When we think of Natural history, we start with micro-organisms and move to dinos. But one scientist, Dr. Birbal Sahni, had another perspective, which was shared with us by Dr. Sanjay Kumar Singh, who is the current curator of the Birbal Sahni Museum of Paleosciences – To survive outside water, plants needed conducting tissue. When conducting tissue (xylem and phleom) evolved, plants were able to survive outside water. Then, they needed support to stand erect… The Natural History of the world, viewed through the evolution of flora.
We are very grateful for this unique perspective and lucky to have visited the only Paleobotany center of India – the Birbal Sahni Institute in Lucknow University.
Remember that stone in Meghalaya which was recorded as a new geological age? That stone is also on display at the Birbal Sahni Museum of Paleosciences.
This is a reconstruction of a prehistoric plant 
The fossil of a leaf 
The texture of a tree that is now fossilised into stone 
Amber, as found in the Museum of Paleontological Sciences 
Close up of the fossil of a tree 
This is the fossil of the trunk of a tree that lived millions of years ago 
With the Meghalaya Age, India registered its first entry in the global geological ages of the Earth. This is the stone that was used to identify the Meghalaya Age as a new geologial period hitherto unknown 
Close up of the texture of a fossilised tree that is now a stone
Special Thanks to Dr. Sanjay Singh, the Curator of the Museum, who took the time to explain the significance of these fossils and this unique perspective on understanding natural history.