Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Bhimbetka, Dickensonia

Mains level: NA

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A Dickinsonia fossil found at Bhimbetka, previously believed to be one of the world’s earliest animals, and has been identified as a decayed beehive.

About Bhimbetka

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The Bhimbetka rock shelters are an archaeological site in central India that spans the prehistoric Paleolithic and Mesolithic periods, as well as the historic period.
It exhibits the earliest traces of human life in India and evidence of Stone Age starting at the site in Acheulian times.
It is located in the Raisen District in Madhya Pradesh about 45 kilometres (28 mi) south-east of Bhopal.
It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that consists of seven hills and over 750 rock shelters distributed over 10 km (6.2 mi).
At least some of the shelters were inhabited more than 100,000 years ago.
Some of the Bhimbetka rock shelters feature prehistoric cave paintings and the earliest are about 10,000 years old (c. 8,000 BCE), corresponding to the Indian Mesolithic.
These cave paintings show themes such as animals, early evidence of dance and hunting.
The Bhimbetka rock shelters were found by V S Wakankar 64 years ago. Since then, thousands of researchers have visited the site, but this rare fossil went undetected.

What is Dickinsonia?

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Dickinsonia is an extinct genus of basal animal that lived during the late Ediacaran period in what is now Australia, Russia and Ukraine.
The individual Dickinsonia typically resembles a bilaterally symmetrical ribbed oval.
Its affinities are presently unknown; its mode of growth is consistent with a stem-group bilaterian affinity, though some have suggested that it belongs to the fungi or even an “extinct kingdom”.
The discovery of cholesterol molecules in fossils of Dickinsonia lends support to the idea that Dickinsonia was an animal.

Cambrian Explosion and Dickinsonia

The ‘Cambrian Explosion’ is the term given to the period of time in history when complex animals and other macroscopic organisms such as molluscs, worms, arthropods and sponges began to dominate the fossil record.
Researchers from Australian found the Dickinsonia fossil since its tissue contained molecules of cholesterol a type of fat that is the hallmark of animal life.

Try this PYQ:

Q. Which one of the following statements is correct?

(a) Ajanta Caves lie in the gorge of Waghora River

(b) Sanchi Stupa lies in the gorge of Chambal River

(c) Pandu-lena Cave Shrines lie in the gorge of Narmada River

(d) Amaravati Stupa lies in the gorge of Godavari River

Post your answers here.
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