changeadminAmong the silt-rich deposits of the Chirang River in Manipur’s Imphal Valley, researchers examining fossil plant remains have found an astonishingly intact bamboo stem, carrying the ghostly marks of long-vanished thorns. This earliest thorny bamboo fossil from Asia could rewrite a chapter of the continent’s botanical history.
Manipur, a state in North-East India, is known for its breathtaking hills and natural beauty. Due to its climatic surroundings, various species of bamboo flourish here, both in the mountains and in the valleys.
Bamboo fossils are scarce because their hollow stems and fibrous tissues decay rapidly, leaving little trace in the geological record. Scientists usually understand bamboo defences mainly by comparing modern species with their habitats.
Scientists from Birbal Sahni Institution of Palaeosciences (BSIP), an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), during field surveys in the silt-rich deposits of the Chirang River in Manipur’s Imphal Valley, chanced upon a bamboo stem with unusual markings.
Their detailed analysis identified these as thorn scars, prompting further investigation into their identity and significance. Based on its morphology, nodes, buds, and thorn scars, it was assigned to the genus Chimonobambusa in the laboratory.
Comparisons with living thorny bamboos such as Bambusa bambos and Chimonobambusa callosa helped reconstruct its defensive traits and ecological role.
This is the first fossil evidence that thorniness in bamboo—a defence against herbivores—was already present in Asia during the Ice Age. Its preservation is particularly significant because it comes from a period of colder and drier global climates, when bamboo was wiped out in many other regions, including Europe.
The bamboo fossils show that while harsh Ice Age conditions restricted plants’ global distribution, Northeast India provided a safe refuge where it could continue to thrive.
The discovery, published in the journal Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, is remarkable for capturing fragile details, such as thorn scars, which rarely fossilise. The finding also highlights the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot as a crucial refugium during the Ice Age.
While colder, drier climates eliminated bamboo from places such as Europe, the warm, humid conditions of Northeast India allowed it to persist.
Enlarged microscopic view of the 37,000-year-old fossil bamboo (Chimonobambusa manipurensis), showing preserved bud (yellow arrows).
This research by H Bhatia, P Kumari, NH Singh & G Srivastava adds a new dimension to our understanding of both bamboo evolution and regional climate history.
It also emphasises the role of this part of Asia in safeguarding biodiversity during times of global stress, making the discovery not only a botanical milestone but also an essential contribution to palaeoclimatic and biogeographic studies.
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