Fossil sites exposed by torrential rains in Tamil Nadu's Thoothukudi in 2023 have turned out to be Fossil Bed dating back to the Holocene period (8,000-12,000 years), Union Minister Bhupender Yadav said. "This discovery is important because it helps us better understand India’s ancient wildlife, environment, and climate," he added. The study was conducted by the Zoological Survey of India.