For the primary time in historical past, Hong Kong researchers have uncovered dinosaur fossils inside its territory. This landmark discovery was introduced Wednesday, marking a pivotal second within the area’s palaeontological research. An preliminary examination revealed that the fossil, a weathered fragment of bone, dates again to the Cretaceous interval, round 145 to 66 million years in the past. Though the precise species stays undetermined, this discovery opens new avenues for analysis throughout the Hong Kong UNESCO World Geopark at Port Island.
The Fossil Discovery on Port Island
Specialists found the fossil stays in fragmented and weathered states on Port Island, a distant location inside Hong Kong’s UNESCO-listed geopark. Authorities officers shared that the bone fragments appeared to have been lined by sediments over time and probably unearthed by way of pure flooding. In an space the place earlier discoveries included historic marine life like ostracods and ammonites courting again tons of of hundreds of thousands of years, the dinosaur fossil marks a unprecedented first for Hong Kong.
Historic Context and Professional Insights
Michael Pittman, Assistant Professor on the Chinese language College of Hong Kong, expressed enthusiasm for the unprecedented discover. Having performed fieldwork on Port Island himself, Pittman famous the problem of finding dinosaur stays because of the exact age and environmental situations required for fossil preservation. Whereas he hasn’t examined the fossils personally, Pittman said that the discover might be half of a bigger skeletal construction, probably extending a number of metres in size.
Collaborative Analysis and Upcoming Public Show
Upon discovering sedimentary formations on Port Island containing potential vertebrate fossils in March, the Hong Kong authorities enlisted mainland Chinese language researchers for additional evaluation. Officers have since closed the positioning to facilitate additional excavation and analysis. Beginning Friday, the fossil can be publicly displayed on the Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre. By 12 months’s finish, guests will even have entry to a short lived exhibition area the place they’ll observe the meticulous means of fossil preparation.
