A centre showcasing the wealth of extinct marine mollusc animals called ammonites in the Ariyalur-Perambalur region was inaugurated in Perambalur’s former Taluk office complex on Saturday, with the aim of creating awareness about these ancient life forms.
Established after several months of research by geology experts and archaeology enthusiasts under the direction of the administration authorities, the Perambalur Ammonites Centre was declared open by Minister for Transport S. S. Sivasankar at a function presided over by District Collector Sri Venkada Priya, M. Prabhakaran, MLA, and C. Rajendran, Perambalur District Panchayat Chairman, besides other senior officials.
Chief Minister M. K. Stalin had allocated ₹10 crore to create a fossil park that will help to preserve the natural history of the Perambalur district. Work on the project was in progress, and the park would be inaugurated soon.
Talking to The Hindu about the Perambalur Ammonites Centre, Ms. Venkada Priya hoped the centre would help the public appreciate and value the geological heritage of this region. “It can serve as a local attraction for family and school groups in the area. It could also inspire more in-depth research in this field,” she said.
Over 10,000 species of ammonites are thought to occur across the world, with the badlands of Ariyalur-Perambalur having at least 150 varieties. “At the centre, we have tried to present a wide selection of the ammonites unique to this region. We have also received fossil contributions from other countries” said Prasad Sundaresan, geologist, TANCEM, who has been assisting with the identification and archiving of the samples at the centre.
