jurassic, and Lower Cretaceous deposits of North America
and Europe, pointing to a typical Euramerican distribution for this group.
"The associated mammalian study helps us in reconstructing a generalised
paleobiogeographic scenario. The more recent discovery of Dyskritodon
from the Kota Formation first recorded from the Early Cretaceous of
Morocco, represents an example of faunal continuity across India and Africa.
The occurrence of closely related mammals in the Jurassic of India and Late
Triassic and Early Cretaceous of Africa, as well as Middle and Late Jurassic
of Europe points to biogeographic connections between these regions," he
points out in his study.
This is not surprising because paleogeographic maps show Europe in close
proximity of NW Africa and India adjacent to Africa in the Early/Middle
Jurassic. The cosmopolitan distribution of the Kota fauna has also been
corroborated by the non-mammalian vertebrate groups like ostracods and
charophytes.
Barapasaurus and Kotasaurus, sauropod dinosaurs from the Kota Formation,
and the Early Jurassic sauropod Vulcanodon of Zimbabwe appear to be
closely related to the Late Triassic sauropod Isanosaurus of Thailand.
"In view of this continuity of mammalian as well as non-mammalian animal
remains during the Jurassic and Early Cretaceous across Gondwanan
continents, it is predicted that early docodonts might have existed on other
southern continents as well," says Prasad.
The possible reasons for not finding Docodonts on the southern continents
until now are restricted occurrence of Jurassic continental sequences in this
part of the globe; low intensity sampling of the known deposits; and
taphonomic (decaying) factors.

Early human migration: India, cradle of humanity

By Syed Akbar
Hyderabad: India has long been known as the sojourn of early human migration from Africa and latest research studies by city scientists based on male sex chromosome shows that the country also served as the cradle of languages.
The forefathers of Austro-Asiatic linguistic family originated in India and later dispersed themselves to different places, according to a joint study by the Hyderabad-based Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology and Molecular anthropology group of Biological Anthropology Unit of Indian Statistical Institute and the Shillong-based North Eastern Hill University's Department of Anthropology.
The Austro-Asiatic linguistic family is considered to be the oldest
in the country and people who speak these languages are scattered all over Southeast Asia. The scientists' team analysed the male Y-chromosome
to trace the origin and historic expansion of Austro-Asiatic groups of India.
The report was published online in the latest issue of science journal of international repute BMC Genetics. The city team studied genetic data of 1222 individuals from 25 Indian populations, covering all the three branches of Austro-Asiatic tribes, Mundari, Khasi-Khmuic and Mon-Khmer. The team, comprising among others Dr Lalji Singh, K Thangaraj and BM Reddy, compared the data with the already available scientific information on 214 relevant populations from Asia and Oceania.
The results suggested a strong paternal genetic link, not only among the
subgroups of Indian Austro-Asiatic populations but also with those of
Southeast Asia. However, maternal link based on mitochondrial DNA is not evident.
The haplogroup in the Austro-Asiatic populations had originated around 65,000 years ago and the ancestors of this linguistic family carried it further to Southeast Asia via the Northeast Indian corridor. "Subsequently, in the process of expansion, the Mon-Khmer populations from Southeast Asia seem to have migrated and colonised Andaman and Nicobar Islands at a much later point of time," the study pointed out.
The present findings are consistent with the linguistic evidence, which suggests that the linguistic ancestors of the Austro-Asiatic populations have
originated in India and then migrated to Southeast Asia. Four major linguistic groups, Austro-Asiatic, Dravidian, Indo-European and Tibeto-Burman, are present in the Indian sub-continent and the ancestors of speakers of these languages might have entered at different points of time.
The Austro-Asiatic languages include Mundari, spoken by a number of tribes living in Chota-Nagpur plateau in Central and Eastern India, Mon-Khmer (Nicobarese and Shompen tribes from Andaman and Nicobar islands) and Khasi-Khmuic (Khasi subtribes from Northeast India).
The team sampled almost all the Austro-Asiatic populations of India covering the entire geographic and micro-linguistic heterogeneity inherent among them, including the molecular genetic data on the Austro-Asiatic Khasi from
Northeast India, considered as an important corridor for human
migrations to Southeast Asia.
"Austro-Asiatic populations of India are not only linguistically linked to
Southeast Asian populations but also genetically associated. It is most likely that these populations have come from Central Asia through the Western Indian corridor and subsequently colonised Southeast Asia, although more data on Y-chromosome and mtDNA are needed from other relevant populations to draw firmer conclusions," the study pointed out.

Digital historic atlas of South India throws light on prehistoric Dravidian land

2007
By Syed Akbar
Hyderabad, Jan 25: Was the prehistoric Dravidian land a habitat of Homo Erectus, the ancestor of modern man, Homo Sapiens? Did the modern man evolved in South India, as opposed to the general view that the ancestor of modern man had his origin in Africa?
According to the first-ever digital historic atlas of South India, the land of Dravidian people, an analogy of prehistoric South India with African sites shows that the "man" who dominated the early Stone Age in the region south of the Vindhyas belonged to the species of Homo Erectus.
The South Indians were adept in making jewellery and making tools from iron. But they learnt about the "Varna" system from their counterparts in the north.
The population density in South India at that time was very low and actually so far only two localities of this lower Palaeolithic culture are known, namely Upper Krishna valley in Karnataka and Attirampakkam valley about 50 kilometres to the north-west of Chennai in Tamil Nadu. The man at this stage was mostly a hunter using large-sized stone tools such as handaxes and choppers.
"An analogy with African sites shows that this man is supposed to belong to the species of Homo Erectus. The real ancestor of modern man (Homo Sapiens Sapiens) who appeared around 50,000 years before present was a more developed species who could fabricate thinner flake tools and blade-like tools using a variety of stones," the atlas, prepared by the French Institute of Pondicherry, points out.
In their presentation made early this week at the Map World Forum meeting held in Hyderabad, Frederic Borne, head of Geomatic Laboratory, Pondicherry and others, pointed out that the aim behind the digital atlas was to give an objective information on the cultural, social, economic and political information pertaining to South India, from prehistoric times to 1600 AD, using a combination of maps, illustrations and texts, and using GIS techniques.
The compilers of the atlas heavily relied on the epigraphic records (nearly 9,000) for the period from 600 CE to 1600 CE and on archaeology for the pre-600 CE period. Using maps, the digital atlas gives vivid information on the important areas in South India including traces of Ramayana, wherein Sri Rama was mentioned as having crossed the Vindhyas to free Sita from the clutches of Ravana.
The period 3000 to 1000 BC in south India was marked an important technological development when man took much care to make the stone tools in finer shapes by grinding and polishing. "For the first time some storage vessels were made using clay. Also first experiments were made to cultivate grains on a small scale. Cattle and sheep were domesticated. That is, the Neolithic man had more than one avenue of getting his subsistence, hunting being just one among the many," the atlas observes.
According to the compilers, more areas were begun to be occupied by man in several parts of Indian sub-continent but in different times, starting at the earliest in 7000 BC in Baluchistan (Pakistan) and from 3000 BC onwards elsewhere. In the south India, the Neolithic period had its advent around 2500 BC. The Neolithic stage man lived mostly on small flat hills or on the foothills in small, more or less permanent settlements but for periodical transhumance for grazing purposes.
The South Indian neolitithic man gave his dead kin proper burials within urns or pits. His aesthetic sense can be appreciated in the form of rock-art found near or within the rock-shelters. Such structures are reported from Gulbarga district. These monuments are so far mainly distributed in the Central Deccan, in the districts to the south of Hyderabad.
During the Megalithic Age (1000 to 300 BC), unlike in north India, the Iron Age culture in peninsular India is marked by Megalithic burial sites, which are found in several hundreds of places. For the first time most of south India is studded with Iron Age sites; in other words, most of the macro-region, from Nagpur in the north to Kanyakumari in the extreme south was populated by the Iron Age folk during the course of the first millennium BC.
"Still there is much to be learnt regarding the chronology of these sites. On the basis of some excavations, and on the basis of the typology of the burial monuments, it has been suggested that there was a gradual spread of the Iron Age sites from the north to the south. The southern sites are therefore considered chronologically later than the northern sites," the Atlas says.
Iron technology was highly developed and shows a high degree of uniformity through the length and breadth of peninsular India. Both iron tools and weapons show quite a variety.
The ancient South Indians were also adept in making gold, silver, copper, and bronze jewels and objects of art. "They were things of prestige. Beads made of carnelian were ubiquitous prestige objects found among the grave goods," according to the Atlas.
The period 300 BC to 200 BC marked the first or earliest historical phase of south India including Tamizakam or Tamil land comprising present Tamil Nadu and Kerala states, as writing in the proper sense started appearing from early 3rd century BC, though written documents is not available in sufficient quantity to help in the reconstruction of history.
During the third century BC, the Deccan was part of the Mauryan kingdom whose political centre was in Pataliputra in north India, and from the middle of the first century BC to second century CE the same area was ruled by the Satavahana dynasty. The Tamil area had all along an independent political set-up.
"Gradually the rulers came under the spell of north Indian ideology of kshatriya varna (ruling class), which encouraged performance of Vedic sacrifices to enhance the status of the ruler and equated him with the heroes of the Itihasa-Purana tradition," it points out.