Ethiopian Scientists discover 22 mln year old fossil, fauna and flora


Ethiopian Scientists have discovered 22 million years old fossil, fauna and flora on a new locality in the Mush basin, 157 kilometers North East of Addis Ababa.
In a press conference he gave here on Friday, Addis Ababa University's College of Development Dean, Dr.Mulugeta Fesseha said a group of Ethiopia scientists discovered old fossils amphibians, fish, mammals and numerous plants.

Dr. Mulugeta, who is a principal investigator, said it is the only African site of its age. He said the Mush basin research undertakes paleoenvironmental reconstruction of the paleontologically-rich Mush basin.

The research was started by four Ethiopian scientists in 2007 and four foreign researchers joined the Ethiopian team. He said the research would help understand the origin of the Mush sedimentary basin, the ancient climate and vegetation in the locality.

The research would also help reconstruct the holistic ancient environment of the Mush basin and use the reconstructed Mush basin vegetation and climate as reference for historical and future global warming events.

The outputs of the research will play critical role in the overarching paleoenvironmental reconstruction research that ,will produce models ,explain records of fauna, flora and climate in East Africa over the last 30 million years, he said.

ENA