37,000-year-old bamboo from Manipur reveals Asia’s ice age secret

Key Points

1. A 37,000-year-old thorny bamboo fossil was discovered in Manipur's Imphal Valley.
2. The fossil belongs to the genus Chimonobambusa.
3. This is the earliest evidence of thorny bamboo in Asia during the Ice Age.
4. The discovery highlights Northeast India as a crucial refugium for bamboo during colder climates.
5. The research was conducted by scientists from the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences (BSIP).
6. The discovery was published in the journal Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology.
7. The fossil shows preserved thorn scars, a rare occurrence in fossil records.