<h4>Context: Why in News?</h4><p>The <strong>Geological Survey of India (GSI)</strong> has proposed that the <strong>Dinosaur Fossil Park and Museum</strong> located in <strong>Raiyoli village</strong>, <strong>Gujarat</strong>, be granted a prestigious <strong>UNESCO Global Geoparks tag</strong>.</p><p>This initiative aims to recognize and preserve the site's unique geological and palaeontological heritage on a global scale.</p><h4>Geological Significance of Raiyoli</h4><p>The <strong>Raiyoli</strong> site holds immense geological importance, particularly for its dinosaur fossil discoveries. In the <strong>early 1980s</strong>, geologists made significant finds here.</p><div class='info-box'><p><strong>Key Discoveries:</strong></p><ul><li>Large <strong>dinosaur bones</strong></li><li>Numerous <strong>fossilised eggs</strong></li></ul><p>The bones primarily belong to two carnivorous dinosaur species from the <strong>Late Cretaceous period</strong> (approximately <strong>67 million years ago</strong>):</p><ul><li><strong>Rajasaurus Narmadensis</strong></li><li><strong>Rahiolisaurus Gujratensis</strong></li></ul></div><h4>Global Standing of Raiyoli</h4><p>The <strong>Raiyoli Dinosaur Fossil Park</strong> is not just nationally significant but also holds a prominent position globally. It is recognized as one of the largest <strong>dinosaur egg hatcheries</strong> in the world.</p><div class='info-box'><p><strong>Global Ranking:</strong></p><p>The site ranks <strong>third globally</strong> for dinosaur egg hatcheries, following two other renowned locations:</p><ul><li><strong>Aix-en-Provence (France)</strong></li><li>The <strong>Mongolian Gobi Desert</strong></li></ul></div><h4>International Recognition and Research</h4><p>The exceptional nature of the <strong>Raiyoli</strong> site garnered considerable international attention in the <strong>1990s</strong>. This led to a significant influx of scientific interest.</p><div class='info-box'><p>A team of <strong>50 palaeontologists</strong> from various countries visited the site specifically to conduct extensive studies on the dinosaur eggs discovered there.</p></div><div class='exam-tip-box'><p><strong>UPSC Insight:</strong> Questions on <strong>geological heritage sites</strong>, <strong>palaeontology</strong>, and <strong>UNESCO designations</strong> are common in <strong>GS Paper I (Geography/Culture)</strong> and <strong>GS Paper III (Environment/Science & Tech)</strong>. Understanding the significance of such sites is crucial.</p></div>