干旱区生态环境知识资源中心

The Quaternary fauna of South and South East Asia as a whole is well known for its significance in hominid evolution, biodiversity (of ecosystems and of species), migration patterns, evolutionary trends and other related aspects. In this geographical region, diverse ecosystems like the savanna, wetlands, deserts, mountain forests, etc. are amply present and provide a suitable ambience for the growth and diversity of the faunal material. These environmentally sensitive areas with richness of both endemic and exotic species, have been successfully mapped. The most well-known Quaternary faunal site complexes in India include the Siwaliks (the NW and the NE regions), the Indogangetic region, the Peninsular India (notably, the river valleys of Narmada, Godavari, Krishna, etc., and cave deposits of Andhra Pradesh) and other isolated fossiliferous pockets. The Nepal Siwaliks, fossiliferous regions of Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Indonesia also constitute important prehistoric hot spots in S. Asia and SE Asia which throw important light on the migration patterns and man/land relationship in the past.

A large variety of faunal remains comprising mammals, birds (especially the ostrich egg shells pieces), reptiles, amphibians, fishes, microvertebrates and molluscan shells have been obtained from the above-mentioned deposits, many of these in association with Stone Age tools manufactured by Early Man and this occurrence helps in a better interpretation of man land relationship. A brief account of the fossiliferous sites and fossils found therein is provided in the paper with remarks on migration patterns, evolutionary history, palaeoenvironmental aspects, causes of extinction and allied factors that offer a challenging field of investigation for the geologist as well as palaeobiologists. As mentioned above, the subject matter has been discussed only briefly here leaving the details for a separate treatment of the subject elsewhere encompassing the prehistoric environments in S and SE Asia.