Fossilised leaves unearthed from Assam’s Makum Coalfield have revealed that the kewra (kevda) plant, known for its fragrant essence used in sweets, perfumes, traditional medicine, and temple rituals, has survived on the Indian subcontinent for at least 24 million years. This discovery makes the kewra plant far older than human civilization and even predates the rise of the Himalayas.
The discovery was made by scientists Harshita Bhatia and Gaurav Srivastava of the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences (BSIP), Lucknow. The researchers analyzed four exceptionally well-preserved fossil leaves recovered from the Tikak Parbat Formation in the Makum Coalfield of Tinsukia district. Detailed morphological and microscopic studies showed that the fossils belong to the Pandanaceae, or screw-pine family, to which the modern kewra (Pandanus) belongs.
The fossil leaves display the same distinctive features seen in living kewra plants today, such as long sword-shaped leaves with parallel veins, an M-shaped cross-section, and sharp marginal prickles. This confirms that the lineage has remained remarkably unchanged over millions of years. The discovery fills a crucial gap in the evolutionary history of the family, providing the missing link between older fossils found in Europe and North America and younger fossils known from tropical Asia and Australia.
The findings suggest that the Indian subcontinent served as an important refuge for ancient tropical plant lineages during a period of major global climate change. Today, Pandanus is largely confined to tropical and subtropical regions across South and Southeast Asia, the Pacific, and parts of Africa. However, fossil evidence indicates that its ancestors once had a much wider distribution across the Northern Hemisphere.
The study paints a vivid picture of Assam’s landscape around 24 million years ago, with warm, humid lowland forests, freshwater swamps, and riverine ecosystems. The discovery strengthens the Makum Coalfield’s reputation as one of India’s richest fossil sites, with fossil evidence of palms, mangroves, rainforest trees, and other ancient tropical plants helping researchers reconstruct the evolution of Northeast India’s forests and climate.
The discovery highlights the broader significance of the kewra plant, linking a familiar part of everyday Indian life with Earth’s deep past. The fossil demonstrates how fossils connect everyday life with Earth’s deep history, linking India’s cultural heritage with its natural history. It also underscores the exceptional importance of Northeast India as a natural archive of ancient life, where the rich fossil record continues to reveal the evolution of tropical forests, biodiversity, and past climates, strengthening India’s contribution to global palaeontological research.
