Guwahati, June 20 -- Scientists have unearthed fossilised leaves in Makum Coalfield of Assam that date back approximately 24 million years.

The fossil leaves, studied by researchers from the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences (BSIP) in Lucknow, bear a striking resemblance to modern plants of the Nothopegia genus-species that now exist only in the Western Ghats.

Published in the journal Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, the study reveals that Northeast India once hosted a tropical climate ideal for such flora.

However, massive geological events such as the rise of the Himalayas triggered by tectonic plate movements-transformed the region's environment drastically. These changes in temperature, rainfall, and wind patterns cool...