New study decodes India’s agricultural origins in Ganga Plain using grass pollen

April 6, 2026 7:18 PM

New study decodes India’s agricultural origins in Ganga Plain using grass pollen

A study by Indian scientists has unveiled a new method to distinguish between pollen of cultivated crops and wild grasses, offering fresh insights into the origins of agriculture in the Central Ganga Plain. The research, conducted by scientists from the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences (BSIP), provides a powerful tool to reconstruct ancient farming practices and human influence on landscapes over thousands of years. Cracking a long-standing scientific challenge Cereal crops such as wh...

Researchers trace Kaziranga’s evolution as the last great refuge of the one-horned rhinoceros

February 4, 2026 5:50 PM

Researchers trace Kaziranga’s evolution as the last great refuge of the one-horned rhinoceros

A new scientific study has traced how Assam’s Kaziranga National Park (KNP) evolved into the world’s most important refuge for the Indian one-horned rhinoceros, revealing a story shaped by climate change, shifting vegetation, human pressure and the decline of megaherbivores across the subcontinent. Scientists from the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences (BSIP), an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), have reconstructed the first long-term palaeoeco...