Collector Sri Venkada Priya inspected the Perambalur Ammonites Learning Centre that is coming up on the heritage premises of the old Taluk office here on Saturday, to study the progress made in the project.
“Though the fossil grounds occur contiguously in Ariyalur and Perambalur, approximately 112 types of ammonites are unique to Perambalur district, dating from 120 million to 66 million years back. We are developing the learning centre to showcase the natural history of this region, with a focus on ammonites. It can become an attraction for the public to visit in the evenings, within the municipality, and children will get to understand their geo-heritage better,” Ms. Venkada Priya told The Hindu.
The learning centre has collected almost 300 specimens of ammonites for display from various sources. Scientists from the Geological Survey of India and local natural history experts are helping to identify their species and create textual inputs for the centre, said the official.
“An artist from Chennai has created a life-size replica of an ammonite found in Perambalur, which gives a detailed view of its anatomy,” said Ms. Venkada Priya. “We hope to inaugurate the learning centre in early June.”
