Zhejiang News Client Reporter Li Jiaoyan Correspondent Lu Lujia
A group of sauropod dinosaurs during the Jurassic period of the earth (restored picture). Image provided by Vision China
Perhaps there is no creature as mysterious yet fascinating as the dinosaurs.
Recently, the movie "Jurassic World3" was released. Using physical models and CG special effects, Savage Raptor galloped through the streets of the city, Aeolian Pterosaur stood shoulder to shoulder with an airplane, and the huge figure of Shi's Dreadnought was shocking... We seemed to have witnessed the miracle of the evolution of life - in human beings Previously, they flourished on Earth for nearly 180 million years.
When we walked out of the theater, dinosaur fossils were buried in the ground beneath our feet. As an important source of dinosaur fossils in southeastern China, dinosaur fossils have been discovered in 16 counties and cities in Zhejiang. Zhejiang Province has currently named 7 species of dinosaurs and 1 species of Mesozoic bird fossils, all of which are unique to Zhejiang. They are Zhejiang Jilan Taisaurus, Lixian Jiangshanosaurus, Lishui Zhejiangosaurus, Chinese Dongyangosaurus , Tiantai Yuesaurus, Yang Yandongyang Shield Dragon, Chinese Jinyun Ankylosaurus and Long-tailed Geese. In recent years, the footprints of Deinonychus and giant sauropod dinosaurs have also been discovered in Yiwu.
reporter interviewed Dr. Zheng Wenjie, associate research librarian of Zhejiang Natural Museum . He led us to travel through the "prehistoric planet" and explore the dinosaur footprints in Zhejiang.
Take stock of the "most"
dinosaur in Zhejiang, which is the most active and prosperous reptile in the Mesozoic Era. They became extinct at the end of the Mesozoic Era about 66 million years ago. The soft parts such as muscles and brain disappeared due to decay, and the hard parts such as bones and teeth were quickly buried by the sediment. During the long period of time when sediment turned into stone, groundwater dissolved the organic matter inside the bones and deposited minerals in them.
In this way, the biological hardware was petrified, and its former form was preserved. The dinosaur fossils we discovered are fossilized dinosaur bones. Based on the bone fossils that have been discovered, Zheng Wenjie conducted an inventory of the "best" dinosaurs in Zhejiang for reporters.
"The Chinese Jinyun Ankylosaurus discovered in Jinyun is not only the most fossilized and best-preserved dinosaur fossil found in Zhejiang, but also the earliest ankylosaurus with a tail hammer in the known era." Zheng Wenjie said.
In the recently opened "24-hour museum" of the Zhejiang Natural History Museum, you can see the full-scale restored skeleton model and the reduced restored model of Jinyun Ankylosaurus in China as soon as you enter the door. The restored skeleton of Jinyun Ankylosaurus occupies almost an entire wall. . A large number of cone-shaped "stones" were put together to piece together a complete skeleton of a prehistoric beast.
However, if you take out your mobile phone to scan and interact with dinosaurs in AR, it will be like going back in time. This skeleton was filled with flesh and blood on the screen and covered with skin - a lively and even cute Jinyun Ankylosaurus appeared, running and howling in front of the reporters, shaking its head...
"Jinyun Ankylosaurus is also my favorite "Dinosaur." Zheng Wenjie said that in 2013, the Jinyun Ankylosaurus fossil was jointly rescued and excavated by the Zhejiang Natural Museum, Jinyun County Museum, and the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum in Japan. The fossil materials initially studied included two individuals, one of which preserved a complete skull fossil, tail hammer fragments, vertebrae and limb bones, etc., and the other preserved part of the hind limbs and a complete tail hammer. This tail hammer is also their most well-known feature.
In fact, the origin and evolution of the ankylosaurus tail hammer have always attracted much attention. Only a small number of ankylosaurs developed tail hammers, and the tail hammer only appeared later in the evolution of ankylosaurs. The discovery of Jinyun Ankylosaurus shows that a variety of ankylosaurus dinosaurs lived in Zhejiang during the Cretaceous.
Audiences watch an exhibition about dinosaurs at the Zhejiang Natural Museum (Hangzhou Pavilion). Photo courtesy of Zhejiang Natural Museum
"The little dragon next to the Jinyun Ankylosaurus fossil is the smallest dinosaur discovered in Zhejiang so far, Tiantai Yuesaurus." Zheng Wenjie said.
Compared with Ankylosaurus, Tiantai Yuesaurus appears quite small and flexible. It belongs to the basic species of ornithischian ornithopod dinosaur . Small ornithopods walk on two legs and have slender hind legs that are good at running.Some recent studies suggest that some basal ornithopods may be able to burrow and live underground.
Zheng Wenjie said, "Tiantai Yuetosaurus is the first discovery of small ornithopods in southeastern China. Early ornithopod groups have only been found in the Asian continent. Yuetosaurus is the basal ornithopod dinosaur found in Asia." The lowest latitude provides new evidence for the paleogeographic distribution and evolution of basal ornithopod dinosaurs."
Leaving the "24-hour Museum", Zheng Wenjie continued to introduce Lixian Jiangshanosaurus to reporters. This is the largest dinosaur found in Zhejiang. Lixian Jiangshanlong is on display at the Zhejiang Natural Museum and Quzhou Museum .
In the lobby of Quzhou Museum, a complete restored skeleton of Lixian Jiangshanlong is impressive, with its super-long neck and tail seeming to be able to sweep everything. This dinosaur fossil was excavated in Lixian Township, Jiangshan, Quzhou in 1977. It belongs to the sauropod dinosaur, the sauropod dinosaur.
More than 300 million years have passed since animals first landed on land. But until now, apart from sauropods, there have been no other "behemoths" with a length of more than 20 meters among land animals. The sauropod dinosaur is huge and can be called the largest in the dinosaur world. Therefore, Lixianjiangshanosaurus is not afraid of being attacked by other dinosaurs, even carnivorous dinosaurs .
Their most distinctive features are their long necks and long tails. In the documentary "Prehistoric Planet", scientists speculated that the fighting method of this giant dragon was similar to that of modern giraffes, which is to concentrate their strength on the head and neck, throw it out hard, and then hit the opponent hard.
"Lixianjiangshanosaurus represents a new genus and species of titanosaurs. It was researched and named in 2001. It is also the first discovery of titanosaur fossils in my country." Zheng Wenjie said.
Chasing the footprints of dinosaurs
If we want to trace the footprints of dinosaurs throughout Zhejiang, what should the road map be?
Although many layers from the dinosaur age can be seen in the wild in Zhejiang, some fossils are also preserved in the wild strata. But Zheng Wenjie feels that the best way to understand Zhejiang's dinosaurs is by visiting museums across Zhejiang.
He carefully listed many museums for reporters on paper: Zhejiang Natural Museum Hangzhou and Anji Museum, Dongyang City Museum , Tiantai County Museum , Jinyun County Museum, Jinyun Hu Town Dinosaur Museum, Lishui City Museum , Quzhou City Museum, Yongkang City Museum ...
Zhejiang Natural Museum has collected more than 10,000 egg fossils, ranking among the top in the world in terms of the number, variety and quality of dinosaurs. It not only houses the world's only pterosaur skeleton with eggs in the abdomen and oviraptor skeleton fossils with one egg inside and outside the abdomen, but also dinosaur bones and turtle eggs, dinosaur eggs and lizards. There are many rare egg fossil specimens in the world such as specimens preserved together, specimens in which two clutches of eggs are overlapped and preserved together, etc.
The Anji Pavilion of Zhejiang Natural Museum is the largest natural history museum in a single building in Asia, with a dedicated dinosaur hall inside. Zhejiang's dinosaurs are displayed in the most comprehensive manner, and dinosaur species such as Tiantai Yuesaurus, Lishui Zhejiangosaurus, and China Jinyun Ankylosaurus are restored and displayed. You can also get a glimpse of the entire evolutionary history of dinosaurs. The Hangzhou Pavilion displays the restored skeleton model of Jiangshanosaurus , and also shows the evolutionary history of the entire creature.
Dongyang City is a place where many dinosaur fossils, eggs and footprints are found. Zheng Wenjie said that Chinese Dongyangosaurus and Yangyan Dongyang Shieldosaurus were excavated here.
In the hall of Dongyang City Museum, there is a dinosaur skeleton about 16 meters long and 5 meters high. It is the Chinese Dongyangosaurus restored at a 1:1 ratio based on the dinosaur bone fossils unearthed in Dongyang . Dongyangosaurus from China walked on all fours and was a large herbivorous sauropod dinosaur.
Speaking of the discovery of Dongyangsaurus fossils, there is an interesting process. In 2007, local resident Li Yongcai accidentally discovered a section of bone-shaped rock when he was working on Hu Gong Mountain.He chiseled off a small piece and tasted it, and found that the taste of the stone was different from ordinary rocks. He promptly contacted the Dongyang Municipal Museum so that the Dongyangosaurus fossil could be completely preserved.
"In the Tiantai County Museum, dinosaurs and dinosaur eggs unearthed from Tiantai are also on display. The Jinyun County Museum will recently display the real Jinyun Ankylosaurus fossils and restored skeletons, as well as other dinosaur fossils and egg fossils discovered locally." Zheng Wenjie explain.
In addition, some dinosaur tracks are also worthy of attention.
In 2019, the Zhejiang Natural Museum discovered 9 fossil footprints during a field investigation in Guanyintang Village, Yiwu City. Researchers determined that these were the footprints of a Deinonychus dinosaur. This is also the first time fossils of a Deinonychus dinosaur footprint have been found in Zhejiang. A replica model of the Deinonychus footprint fossil can be seen in the "24-Hour Museum" of Zhejiang Natural Museum.
Deinonychus dinosaurs are a clade of theropod dinosaurs , including dromaeosaurs and troodontids. Zheng Wenjie told reporters that this type of dinosaur has a very unique feature, that is, the claws on the second toe of the hind feet are particularly large and can be lifted high, and generally do not touch the ground when walking. If the claws were given a close-up, the viewer might feel that the dragon was ready to tap its toes on the floor at any time.
"Some studies believe that this was to keep the claws sharp to facilitate hunting. Therefore, when this type of dinosaur walked, only the third and fourth toes touched the ground, and the footprints were a very typical two-toed structure." Zheng Wenjie said.
In fact, from chicken footprints, stone lotus flowers, to King Gesar footprints, etc., more and more folklore relics have been confirmed to be closely related to dinosaur footprints. To some extent, this also shows how out of reach dinosaurs were to humans. And now, we are getting closer to them.
Exploring the graceful life
Since the first dinosaur fossils were discovered in Zhejiang in 1962, over the past few decades, the field investigation of dinosaur fossils in Zhejiang has gradually become complete from the initial vague impressions. Among them, it is inseparable from the efforts of researchers like Zheng Wenjie.
Among the 7 dinosaur fossils currently named in Zhejiang Province, Zheng Wenjie participated in the research of 4 of them. "The reason why I like the Chinese Jinyun Ankylosaurus the most is that I participated in the whole process from field investigation, excavation, repair and research, and it is also the main research material for my doctoral thesis." Zheng Wenjie said.
You must know that fossilized dinosaur bones are firmly combined with the surrounding sedimentary rocks . When a fossil is discovered, large machinery such as excavators can be used in the field to remove large rocks around the fossil. The rocks around the fossil must be chiseled out bit by bit by hand, just like a stonemason. Which direction to dig next and how not to damage the fossils all depend on the accumulation of knowledge.
After the skeleton is transported back from the wild, it needs to be repaired and evaluated. Researchers will slowly peel them out of the whole stone to determine the species of dinosaur. Sometimes it is also necessary to study whether the dinosaur was carnivorous, herbivorous, or omnivorous based on the remains in the dinosaur's stomach, tooth shape, feces, stomach stones, etc.
A lot of times, what people get is just part of the dinosaur body skeleton. Only through comparison with other similar species can the whole body be restored and finally assembled into a complete dinosaur.
's indoor repair, research, and restoration... this is also an extremely long process that tests one's patience. Sometimes it can take up to a month to restore a more complex fossil. But the wait is always worth it. From 2013 to 2019, a four-person research team from the Zhejiang Natural Museum spent five years restoring fossils from five Ankylosaurus individuals of different sizes, totaling more than 300 pieces. They not only discovered a nearly complete skull fossil of Ankylosaurus, but also found fossils of adult and juvenile Ankylosaurus individuals.
"The excavation, research and restoration of fossils are the result of teamwork. Excavation in the field requires mechanical cooperation and hired workers in the field to assist in excavation. Indoor repairs require professional repairmen to carry out long-term repair work. After research, dinosaurs need to be restored. The artist restores dinosaurs so that the audience can have a more intuitive understanding of them.Different people take on different jobs, and everyone's job is indispensable. " Zheng Wenjie said.
Nowadays, "young" humans are involuntarily attracted to this ancient creature. Fossils are an excellent interpretation of the past. Dinosaurs make us look small, but they make us understand the splendor of life.
Lanxi City, Zhejiang Province The "Eight Immortals Ruins" in Meijiang Town are the smallest herbivorous dinosaur footprints discovered for the first time in the province. Photographed by Zhejiang News Client reporter Du Yufeng and He Xianjun
[Zhejiang News+]
Zhejiang's dinosaur "business card"
Dinosaurs first appeared in ancient times. The Late Triassic more than 240 million years ago dominated the terrestrial ecosystems of the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. Among them, non-avian dinosaurs became extinct at the end of the Cretaceous 66 million years ago, while theropods became extinct. Birds, a branch of dinosaurs, survived this extinction event and have evolved to this day. The dinosaurs we generally refer to refer to non-avian dinosaurs.
More than 1,000 species of dinosaur fossils have been discovered in the world, including those in our country. More than 300 species have been discovered, making it the country with the most discovered dinosaur species. Zhejiang is one of the provinces with the richest dinosaur species in southeastern China.
Tiantai Yuelong
Existence age: about 100 million to 90 million years ago in the Cretaceous period. Medium term
Discovery location: Tiantai County, Zhejiang
Shape: About 1.5 meters in length
Food habits: Plant-eating
Systematic classification: Ornithischians, ornithopods
Chinese Jinyun Ankylosaurus
Age of survival: About 100 million to 90 million years ago Middle Pre-Cretaceous
Discovery location: Jinyun County, Zhejiang
Body size: About 4.5 meters in length
Food habits: Plant-eating
Systematic classification: Ornithischians, Ankylosaurs, Ankylosauridae
Yangyan Dongyang Shieldsaurus
Survival age: Mid-Cretaceous 100 million to 90 million years ago
Discovery location: Yangyan, Dongyang, Zhejiang
Body shape: About 4 meters in length
Food habits: Plant-eating
Systematic classification: Ankylosaur
Lishui Zhejiang dragon
Survival age : The mid-Cretaceous period 100 million to 90 million years ago
Discovery location: Lishui, Zhejiang
Body size: 4-5 meters in length
Diet: Plant-eating
Systematic classification: Ankylosaur
Zhejiang Jilan Tailong
Survival age : Early Cretaceous period more than 100 million years ago
Discovery location: Jinhua, Zhejiang
Body size: About 8 meters in length
Diet: Carnivorous
System classification: Theropods
Lixian Jiangshanosaurus
Age of survival: 100 million years ago -Mid-Cretaceous 90 million years ago
Discovery location: Lixian, Jiangshan, Zhejiang
Body size: 20-22 meters long, 4 meters high
Food habits: Plant-eating
Systematic classification: Sauropods
Chinese Dongyangsaurus
Survival age: In the middle Cretaceous period 100 million to 90 million years ago
Discovered location: Dongyang, Zhejiang
Shape: about 15.6 meters in length, about 5 meters in height
Food habits: herbivorous
Classification: sauropods, sauropods
(data Provided by Zheng Wenjie)
