The land where Chandigarh stands today was once home to lavish forests and numerous water bodies, where lived different kinds of animals. That was millions of years ago. The anthropology department of Panjab University claims to have proved this, by recently digging out giraffe fossils from the upper Shivaliks, which are around 4.5 million years old.

Researchers say they have found fossils of deer, horses, hippopotamus and other animals. The PU department claims to be the only one in the country to have a specialised course in paleoanthropology, which studies the missing links in the evolution of man through fossils.

Describing the ways to calculate the age of fossils, Prof Rajan Gaur of the department, who is involved in the extraction work, said: “We generally calculate the age of fossil by its teeth. We are, however, not always lucky to get the complete fossil. It’s only through a piece that we try to build the complete story. These fossils help us know what kind of environment prevailed ages ago.”

In 2008, the department came up with the Museum of Man, which has fossils collected by the faculty and students of the department. It also has clay models showing the evolution of man, besides many items pertaining to the tribes that lived in the area in the past.

The museum is all set for its expansion and has already received a grant for the purpose. Department chairperson K D Sharma said: “We have a wonderful collection at the museum. In a move to give it a better look, we are expanding it.”