Chirananda De
Geological Survey of India
Palaeontology Division
Western Region, 15 – Jhalana Dungri
Jaipur 302015
Rajasthan, India
chirananda@rediffmail.com
Chirananda De, an Indian Palaeontologist who served Geological Survey of India for about 32 years (1980-2012), graduated and defended PhD thesis at the University of Calcutta. He earned a place in the Guinness World Record for his discovery of oldest fossil rain imprints from Vindhyans of India. His research expertise covers classical ichnology, ichnostratigraphy, Quaternary ichnology, environmental ichnology and applied ichnology. His research contributions (>100 papers, books, memoirs, catalogues and reports) that are highly commended and widely cited by world experts possess tremendous significance and universal application potential and incorporate several sensational discoveries, conceptual breakthroughs, promotion of fundamental principles and novel applications of ichnological tools for the benefit of mankind. His discovery of Ediacaran faunal assemblages from Vindhyans of central India and Marwars of western India has been rated as ever most significant palaeontological breakthrough in the century long history of palaeontological research in India. His discoveries of several unique ichnological tools (e.g. Diopatra cuprea burrow tubes for instantaneous measurement of current annual rates of coastal erosion and deposition, Uca mud volcanoes for delineating areas of coastal instability, oriented crustacean burrows as palaeoindicator of buried channels and aquifers, burrow population and architecture as a measure of beach erosion, algal microboring on ooids and continental mayfly burrow as indicators of rising sea level) bear universal and innovative geotechnical application potential in human service and promote new concepts of “Applied Ichnology” and “Ichnological exploration of groundwater”. First ever introduction of biophysical model of burrowing has revolutionized all standing ideas and introduced several new principles and concepts for detailed ichnological characterization of coastal environments, dynamics and stability; sea level changes; ecosystem degradation and ecospace shrinking: all serious concerns of modern world. He co-authored Elsevier-published book “Trace Fossils as Indicators of Sedimentary Environments” (Edited by Dr. Dirk Knaust and Prof. Dr. Richard G. Bromley). He is now available to join any India centric international ichnological research programme.
