China News Service, Zhucheng, Shandong, October 31 (Reporter Zhao Xiao) "Our newly discovered turtle footprint fossils this time have more than 20 turtle footprints, which are long and short and have different shapes." Zhucheng Dinosaur Culture In an interview with a reporter from Chinanews.com on the 31st, Chen Shuqing, chief of the scientific research and popularization section of the research center, introduced in detail the rare fossil turtle footprints newly discovered in the city recently.

　　Chen Shuqing said that most of these turtle footprints are between 2 cm and 5 cm in length.

What is more rare is that there is a footprint about 12 cm long and 11 cm wide, which is completely preserved.

Zhucheng Dinosaur Culture Research Center named a new genus and new species of turtle footprints - "complete Zhucheng footprints" according to its shape.

The "complete Zhucheng footprint" belongs to a new turtle footprint in the Early Cretaceous about 120 million years ago, with five toes.

Photo courtesy of Zhucheng Dinosaur Culture Research Center

　　Chen Shuqing told reporters that the "complete Zhucheng footprint" belongs to a new turtle footprint in the Early Cretaceous about 120 million years ago. It has five toes. The length of the entire footprint is slightly larger than the width, and it is preserved as a concave footprint. The relevant content has been published in On the domestic authoritative publication "Geological Review".

　　It is understood that Zhucheng is known as "China's Dragon City". Since the 1960s, more than 30 dinosaur fossil burial sites, including Kugou, Kuicun, Yuhuang, Zangjiazhuang and Houjiatun, have been discovered, covering an area of ​​nearly 1,000 square kilometers. .

The turtle footprints discovered this time are located in the middle and upper part of the dinosaur footprint group in Huanglonggou, the city.

　　"Compared with dinosaur footprint fossils, less turtle footprints have been found in my country, and related research is still in its infancy." Chen Shuqing said, the discovery of "complete Zhucheng footprints" is of great value to the study of paleogeography, paleoclimate, and paleomorphology at that time. It also lays the foundation for the discovery and research of more turtle footprint fossils in the future, as well as the development of a wider range of vertebrate paleontology.

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