The fossils of dinosaur bones have been discovered for the first time ever in Hong Kong. In a statement released on Wednesday, October 23, the Development Bureau announced that the fossils were found on Port Island, within the Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark. This discovery carries great significance for palaeoecology research in the city.
Field investigations and specimen studies have been conducted since the Agricultural, Fisheries, and Conservation Department (AFCD) alerted the Development Bureau’s Antiquities and Monuments Office earlier this year in March that sedimentary rock on Port Island possibly contained vertebrate fossils. After analysis, these specimens have now been identified as bones of a large aged dinosaur dating back to the Cretaceous (around 145 million to 66 million years ago). Its exact species will require further studies to be confirmed.
These dinosaur fossils will be put on public display at the Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre from October 25, with plans to erect a temporary workshop and exhibition space in the courtyard by the end of the year so visitors can observe the experts at work with the fossils. In the meantime, the fossil excavation continues and the entirety of Port Island is closed from visits until further notice.
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