By studying some of these specimens stored at the Institute, an international team has now thrown light on a carnivorous reptile that lived 240 million years ago. It was neglected because the fossil specimen was not as complete as those of other erythrosuchids from other countries. The team notes that Bharitalasuchus tapani were robust animals with big heads and large teeth, and these probably predated other smaller reptiles. The South African one is about 245 million years old, while the ones from China and Russia are around 240 million years old. “Unfortunately, deforestation, mining, agricultural expansion, urbanisation are gradually destroying the fossiliferous localities of India, and the Yerrapalli Formation of the Pranhita-Godavari Basin is not an exception,” she concludes.

Source: The Hindu June 12, 2021 14:26 UTC