The evolution of biodiversity is a significant scientific issue of interest to both academia and the public. During the early Cenozoic, the collision of the Indian Plate with the Eurasian Plate, which originated from Gondwana, led to tectonic uplift, forming the Tibetan Plateau—the youngest and highest plateau in the world. This event profoundly impacted the paleogeography and paleoclimate of Asia and beyond, triggering major transformations in ecosystems and the biosphere. Ultimately, it gave rise to globally renowned biodiversity hotspots in the surrounding regions.
Paleontological evidence demonstrates that the India-Eurasia collision facilitated biotic interchange, with the Indian subcontinent and the Tibetan Plateau potentially serving as an "origin center" and a "dispersal hub". Over a long and complex evolutionary process, these interactions shaped present-day biogeographic patterns.
Fossils provide empirical evidence of biological evolution and environmental changes. They not only help determine the ages of stratigraphic layers but also offer insights into the environments and climates in which ancient organisms lived, as well as the evolutionary processes of biodiversity. By studying plant fossils, researchers can trace the evolution of regional flora and analyze its correlation with environmental changes, offering a deeper understanding of how Earth's shifting conditions have influenced plant diversity over time.
Keywords: Paleobotany; Paleoclimate; Palynology; Palaeobiodiversity; Paleoflora
Journal
Discover Geoscience is an open access journal publishing research across the full range of disciplines connected to geoscience, geophysics and geochemistry.
Dr Srivastava holds a Ph.D. in Botany (2011) from the University of Lucknow, his research interests including Paleogene biotic responses, Cenozoic monsoon evolution, and angiosperm diversification.