Scientists have unearthed dinosaur fossils for the first time in Hong Kong, NBC News reports.
The fossilized bone, discovered in a UNESCO-listed geopark on Port Island, is believed to belong to a large dinosaur from the Cretaceous period, dating back around 145 to 66 million years ago.
The fragmented and weathered bone was uncovered during a recent geological survey. Experts believe the dinosaur may have been buried by sand and gravel after its death, later exposed by floods, and finally reburied at the discovery site.
While Hong Kong has previously yielded numerous plant and animal fossils, including ostracod and ammonite fossils from the period between 400 and 190 million years ago, this marks the first dinosaur fossil discovery in the city.
“The discovery of this dinosaur fossil is considered very lucky,” stated a government handout.
Despite Hong Kong’s Jurassic to Cretaceous geological layers, which potentially contain dinosaur fossils, local researchers had not found any in over a century of surveys.
Dr. Michael Pittman, an assistant professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong specializing in dinosaur studies, expressed his excitement over the discovery. He believes this “relatively small” piece of bone is part of a larger skeleton, potentially “meters long.”
The discovery site on Port Island has been closed to the public to allow for further investigations, excavations, and research. However, the dinosaur fossil will be on public display at the Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre starting Friday. A temporary workshop and exhibition space is also expected to open by the end of this year, allowing visitors to witness experts at work and observe the fossil preparation process.
This discovery is significant, as it provides further evidence of the presence of dinosaurs in this region during the Cretaceous period. The fossils found in Hong Kong share similarities with those discovered in the nearby Guangdong province, suggesting they may have lived in a similar environment and time period.
With this discovery, Hong Kong joins the ranks of global “powerhouses” in dinosaur paleontology, like China, the United States, Canada, and Argentina, which have historically yielded a wealth of dinosaur fossils.
