Salkhan Fossil Park Joins UNESCO’s Tentative List of World Heritage Sites

Salkhan Fossil Park in Uttar Pradesh is a significant prehistoric site showcasing well-preserved marine fossils from the Proterozoic era, offering insights into Earth’s ancient biological history.

Context: Salkhan Fossil Park has been included in UNESCO’s Tentative List for World Heritage Sites.

About Salkhan Fossil Park (Sonbhadra Fossils Park)

Location: Situated in Uttar Pradesh, within the Kaimoor Wildlife Sanctuary and the Vindhyan mountain range.
Geological Significance:
- Contains fossils dating back 1.4 billion years, making it one of the oldest and best-preserved fossil sites
- Features an exceptional collection of stromatolites, ancient structures formed by cyanobacteria (blue-green algae).

Scientific Importance

Home to Mesoproterozoic-era stromatolites, considered living relics of early Earth.
Older than globally known fossil sites like Shark Bay (Australia) and Yellowstone (USA).
Provides evidence of the Great Oxidation Event, a key milestone in Earth’s biological evolution.

Environmental Insight

Displays a wide diversity of stromatolite forms (domal to columnar), indicating ancient environmental shifts such as changes in water depth, wave action, and sedimentation.

Global Recognition

Recently added to UNESCO’s Tentative List for World Heritage Sites.
Identified under IUCN’s category of ‘Evolution of Life’ in its 2020 Guidelines for Geoconservation in protected areas.