Shiva Balak Misra

Shiva Balak Misra is an Indian geologist, writer and social worker born on 1 March 1940 in Barabanki district of Uttar Pradesh in India and is known for his contribution to the knowledge of earliest life forms on earth.

Shiva Balak Misra
Born(1940-03-01)1 March 1940
Barabanki district, Uttar Pradesh, India
NationalityIndian
EducationUniversity of Lucknow, Memorial University of Newfoundland
Known forDiscovery of the oldest example of multicellular life on Earth, Social Work, writer
ChildrenNeelesh Misra , Shailesh Misra
AwardsApeejay India Volunteer Award in 2011, Laadli Media Award for writing on gender sensitivity in 2014
Scientific career
FieldsGeology
InstitutionsKumaun University
ThesisGeology of Biscay Bay-Cape Race area, Avalon Peninsula, Newfoundland. (1969)
Websitestoryofanindian.blogspot.in, mistakenpointfauna.com, bgv.org.in

In 1968, Misra made the discovery of Ediacaran fossils attributed as the oldest multicellular life on Earth,[1][2] The area of the formation containing the fossils was protected as the Mistaken Point Ecological Reserve in 1984, and declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2016.[3][4] The fossils were later named after Misra in 2007 as Fractofusus misrai.[5][6][7][8][9]

In 1969, Misra returned from Canada after completing his MS Degree and established a school near his native village Deora in Barabanki district in India[10] and continues to serve this school until today.

Early education

Misra grew up in a small village called Deora near Lucknow in Northern India,[10] and had to walk 12 Kilometers (8 miles) to the nearest school as a child. Brought up in hardships, he completed his Higher Secondary Certificate education from Lucknow.

Fossil discovery at Mistaken Point

Misra received a scholarship to pursue a Masters in Science from Memorial University of Newfoundland in Canada. Misra was first to prepare and present a systematic geological map of the region,[11] to classify and describe the rock sequence of the area and to work out the depositional history of the rocks.

During this geological mapping, in the summer of 1967, he discovered a rich assemblage of imprints of soft-bodied organisms on the surface of large rock slabs in the Conception Group of Avalon Peninsula of Newfoundland at Mistaken Point. These were unusual impressions of previously unknown soft-bodied sea animals on the surfaces of Argillite (mudstone) included Coelenterates and other Metazoa of the Ediacaran.

The discovery was reported in 1968 in a paper[12][13] in Nature. Later, Misra described the Mistaken Point Fauna in more detail in 1969, in another paper[14][15] published in the Bulletin of the Geological Society of America. He described the fossil assemblage into groups namely:

  1. Spindle-shaped
  2. Leaf-shaped
  3. Round lobate
  4. Dendrite like
  5. Radiating

Social work

After completing his master's degree, remembering the hardships he had undergone, Misra decided to return to India and establish a village school[16] with support from his wife Nirmala Misra, a Teacher by profession.

He served as professor of geology and dean science at the Kumaun University in Nainital and after retirement from this position again joined his wife Nirmala Misra in serving.[16] After retirement, he also serves as Editor-in-chief of "Gaon Connection". a rural news paper.

In his 80s, Misra resides in Lucknow with his wife. His eldest son Neelesh Misra is a well known Indian journalist, author, radio storyteller, Bollywood scriptwriter, and lyricist.

Awards

Misra was awarded the Laadli Media Award for writing on gender sensitivity in 2014. Misra was also recognized with the Apeejay India Volunteer Award[17] in 2011.

Books authored

Misra has authored two books:

  1. Dream Chasing, One Man's Remarkable, True Life Story.[18]
  2. Nature & Indian-ness (भारतीयता और पयार्वरण)

References
  1. "Mistaken Point Ecological Reserve". NL Department of Environment and Conservation. Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
  2. "40 yrs after his Canada find, UP geologist's name etched in fossil". The Indian Express (19 September 2007). Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  3. "Mistaken Point Fauna – The Discovery". Mistaken Point Fauna – The Discovery.
  4. "Mistaken Point Site was declared UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2016". 17 July 2016. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
  5. "Rare honour for Indian geologist". BBC News (18 September 2007). Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  6. "Fossil fame chases Samaritan scientist – Priceless find named after Indian". The Telegraph (19 September 2007). Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  7. "Canada names fossil after Lucknow-based geologist". The Times of India (19 September 2007). Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  8. "Fossil discovery a challenging job: Misra". The Hindu (21 September 2007). Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  9. "Mistaken Point is a snapshot of life 565 million years ago". The Telegram. 24 July 2013.
  10. Pitroda, S.B. Misra ; as told to Neelesh Misra ; foreword by Sam (2011). Dream chasing : one man's remarkable, true life story : dream, hope, betrayal, grit, sacrifice, triumph. New Delhi: Roli Books. ISBN 978-8174368195.
  11. "Map of Avalon Peninsula". mistakenpointfauna.com. Shiva Balak Misra. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  12. "Fossils found in pre-Cambrian Conception Group of Southeastern Newfoundland". mistakenpointfauna.com. S.B.Misra. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  13. Anderson, M. M.; Misra, S. B. (16 November 1968). "Fossils found in the Pre-Cambrian Conception Group of South-eastern Newfoundland". Nature. 220 (5168): 680–681. doi:10.1038/220680a0.
  14. "Criteria for Recognizing Pre-Cambrian Fossils". mistakenpointfauna.com. S.B.Misra. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  15. Anderson, M. M.; Misra, S. B. (6 September 1969). "Criteria for recognizing Pre-Cambrian Fossils". Nature. 223 (5210): 1076. doi:10.1038/2231076b0.
  16. "Bharatiya Gramina Vidyalaya". Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  17. "Apeejay India Award". Archived from the original on 6 September 2014.
  18. Misra S.B (2011). Dream Chasing: One Man's Remarkable, True Life Story: : 9788174368195: Amazon.com Books. Roli Books. ISBN 978-8174368195.
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