Fossils are "stones" turned into the remains or remains of creatures that lived in the distant past. From the fossils, we can see the appearance of ancient animals and plants, and thus we can infer the living conditions and living environment of ancient animals and plants. We can infer the age of formation and changes experienced by the strata where the fossils are buried. We can see the evolution of organisms from ancient times to Today’s changes and so on.
In the vast land of Weifang , there are two fossil sites worthy of our attention. One is the Wangguan fossil in Linqu Mountain, which was formed about 18 million years ago; the other is the Zhucheng dinosaur fossil , which was formed about 70 million years ago. . The introduction is as follows:
1. Linqu Shanwang fossil
Shanwang fossil
Shanwang fossil, also known as Shanwang paleontological fossil, was formed 18 million years ago. It is the only one in China and rare in the world that is completely preserved and has a complete range of categories in the Miocene. , stratigraphic paleontological fossil remains with irreplaceable and important scientific value.
Now diatoms , palynosperms , gymnosperms, insects, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals and other 10 categories, more than 600 species and genera, and tens of thousands of items have been discovered. There are so many categories. The complete variety and perfect body shape are rare in the world.
Among the various mammal fossils, there is the only complete skeleton of the Oriental ancestral bear that is the best preserved in the world so far; there are fossils of huge carnivores canines and jackals; there are fossils of hornless rhinoceros; Deer fossils, etc.
Shanwang Shandongornis is the first complete bird fossil discovered in China in 1976. It fills the gap in China's First Age bird fossils. Giant Linquornis is the largest bird fossil discovered in China.
The Chinese river duck is the most complete and earliest fossil representative of the family Anatidae and even the order Anseriformes known in China.
The valuable thing about Shanwang fossils is that they are not only numerous in categories, but also well preserved. For example, the veins of leaves, the wing membranes of bats, the foot hairs of spiders, and the wings of dragonflies... are all clearly imprinted and identifiable, even tadpoles, frogs, newts, bees, and flowers that are extremely difficult to fossilize. , all maintained their original state, and some even maintained their original colors. Many fossils have become "rare treasures".
"Linqu Xu Zhi" records: "There is a huge stream at the east foot of Mount Yao. Minerals are exposed on the edge of the stream. Its texture is neither stone nor soil. It is smooth and white, with layers of layers. When exposed, there are black patterns inside, including insects and fish. , birds, beasts... flowers have different shapes, commonly known as ten thousand volumes of books. If they are dry, they will fall into pieces and cannot survive for a long time."
In 1980, the State Council designated Shanwang, the fossil origin, as a national key nature reserve.
2. Zhucheng Dinosaur Fossils
Zhucheng has a wide range of dinosaur species and rich burials. It is a rare treasure house of dinosaur fossils in the country, so it is known as the "Hometown of Dinosaurs".
Since the discovery of this fossil site in August 1964, various units have conducted more than 10 excavations in the "Longgu Stream", and a total of more than 50 tons of fossils have been collected, including at least 10 individuals of hadrosaur.
Among the dinosaur fossils, there are the huge Ceratosaurus , the compact Psittacosaurus , the tall duck-billed dinosaur, the ferocious Tyrannosaurus , as well as Ceratopsosaurus, Ankylosaurus , Coelurosaurus , Baldosaurus, etc., many dinosaur egg fossils, dinosaur footprints, etc. were also found.
The dinosaur skeleton displayed in Zhucheng is 9.1 meters high and 16.6 meters long. It is the largest duck-billed dinosaur fossil discovered in the world. It is named after its flat and wide mouth that resembles a duck's bill. It belongs to the order Ornithischia Hadrosauridae , lived in the late Cretaceous period of the Mesozoic Era, about 70 million years ago.
Zhucheng dinosaur fossils are used to study the entire paleontological evolutionary history, especially for international paleontological research and international academic exchanges, providing rich fossil information.
"Zhucheng County Chronicles" written by Wanli of the Ming Dynasty records: "Huangban Stone, south of Huangbandian, there are donkey and mule hooves on the stone path, staggered front and back, two or three inches deep. According to popular legend, it was left by Zhang Guolao, and was born in Yun'an. Those left behind by the East China Sea ."This is the earliest record of dinosaur traces found in Zhucheng's history so far.
