Water ripple trace fossils and dinosaur footprint fossils found in Zhucheng, Shandong
This newspaper, Jinan, March 28 (Reporters Wang Pei, Li Rui) The reporter learned from the Zhucheng Dinosaur Culture Research Center of Shandong Province: Recently, the staff of the center in the spring field fossil survey process, from the main fossil relics area of Zhucheng new A relatively complete water ripple trace fossil and some large dinosaur footprint fossils were found.
The geological and geomorphological development and preservation of the fossil remains area is relatively complete. After analyzing the characteristics of the surrounding rock formations, and comparing and analyzing the lithology and rock assemblage characteristics of the surrounding fossil sites, as well as the physical objects, it is preliminarily determined to be the Early Cretaceous geological strata.
According to Chen Shuqing, chief of the scientific science department of the Zhucheng Dinosaur Culture Research Center, although the fossils are relatively weathered, it can be initially confirmed that the newly discovered dinosaur footprint fossils include both sauropod dinosaur footprint fossils and theropod dinosaur footprint fossils.
Previously, fossils of these two types of dinosaur footprints were also found at a fossil site 10 kilometers away from this relic area, proving that a large number of sauropods and theropods lived here during the Mesozoic.
The newly discovered water ripple trace fossil site was a shallow lake at that time, and the lake water was very shallow. After the wind blew, it left water ripple marks on the lake.
According to reports, Zhucheng is located in the fault depression basin in the southern part of the Jiaolai Basin. It was formed in the Cretaceous period of the Mesozoic Era. It has complex tectonic deformation, well-developed geological strata, and long-term continuous deposition of the basin depressions, creating conditions for the formation of dinosaur fossils. Dinosaur fossil resources are abundant.
Since the 1960s, Zhucheng has successively discovered more than 30 dinosaur fossil burial sites, including Kugou, Jiucun and Yuhuang, covering an area of nearly 1,000 square kilometers.