Overview

• Villagers in Megha village uncovered a nearly complete skeleton while digging near a pond on August 21 and notified local authorities.
• Local geoscientists, including Dr. Narayan Das Inakhaiya and Dr. V.S. Parihar of JNVU Jodhpur, inspected the site and identified the find as a crocodile-like phytosaur measuring about 1.5–2 meters.
• Scientists cite an age estimate of roughly 201 million years, marking what they report as the first phytosaur from Jurassic rocks in India.
• Officials have fenced and secured the site, and the Geological Survey of India will conduct a full excavation and conduct formal analyses to confirm dating and stratigraphic context.
• The discovery adds to Jaisalmer’s fossil record in the Lathi Formation, where prior finds include dinosaur footprints near Thaiyat and fossilized trees preserved at Akal’s Wood Fossil Park.