Sichuan News Network - First Screen News Leshan July 18 (Reporter Li Jutao) On the 17th, a restaurant on the east bank of the Minjiang River in Leshan attracted widespread attention due to the rumors of dinosaur footprints, and quickly became a hot search. Experts conducted on-site inspection and determined that it was the footprint of the thundershock of the early Cretaceous Jaguan Group, and it is also the only dinosaur footprint found in a restaurant. It is only 5 kilometers away from the World Heritage Site Leshan Giant Buddha .
In the Leshan Horticultural Forest Restaurant, in a quiet courtyard, several inconspicuous pits were circled with white marks. Citizen Ou Hongtao introduced that on July 10, he and his friends were dining in this restaurant. When he was taking photos and checking in, he accidentally discovered these strange pits. Out of his love for popular science and knowledge, his intuition told him that this was likely the footprint of dinosaurs. That night, he contacted Associate Professor Xing Lida of China University of Geosciences (Beijing) through Weibo , and sent photos to verify it. Unexpectedly, he attracted an expert group to come for inspection. The "footprint" found by
(photo taken by Liu Jieyu)
On July 16, an expert team composed of Associate Professor Xing Lida and Peng Guangzhao, a research librarian at the Zigong Dinosaur Museum, came to the restaurant to inspect and survey, and conducted drone shooting and 3D scanning of the footprints. After research, it was determined that it was the footprint of the thunder dragon of the Jiaguan Group in the early Cretaceous period, and more than 10 footprints formed two tracks. According to on-site information analysis, the footprints were left by two sauropod dinosaurs about 8 meters long. They were active by the river in the arid environment of ancient Leshan, about 100 million years ago, leaving footprints.
. What makes sense is that this is the first time that dinosaur footprint fossils have been found in Leshan City. Xing Lida said that being able to find dinosaur footprints in the city is rare in both China and the world, and has certain research value for local and surrounding biodiversity . In addition, the dinosaur footprint is only 5 kilometers away from the famous Leshan Giant Buddha. This strata is continuous, and its sediments are also the foundation for Leshan Giant Buddha in the future. It invisibly adds a layer of background to Big Buddha and this area, which has potential popular science and tourism value. How to protect it? Xing Lida said that dinosaur footprint protection is a global problem. Because it is immobility, it is difficult to cut out and put in a museum. They chose to scan three-dimensionally and print it out with a 3D printer as a permanent sample for scientific research institutions. For the site, it is recommended to disperse or hinder water to avoid further weathering of animals and plants, microorganisms, , , etc., and place signs and popular science cards to avoid trampling and increase knowledge.
After listening to the suggestions, Ms. Zhu, the restaurant manager, decided to circle the corridor and protect these footprints. And while she was surprised, she also had plans to go further. "Maybe in the future, some meals will be made on this Cretaceous dinosaur theme. Some introductions to the dinosaurs will be put into text and put them next to them. Guests who come to dine can gain this knowledge clearly at a glance." Ms. Zhu said.
(Li Jutao)
( Sichuan News Network )
