GUWAHATI: Evidence suggesting that Northeast India was once part of a vast ocean has gone missing. A partially fossilized jaw and teeth, believed to belong to a whale ancestor from 35–40 million years ago, were reported missing by locals in Tolegre village, South Garo Hills district, Meghalaya, on January 27.The fossils were originally discovered in a cave by a Core Geo Expeditions team in February last year. Subsequently, a Geological Survey of India (GSI) team had collected samples but the villagers took custody of a major part of the fossil. They asked the district administration to not visit the site as they wanted to preserve the site and its contents themselves.Two FIRs were lodged, one by the villagers and another by a social activist. “We are probing the incident. As of now, there are no suspects,” South Garo Hills Superintendent of Police Shailendra Bamaniya told the TNIE on Friday.Palaeontologists and authorities are worried that a major piece of evidence which could explain the evolutionary landscape of the region is now lost. “It was an ancient landscape. It could have helped understand the landscape evolution,” a palaeontologist said requesting anonymity.
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