Sifting through layers of history

I was five years old when dad bought me an encyclopedia. hile excitedly flipping the pages, on the bottom of a page was a picture of an ammonite fossil that looked like a shell, which caught my attention. WI wanted the ammonite fossil for myself and asked my mom to get one for me. She told me that it belongs to the government. Too stubborn to give up, I pestered my mom and she finally took me to Egmore Museum for the first time in 2012. The ammonites were displayed at the entrance. I could barely read at that age but seeing the fossils at the museum was riveting. From then on, the trip to the museum became a regular visit. 

When I turned 10, I started studying palaeontology. During my first visit to Bharathidasan University, when I was in class 5, I met geologist MU Ramkumar from Periyar University. He was my first mentor and taught me what fossils were and how they were formed. Fossils are the page to Earth’s earliest history. Ramkumar sir gave me a route map to collect fossils in Tamil Nadu. Besides fossils, I also collect shells, sea creatures, sea plants, corals, lichens, different types of flowers, woods, leaves, rocks, soil, terrestrial weeds, fungi, mosses, algae and fishes. I find all of them interesting. 
Nirmal Raja, a palaeontologist from the UAE taught me how and where to collect fossils. Ramkumar sir introduced me to him. I have visited 11 places including Karai, Anandavadi, Kuthpoor, Tamir and Tancem mines in Ariyalur. During the Cretaceous period, Ariyalur was a shallow water region where many invertebrates lived. Turtle shells are found in Dalmiapuram and shark teeth are found in Karai. They are rare fossils. 

It is not easy for a 12-year-old girl like me to go inside the mines and dig for fossils. But, it is worth taking a risk for things I love. My parents always accompany me on my trips. So far, I have collected more than 73 specimens of fossil. Studying Palaeontology is not common in India. Fossils tell us about who has lived and died billions of years ago and about the existing creatures. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimat, and Palaeoenvironment teach us about the history of geography, past, and changes in climate. We can learn about what happened in the Mesozoic era when all the creatures were wiped out. We face natural calamities like floods and storms, and we are prepared, but one can never say asteroids won’t hit the Earth again. There are so many perceptions but no one knows for sure. By studying the fossils we can learn and at the same time work on a solution.

I don’t have friends my age in my class, because their hobbies differ from mine. They are up-to-date on current trends and movies. When I tell them I know nothing about these, they laugh at me so I keep to myself. I have conducted 14 seminars in schools and colleges like Maraimalai Adikal Government High School, Narayana e-Techno School, Saidapet Government School, Guru Nanak College, and SIVET College. I also conduct sessions on existing flora and fauna. I approached many schools and colleges for seminars, but they declined, saying that art and dance were more important. 
This year, I was given a special mention award by FICCI-FLO. My parents are my strength, they have stood by me and supported me. I think parents and elders should encourage children to study subjects of their choice and not just focus on grades or marks. After I complete schooling, I plan to pursue Earth Science. 
(As told to 
Rinreichui Kashung)