Published Paper Details:

Abstract Western Rajasthan is a globally significant repository of petrified wood, offering crucial paleontological and geological insights into the Earth's deep past. The region contains ancient fossilized forests - predominantly found in the Jaisalmer and Barmer basins - that document the climatic transitions and shifting depositional environments of the Indian subcontinent over millions of years. The petrified wood of western Rajasthan is deeply tied to the geological history of the Thar Desert and surrounding sedimentary basins. The petrified wood of western Rajasthan is deeply tied to the geological history of the Thar Desert and surrounding sedimentary basins. The fossils are preserved within the Mesozoic strata (specifically the Lathi and Jaisalmer formations) and the Cenozoic Barmer Hill Formation. The ancient trees were swept into deltaic or marine environments, rapidly buried under thick sediments, and subjected to groundwater rich in silica. Over millions of years, organic plant matter was replaced with silicate minerals like quartz via permineralization, cell by cell. Akal Wood Fossil Park (Jaisalmer): Designated as a National Geological Monument, this 21- hectare park is the most famous site for petrified wood. It houses 25 petrified tree trunks (including extinct gymnosperms) dating back to the Early Jurassic period (~180 million years ago).