The concept of colonisation windows—intervals during which benthic organisms can actively bioturbate before being interrupted by sedimentation or environmental shifts—offers a high-resolution tool for palaeoenvironmental reconstruction. The present study investigates the bioturbation patterns of the Lower Cretaceous, Ghuneri Member (Bhuj Formation) within the wave-dominated deltaic system of the Kachchh Basin. Through ichnofabric analysis, ichnodiversity indices, and ichnonetwork modelling across 26 stratigraphic sections, we delineate the spatial and temporal dynamics of trace fossil assemblages from proximal to distal settings. Results reveal a distinct asymmetrical bioturbation cyclicity, with higher diversity and prolonged colonisation windows concentrated in the distal, stable substrates, and reduced diversity in proximal, high-energy environments. Six ichnofabric types were documented, reflecting variability in sedimentation rates, storm influence, and substrate consistency. Network analysis identified core, bridging, and peripheral ichnotaxa, validating ecological structuring through metrics of centrality and co-occurrence. The lower Ghuneri Member is characterised by well-developed, multi-tiered ichnocoenoses with Glossifungites ichnofacies, while the upper part exhibits increased heterogeneity and ecological restructuring. These ichnological patterns, embedded within the broader deltaic progradation–transgression–regression cycle, underscore the utility of colonisation windows in deciphering facies transitions and depositional energy gradients in pericratonic rift basin settings.

The Pliocene, although predominantly warm, experienced four major glacial events at 4.8, 4.0, 3.3, and 2.7 million years ago (Ma), altering ice sheet dynamics and ocean circulation. This study reconstructs Agulhas Current (AC) variability using planktic foraminiferal census and stable oxygen isotope data from IODP Hole U1474A. Eleven AC weakening events were identified—five in the Early Pliocene (4.35–3.6 Ma) and six in the Late Pliocene (3.4–2.67 Ma). These coincide with glacial expansions and the growth of the Antarctic Ice Sheet, which likely shifted the polar fronts northward, reducing AC strength and Agulhas Leakage. This weakening may have had a significant impact on global thermohaline circulation during the Pliocene.

A group of equisetalean shoots with distinctive small leaves occurs widely in the upper Bashkirian and lower Moscovian coal-bearing deposits of Euramerica. They have often been named Asterophyllites grandis and Asterophyllites charaeformis in the past, but the use of these names is illegitimate for these species. In this study, these shoots have been assigned to five fossil species: Asterophyllites delicatulus , Asterophyllites parvulus , Asterophyllites gracilis , Asterophyllites taylorianum , and Asterophyllites lubnensis . Two of the species are associated with Calamostachys strobili, while the other three are associated with Palaeostachya strobili. The distribution of the shoot species partly reflects differences in elevation and substrate conditions of where the parent plants grew.

The palaeoclimatic reconstruction based on sediment archives, spores and pollens, and invertebrate fossil records is widely explored in palaeoscience research. However, the disappearance or collapse of many civilisations due to climatic shifts over the geological timescale underscores the need to expand the realm of Palaeosciences to include archaeological remains. In this context, the bones and teeth from human and animal remains found in archaeological sites have become essential records for palaeoscientific research. These remains, which originate from a range of cultural and environmental contexts beyond necropolis sites, offer isotopic and chemical clues about past climatic conditions, mobility and diets. Although the primary focus of this study is on human remains, the conclusions are generally applicable to faunal materials, which raises the main question: which tissue—bone or tooth—offers more trustworthy insights for palaeoscientific research? The present study critically evaluates the potential of archaeological bones and teeth for reconstructing palaeoclimatic and palaeodietary landscapes, seeking a better asset for palaeoscientists. The teeth, particularly the enamel part, have been found here superior due to their higher degree of preservation owing to the mineral content and resistance to diagenetic changes. Therefore, the ability of fossilised teeth to consistently retain elemental and isotopic signals—a well-established characteristic based on biomineralisation science—makes them invaluable repositories for reconstructing palaeoenvironmental conditions and palaeodietary practices. In contrast, the bones, due to their porous structure and organic matrix, are more susceptible to post-mortem alterations and environmental contamination. Such secondary processes occurring in the fossilised bone raise doubts about the quality of information recorded from their chemical analyses. Therefore, their utilisation in palaeoscience poses some limitations and requires special care. The holistic overview of the temporal resolution, preservation quality and contextual integrity of both tissues reveals that the teeth provide a more precise snapshot of early-life environmental conditions, such as childhood diet and geographic origin. In contrast, the bones provide narratives into broader temporal patterns with relatively less precision. Although the significance of bones in reconstructing past climates and human adaptations cannot be ruled out, the teeth win the race for providing more accurate and high-resolution insights into early-life conditions.

Bee foraging patterns for honey production show regional variation across India’s flora. This study examined pollen composition in 18 honey samples from five districts of Central Uttar Pradesh-Lucknow, Barabanki, Hardoi, Unnao, and Raebareli. The analysis identified 38 distinct pollen species, with 16 samples being multifloral and two monofloral. The predominant pollen type includes Holoptelea integrifolia , Brassica campestris , Solanaceae, and Moringa oleifera , while 14 species were classified into secondary, 20 important minor pollen types, and 26 minor pollen types. The pollen analysis aimed to identify the floral sources visited by honeybees in Lucknow and adjacent districts. The findings correlated with the vegetation patterns observed near beehive locations during honey production.

The palynological investigation of a sequence of the Takche Formation (Middle Ordovician–Early Silurian), Spiti region in the Tethyan Himalaya, reveals new perspectives into Ordovician micro-faunal and floral diversity, palaeoenvironments, biostratigraphy and the likely signatures about early land plants within Gondwana. The recovered palynomorph assemblage is rich in marine forms such as chitinozoans, acritarchs, melanosclerites, and scolecodonts, along with non-marine palynomorphs, which comprises possible cryptospores and phytodebris. The chitinozoan assemblage comprises genera- Belonechitina, Baltochitina, Eisenackitina and Euconochitina . Acritarch assemblage is characterised by Baltisphaeridium, Orthosphaeridium, Stelliferidium, Dactylofusa, Leiosphaeridia, Lophosphaeridium and Focusphaera . Scolecodonts’ assemblage is dominated by simple jaw elements, associated with ctenognath- and placognath-type apparatuses, of which placognath are common. The melanosclerites assemblage includes Mirachitina, Melanoporella, Eichbaumia, Melanorhachis , and Melanosteus. The non-marine palynomorphs of the putative cryptospore assemblage show semblance with the taxa Chelinospora, Didymospora, Laevolancis, Rugosphaera, Dyadospora and Segestrespora. Although preservation is generally poor and thermal maturity is high, the presence of diagnostic taxa across multiple palynological groups permits robust palaeobiological and palaeoenvironmental interpretations. The abundance of marine forms clearly reflects deposition in a distal shallow marine setting, removed from significant terrestrial influence. These findings are consistent with similar studies from comparable sequences in the region and elsewhere along the northern Gondwana. The present study not only enhances our understanding of the Ordovician biodiversity in India but also paves the way to further explore and enrich the global narrative of early plant evolution and palaeobiogeographic connectivity during the early phases of life on land from the Indian subcontinent.

Global warming at the Paleocene-Eocene boundary is considered crucial for understanding the large-scale ecological changes driven by this warming event. Early Paleogene sedimentary deposits from mid and high latitudes reveal considerable turnover attributed to early Paleogene warming, whereas low latitudinal regions are yet to be explored. Indian Plate, due to its palaeoequatorial position during the early Paleogene warming, offers detailed insights into vegetation transitions in the paleoequatorial and low latitudinal regions. The present study provides a qualitative and quantitative assessment of fossil pollen from an early Paleogene succession exposed in the Sonari Lignite Mine, Barmer Basin, Rajasthan, India. Based on the prior delineation of the Paleocene-Eocene (P-E) boundary within the succession, this study further analyses fossil pollen distributions across the boundary to identify distinct Paleocene and early Eocene (Ypresian) palynoassemblages and discuss the vegetation dynamics and compositional transitions across the P-E boundary in response to the early Paleogene warming. Both palynoassemblages are characterised by similar ecological groups (mangroves/back mangroves, fern spores, palms and inland tropical rainforests). However, their floral richness and composition vary across the boundary. The Paleocene palynoassemblage indicates the predominance of mangrove/back mangrove brackish swampy ecosystems, suggesting the presence of low-saline conditions, likely driven by high precipitation and increased runoff associated with the Indian Plate’s equatorial position and global warming events during early Paleogene. The increasing presence of palynomorphs derived from fern spores, palms and inland tropical rainforest floras towards the early Eocene (Ypresian) section indicates the expansion of a tropical rainforest ecosystem under a warm and humid climate of the early Eocene. Further, the decline of seasonal taxa ( Lepidocaryum ), along with the rise of moisture-loving palms and other rainforest floras in the early Eocene (Ypresian) palynoassemblage, indicates a transition of seasonal tropical forests to wet and humid tropical rainforests. In conclusion, the present study highlights how the variation in seasonality and the intensity of warm and humid climate of the Indian Plate, driven by its equatorial positioning and early Paleogene warming, shaped the vegetation patterns across the P-E boundary. With the similar ecological groups showing steady variation in their floral richness across the P-E boundary, the present study further suggests that the vegetation transitions in low latitudes were gradual, unlike the mid and high latitudes.

India possesses an extraordinary, yet largely untold, story of the co-evolution of Earth as a planet and life upon it. The crescendo of this story is the formation and later break-up of the supercontinent Gondwana, followed by the Indian subcontinent’s solitary northward drift as an island landmass. This remarkable journey through diverse climates profoundly shaped its history as a unique travelling nursery of plant and animal life, a story etched in the fossils discovered across the subcontinent. India’s Phanerozoic rocks hold globally significant palaeontological treasures, from dinosaur nesting sites and the earliest odd-toed mammals to ancient walking whales and some of the planet’s oldest plant groups. Furthermore, the older Precambrian shield regions offer a glimpse into life before complex organisms evolved and are also vital repositories of mineral wealth. Astonishingly and sadly, despite this rich palaeontological and geological heritage, India lacks a central Natural History Museum to safeguard and showcase these treasures for public education and appreciation. To address this critical gap, the establishment of The Indian Museum of Earth (TIME) has been initiated through collaborative efforts supported by the office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India. This account details the journey so far in creating this vital institution.

The Sonia Sandstone of the Jodhpur Group, Marwar Supergroup in western Rajasthan, has unveiled many fossil assemblages, significantly advancing our comprehension of the Ediacaran biotic diversity and palaeoecological dynamics. Recent field discoveries within the Sonia Sandstone include a diverse suite of Ediacaran fossils, such as Tirasiana qingzhenensis, Hiemalora stellaris, Pteridinium sp., Finkoella ukrainica, Finkoella oblonga, Arumberia banski , coiled form, bizarre form A, Quaestio simpsonorum, and jellyfish-like impressions. These fossils, preserved predominantly as positive epirelief on the bedding plane, exhibit an extraordinary range of morphological intricacies, suggesting a multifaceted and dynamic Ediacaran ecosystem. This unprecedented palaeontological record sheds light on the ecological complexity and evolutionary trajectories during the Ediacaran Period, contributing to the broader understanding of early metazoan diversification and sedimentary biogenic processes.