Question

Scientist associated with Indian palaeobotany is
A. P. Maheshwari
B. Birbal Sahni
C. M.O.P. Iyengar
D. Swaminathan

Answer 1

It is a branch of botany that deals with the study of ancient plants, using plant fossils that are deposited in the sedimentary rocks.

Complete Answer:
- Birbal Sahni is known as the Father of Indian Palaeobotany. He was the eminent Indian palaeobotanist who studied the fossils of Indian subcontinent. Birbal Sahni was the founder of palaeobotanical research in India. He also worked in other domains like archeology and geology.
- Panchanan Maheswari : he was an eminent Indian botanist. He is well known for his invention of the method of test-tube fertilization of plants belonging to angiosperms. This method helped to obtain various hybrid plants which was not possible in cross breeding technique.
- Mandayam Osuri Parthasarathy Iyengar: he is a prominent Indian phycologist and botanist. He studied about the cytology, reproduction, structure and taxonomy of algae. He was known as Father of Indian Phycology or Father of Algology in India.
- Mankombu Sambasivan Swaminathan : he was an Indian geneticist. He contributed to India’s Green Revolution, a program under which wide varieties of high yield rice and wheat plants were planted for which he was called as Father of green revolution in India.

Therefore the correct answer is (b) Birbal Sahni.

Note: Across globe, Adolphe theodar Brongniart is called as Father of Palaeilogist. Birbal Sahni was the first person to discover the fossils of Williamsonia sewardiana. in India. It is an extinct genus of plant that belongs to Bennettitales.