A team of archaeologists has discovered an ostrich nest in Andhra Pradesh, India that is 41,000 years old, making it the oldest known to the world.
The team, which includes experts from MS University in Vadodara, Germany, Australia, and the US, found this significant archaeological site in the fossil-rich Prakasam district of Andhra Pradesh.
The found nest contained 9-11 ostrich eggs, while typically, an ostrich nest is 9-10 feet wide and can hold 30-40 eggs.
The unearthing of approximately 3,500 ostrich eggshell fragments in an area as small as 1×1.5 meters not only confirms the presence of ostriches in southern India but also marks the first instance of such an ancient ostrich nest being archaeologically verified.
Scientists believe this discovery is key to understanding why megafauna, animals weighing over 40kg, became extinct in India. Megafauna includes large animals such as horses, elephants, cattle and hippopotamuses, many of which became extinct about 40,000 years ago globally.
In a related study of late Quaternary megafaunal extinctions in India, archaeologists have also unearthed a complete crocodile skeleton in an articulated position, dating back 50,000 years, a find that is exceptional both in India and worldwide.
