Older than Himalayas: 85mn-year-old Kewra plant reached India 24mn years ago, fossil discovery in Assam shows

Fossilised leaves surfaced from the Makum Coalfield of Assam have disclosed that the kewra (kevda) plant—best known for its fragrant essence used in sweets, perfumes, traditional medicine and temple rituals- has survived for at least 24 million years on the Indian subcontinent. The discovery has indicated that this plant is far older than human civilisation and predates the rise of the Himalayas.

The discovery was published in the international journal Geobios by researchers identified as Harshita Bhatia and Gaurav Srivastava of the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences (BSIP), Lucknow, an autonomous institute that falls under the Department of Science and Technology (DST).

Fossils belong to screw-pine family

The researchers recovered well-preserved fossil leaves from the Tikak Parbat Formation in the Makum Coalfield of Tinsukia district. Further study related to morphological and microscopic features indicated that the fossils belong to the Pandanaceae, or screw-pine family, to which the modern kewra (Pandanus) belongs.

Scientists found that the fossil leaves share the same key features as modern kewra (Pandanus) plants, including long sword-shaped leaves, parallel veins, an M-shaped cross-section and sharp prickles along the edges, showing the species has changed very little over millions of years.

The discovery bridges a major gap in the evolutionary history of the screw-pine family by linking older fossils from Europe and North America with younger ones from Asia and Australia. Researchers say the findings highlight the Indian subcontinent as a vital refuge for ancient tropical plants during global climate shifts. Although Pandanus is now restricted to tropical regions, its ancestors were once widespread across the Northern Hemisphere.

“The Makum fossils suggest Paleogene persistence and ecological continuity of Pandanaceae across the paleotropics,” the researchers noted. It further added that the discovery collides with the evolutionary diversification of modern Pandanus species during the late Eocene-Oligocene.

In addition, the study also indicated that Assam was covered by warm, humid forests, freshwater swamps and river ecosystems around 24 million years ago, providing ideal conditions for screw-pines. Researchers say the discovery further establishes the Makum Coalfield as one of India's richest fossil sites, with previous finds of palms, mangroves and rainforest plants offering valuable insights into the evolution of Northeast India's forests, biodiversity and ancient climate.