Dickinsonia is an extinct genus of a basal animal that lived during the late Ediacaran period. The fossils are known only in the form of imprints and casts in sandstone beds.
Researchers believe they have found Dickinsonia that dates back 570 million years on the roof of the 'Auditorium Cave' at Bhimbetka.
Dickinsonia fossils found in other parts of the world exceeded 4 feet in length. But the one found in Bhimbetka is 17 inches long, reported The Times of India.
The fossil was hidden in plain sight and was discovered by chance when two experts from the Geological Survey of India (GSI) were exploring Bhimbetka ahead of the 36th International Geological Congress. The experts spotted the leaf-like impression 11-feet above the ground. As it was almost blending with the rock, it could've been easily mistaken for pre-historic rock art, said the experts.
The February edition of Gondwana Research, an international journal, has published the study by the researchers.
The experts were able to find imprints of the fossil, which are usually preserved as negative impressions on the bases of sandstone beds. The first specimens of the fossil was discovered in the Ediacaran Member of Rawnsley Quartzite, Flinders Rangers in South Australia.
The Bhimbetka rock shelters were found by VS Wakankar 64 years ago. Since then, many researchers have visited the site. However, the dickinsonia fossil remained undetected.
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