Ironically, it was while he was investigating the Deccan Traps that Dr Chatterjee came across the evidence for Shiva.

ECONOMIST: Mass extinctions

Dr Chatterjee therefore suggests that an object 40km in diameter hit the Earth off the coast of India and forced vast quantities of lava out of the Deccan Traps.

ECONOMIST: Mass extinctions

In India, which was then an island continent like Australia is today (it did not collide with Asia until 50m years ago), huge eruptions created fields of basalt called the Deccan Traps.

ECONOMIST: Mass extinctions