- Co-authors of ‘Fossils of Sri Lanka’ on their book and more
Did you know that although Sri Lanka is currently an island existing in the Indian Ocean, it was once a part of Gondwanaland during the middle Jurassic epoch? We eventually began breaking up from the Indian continent during the late Jurassic and established ourselves as a separate single landmass known as Sri Lanka, which, over time, went through many life forms that grew and evolved.
Four very talented researchers – Eco Astronomy Sri Lanka Senior Research Scientist Dr. Aravinda Ravibhanu, United Nations Association of Sri Lanka (UNASL) Co- Researcher and Assistant Secretary General Dr. Kamal Abeywardena, Beijing Forestry University of China International Ambassador Dr. Majda Aouititen, and University of Sri Jayewardenepura Emeritus Prof. Jinadasa Katupotha – came together to document the fossils left behind in ancient times, in the book Fossils of Sri Lanka.
Brunch had an eye-opening chat with the four researchers to learn more about our history and how the book came to be.
Here are some excerpts of the interview:
Where did the fossils come from and how were they gathered?
During the Quaternary, which is the Pleistocene epoch and the Holocene period, many eustatic changes created a land bridge between the Indian subcontinent and Sri Lanka. This allowed plants and animals to easily cross between lands – simply put, a number of megafauna was able to travel in between Sri Lanka and India. It is also believed that the last inter connection was made 7,500 years BP (before present).
During the Pleistocene (about 12,000-10,000 years BP), Sri Lanka experienced heavy rainfall and the entire island was covered with rainforests. These heavy showers created large lakes and marshes in the Sabaragamuwa basin, providing habitats for a number of marsh-loving mammals and other animals.
Affected by extreme climatic variation, most megafauna went extinct during the Quaternary period and their remains became fossils around the Sabaragamuwa basins in Sri Lanka.
Since 2012, our investigations have focused on documenting Quaternary samples of fossils at the Sabaragamuwa basin, under the project called “The Paleo World of Sabaragamuwa Basin – Sri Lanka” led by Dr. Aravinda Ravibhanu, Dr. Kamal Abeywardena, and Dr. Majda Aouititen. In 2021, Dr. Jason Kennedy also joined the project as a collaboration scientist. Most of our samples were collected from around Ratnapura, Kuruvita, and Pelmadula via gem pits (fossilised teeth and bones belonging to Pleistocene fauna are found at present in gem pits and gem gravels – illama).
What animals were these fossils and did you look for specific animal/plant fossils for the book?
Basically, we collected fossils belonging to lions, tigers, two types of species of rhinoceros, three types of elephants, hippopotamus, gawara, and sambars in the first collection and additionally, another 10-15 extinct species were recorded. Currently, we have more than 500 samples which belong to the Pleistocene megafauna.
Why did you feel the need to record these fossils in a book and how will it help anyone that wishes to study in a similar field?
We still don’t have a proper scientific platform to study solid palaeontology. In fact, most of us are not familiar with new technology. I believe the geological formation of Sri Lanka is one of the best extreme conditions to set up analogue activities. So, this is only a preliminary attempt to describe data that we have gathered. This book will be stimulating to all who are interested in palaeontology and astrobiology.
What challenges did you face in obtaining data and records of fossils? Moreover, what are some categories in the book and what points of interest did you want to highlight?
We would like to highlight our main project rather than our book. The conservation and preservation parts are the most challenging aspects of our work. The book is also a way of raising awareness on this field and topic.
In the book, we discuss more than 60 samples of fossils including the reconstruction model and prehistoric realistic environment conditions in the Sabaragamuwa basin. Those fossils and rock records give us strong details that are empowered by proof of the paleoclimate, which will give a clear understanding of the prehistoric animals and plants.
Did you find that new technology helped in recording these fossils in the book?
New tech-like toy photography, EinScan, and augmented reality (AR) were applied in the process of re-creating a real environment of prehistoric time; that is why we named it reconstruction.
The reconstruction approach that we have used in our monograph Fossils of Sri Lanka has been a great step forward that our team has adopted towards a better understanding and a clear visualisation of the environmental aspects and conditions of the dynamic of a specific era.
Making Sri Lankan fossils alive again through our reconstruction project is our main goal. We found this idea very interesting and we want to bring it to light; we believe that our reconstruction project itself should be considered as a conservation methodology approach because it allows the audience to reach the main information requested with all the details needed, without any risk of contaminating or destroying the fossil, the area where we found the fossil, or both.
Since we developed this reconstruction aspect and approach, we have been conducting important international meetings with other units that are interested in this concept. We are working on developing a strong international collaboration for our reconstruction projects. Soon, we will release a high-quality reconstruction documentary produced by our international team from Sri Lanka, Morocco, New Zealand, and China. We can assure you that this step will be a game-changer approach.
Is there anything coming up in the future?
Our main objective is to create an animation documentary for Netflix and other international platforms called PALEO Hunter: Sri Lanka. It’s a collaboration project between Eco Astronomy Sri Lanka, UNASL, and Auckland University, New Zealand, to be released by the end of 2024. Dr. Majda Aouititen is the Chief Co-ordinator of this project.
Currently, we are also working with the Space Hero project – an upcoming reality television contest that plans to send the winner to experience daily life in the International Space Station by 2023. It will be a huge step for all Sri Lankans to finally make their own mark in the space exploration journey.