Many of us may not be aware of the fact that Pakistan was recently the region for the discovery of one of the most exciting fossil finds of recent times. A team of French paleontologists, led by Professor Jean-Loup Welcomme of the Natural History Museum in Paris discovered the most complete skeleton of the largest land mammal that ever lived - the Baluchitherium. The fossil was discovered in the remote region of the Dera Bugti Hills in Balochistan and is the fruit of 5 years of hard graft on the part of Professor Jean-Loup and his team.

Although other skeletons of Baluchitherium have been found before - a British Army officer by the name of Vickary first stumbled across fossil remains of the giant mammal in the Bugti Hills in 1846. Following that another British team led by Mr. Forster-Cooper of the Cambridge Sedgwick Museum found another skeleton in 1909 in the same region. However, the current find is the largest and most complete skeleton ever discovered. The French team also claim to have for the first time accurately estimated the exact age of the Baluchitherium.

The Baluchitherium is an ancestor of the modern day Rhinoceros and is said to have roamed the earth some 20-30 million years ago well after the dinosaurs became extinct. Scientists believe that the species originally came from North America and crossed into Asia using the land that bridged the Bering Sea. The Baluchitherium stood over 5 meters tall and 10 meters long making it considerably larger than the largest land animal currently - the African elephant.

It is thought that the Baluchitherium would have weighed in the vicinity of 15-20 tonnes. With its long neck and legs it was thought to have fed high up on trees. The fact that Baluchitherium would have had to consume as much as 2 tonnes of fodder a day has led the French team to believe that the Balochistan of today was a very different place 20 million years ago. The area that is today largely desert and is amongst the hottest places on earth is thought to have been heavily forested at the time when the Baluchitherium roamed the area.

The French team of paleontologists hope to now get permission from the Pakistan government to study and preserve the fossil in France before returning it to Pakistan to go on display. At a recent function organised by the Pakistan Embassy in Paris which saw the launch of the Pak-France cultural forum, professor Welcomme delivered a lecture on his recent find. He also thanked the Nawab of Bugti, the Bugti people and the University of Balochistan for extending all assistance to the French team. The Nawab of Bugti convinced other tribes to allow the team to work in the area and also provided material and technical assistance to Professor Welcomme's team.

Unfortunately, there are only about 10 paleontologists throughout Pakistan who are qualified to identify fossils. The country remains an untapped treasure box for geological finds but it seems that we are destined not to discover or cherish our own treasures. Even the small Natural History Museum in Islamabad has recently been shut down. Dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals have an uncanny and unrivalled attraction for children. They provide a wonderful opportunity for children and adults alike to learn about the past. It will be sad if Balochistan will gain more fame for housing the Chagai Hills than for discoveries that lead to the spread of knowledge.

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