Study Reveals Migration Patterns of Indian One-Horned Rhinoceros

Migration Insights of the Indian One-Horned Rhinoceros

Guwahati, Jan 8: Research indicates that the Indian one-horned rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) migrated to Northeast India from the western and northern regions of the country during the late Holocene epoch. This migration was influenced by climatic improvements and increased human activities in those areas, prompting the movement of this megaherbivore species to the northeastern part of the subcontinent.

A team of scientists conducted this research, examining the palaeoecological and palaeoherbivory history of Kaziranga National Park (KNP) since the late Holocene, utilizing biotic proxies for their analysis. The researchers hail from various institutions, including the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences in Lucknow, Newcastle University in the UK, the Denver Museum of Nature and Science in the USA, the Botanical Survey of India's Sikkim Himalayan Regional Centre, and the University of Lucknow's Department of Geology.

Biotic proxies are indicators derived from living organisms or their preserved remains, while the Late Holocene period refers to the most recent segment of the current geological epoch, spanning approximately the last 4,000 to 5,000 years.

This study offers a comprehensive ecological framework that can inform both national and international conservation strategies, management of invasive species, and adaptive wildlife approaches in light of current and anticipated climate changes.

The research team, which included Dr. Sadhan Kumar Basumatary, Siddhant Vaish, and Swati Tripathi from the Birbal Sahni Institute, Eline N van Asperen from Newcastle University, H Gregory McDonald from the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, Dr. Rajib Gogoi from the Botanical Survey of India, and Ajay Kumar Arya from the University of Lucknow, published their findings in CATENA, a renowned scientific journal based in the Netherlands.

Dr. Basumatary noted that this study presents the first long-term palaeoecological records of Kaziranga National Park (KNP). It highlights how climate change, shifts in vegetation, the invasion of exotic species, and herbivore pressures have influenced the park's ecosystems over the last 3,300 years. KNP, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, currently provides an excellent natural habitat for the one-horned rhinoceros and serves as a living example of the ecological relationships between flora and fauna.

Furthermore, fossil evidence suggests that the Indian one-horned rhinoceros was historically widespread across significant portions of the Indian subcontinent, particularly along the Himalayan foothills, extending into Northwestern India and parts of present-day Pakistan and Afghanistan.