Siwaliks

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A chain of low mountains running along the southern foot of the Himalayas through India, Nepal, and Pakistan, known for its rich fossil beds
2. The outer mountain range of the Himalayan system in South Asia, formed from sediments eroded from the greater Himalayas
3. Foothill range stretching across northern India, Nepal, and Pakistan, famous among geologists for its fossil-bearing rock layers

Etymology: Sanskrit "Śivālaka" combines "Śiva," the Hindu god, with "alaka," meaning a lock or tress of hair. The name refers to the matted locks of Shiva, which are traditionally said to have been spread across the hills, and it is the source of the modern name for the chain of low, forested ridges that runs along the southern edge of the Himalayas through northern India, Nepal, and Pakistan. The name was later borrowed into geology for the thick sequence of sediments that makes up those hills. Geologists call this rock sequence the Siwalik Group, and the rocks are rich in fossils, especially of mammals from the late Miocene and Pliocene epochs. The plural form "Siwaliks" is how English speakers usually refer to the range as a whole.