In an unprecedented discover for Hong Kong, scientists have uncovered town’s first-ever dinosaur fossils on Port Island. Preliminary evaluation means that the bones seemingly belonged to a big Cretaceous-era dinosaur, an period relationship again 145 to 66 million years. Officers have said that additional research are obligatory to find out the particular species, marking an thrilling step ahead for Hong Kong’s contribution to palaeontology.
Discovery at Port Island: Hong Kong’s Geological Treasure
The fossilised stays had been found inside a UNESCO-recognised geopark on Hong Kong’s Port Island. The bones appeared scattered and weathered when it’s unearthed. This gave a touch at a historical past of publicity to environmental components. Officers speculate that the dinosaur’s stays had been initially buried beneath sediment, later re-exposed by pure forces, and subsequently reburied. Dr Michael Pittman, Assistant Professor and dinosaur professional on the Chinese language College of Hong Kong, highlights the importance of the discover, acknowledging that finding dinosaur fossils is usually troublesome because of the particular geological necessities. In keeping with Pittman, profitable discoveries require the correct kind of rock formations from appropriate time durations—a mix not simply present in Hong Kong.
An Necessary Milestone in Hong Kong’s Fossil Document
Though Hong Kong has beforehand revealed fossil stays from prehistoric marine life, this marks town’s first confirmed dinosaur fossils. Earlier fossil finds have included ostracods and ammonites from almost 400 million years in the past, but no dinosaur stays had ever been documented till now. Officers famous that this discovery, rooted in Hong Kong’s wealthy geological layers, highlights the realm’s potential for future fossil finds, notably given similarities between the rock formations on Port Island and people in Guangdong, the place in depth dinosaur stays have been recorded.
Public Exhibit to Characteristic Fossils and Stay Analysis
Beginning this Friday, the fossils will probably be on show on the Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre, providing the general public a singular view into town’s historical historical past. The exhibit will later develop with a workshop and show space, the place guests can observe researchers at work. To help ongoing analysis, Port Island has been quickly closed to the general public, guaranteeing the preservation of this precious website.