In a groundbreaking discovery, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government announced on Wednesday the unearthing of dinosaur fossils for the first time in Hong Kong.
The fossils were found on Port Island, part of the Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark, located in the region's northeastern waters. Earlier this year, the Antiquities and Monuments Office received reports in March suggesting that the sedimentary rocks on Port Island might contain vertebrate fossils.
Responding to these reports, the Development Bureau commissioned experts from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences to conduct a comprehensive field investigation. The team studied the fossil specimens, recommended management plans, and discussed follow-up actions to ensure the preservation and study of the findings.
Initial analyses confirmed that the fossils date back to the Cretaceous period, approximately 145 to 66 million years ago. Bernadette Linn, Secretary for Development of the HKSAR government, highlighted the discovery's significance, stating that it provides invaluable new evidence for research on paleoenvironments in Hong Kong.
This discovery marks the first collaborative project under a new agreement between Hong Kong and the mainland. On Wednesday, the Development Bureau and the IVPP signed the Framework Agreement on Deepening Exchange and Collaboration regarding Stratigraphy, Paleontology, and Prehistoric Sites. This agreement aims to facilitate scientific research, specimen management and identification, training, and exchanges in the fields of paleontology, paleoanthropology, and paleolithic sites.
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Million-year-old dinosaur fossils found in Hong Kong for first time
cgtn.com
