It is officially known as Sonbhadra Fossils Park and is located in the Sonbhadra District of Uttar Pradesh.

• It qualifies as a geo-heritage site under IUCN’s 2020 guidelines for "Evolution of Life" and matches UNESCO’s 2021 framework on Earth’s history and life evolution.

About Salkhan Fossil Park 

• It is located in Kaimur Range (part of the Vindhya range), adjacent to Kaimur Wildlife Sanctuary.
• One of the oldest and most well preserved sites in the world (fossils dating approx 1.4 billion years).
  • The site’s fossil assemblage features Stromatolites which are created by communities of Cyanobacteria or blue green algae
    •  These fossilized microbial structures record the Great Oxidation Event, when oxygen first accumulated in the atmosphere.
• Significance of Salkhan Fossil Park
  • Understanding early environment: The park features varied stromatolite forms—domal, columnar, and stratiform—indicating changes in ancient water depth,sedimentation and wave activity.
  • Filling the Precambrian Gap: Addresses a significant gap in the World Heritage fossil record by showcasing the Precambrian era.
    • It covers 85% of Earth’s history that remains largely underrepresented worldwide.