Chinese geologists have confirmed that the Himalayas didn't appear until some 40 million years ago. The finding tells us that the Himalayas appeared nearly ten million years earlier than previously thought.

The new findings, based on analysis of rock specimens recovered during exploration in the area was approved by the China Geological University, one of China's leading institutes in the field.

A group of experts from Chengdu University of Science and Engineering found a new Marine Horizon along with hundreds of geological specimens on the northern slope of the cordillera at an altitude of 5,000 meters. This finding confirms that the Himalayas were still under a vast expanse of water 40 million years ago.

The Marine Horizon is commonly used to determine the existence of seawater or the height of plateaus and great mountains during a particular period, said Professor Wang Chengshan, the head of the research group.

The discovery of the new Marine Horizon has a significant relationship with Neo-Tethys Ocean. Earlier research found a Marine Horizon of some 50 million years ago, which led many experts to draw the conclusion that the Himalayas rose during the same period. (Xinhua)