My visit to the world-famous Zigong Dinosaur Museum in China

[-Andy-]

24 minutes ago, caldigger said:

From what I understand, your collection is mighty impressive in its own right young man!

 

Pray tell, what is this exhibit showing us? I can't read the English captions.

 

Thanks caldigger!

 

This shows the stratigraphic distribution if vertebrate fossils of the Jurassic period in Zigong

 

Left most is the age, followed by the formation. Within Upper Jurassic, Shangshaximiao Formation, you have crocs plesiosaurs, theropods, ornithopods, stegosaurs and sauropods.

 

Within Middle Jurassic, Xiashaximiao Formation, you have crocs, plesiosaurs, pterosaurs, theropods, ornithopods, stegosaurs and sauropods.'

 

Also within Middle Jurassic is Xintiangou Formation, but it's empty. I presume only invertebrates are found there.

 

Within Lower Jurassic Ziliujing Formation, you have fishes, prosauropods, sauropods and theropod footprints.

[Ludwigia]

Thanks for sharing, Andy. Nice to see these remnants all in their natural habitat

[caterpillar]

Like everything in China. Gigantic!

Thanks for sharing

[snolly50]

Thank you for revealing a sample of the contents of this wonderful facility. 

 

Are the large skeletal mounts actual fossils or casts?

 

When viewing the images of the fascinating in situ exhibit I was struck - But what will they do when they realize that a gigantic unknownasaurus lies beneath the building's foundation? 

 

On a similar mental tangent, I wondered, does the presence of the Keichousaurus fossil for sale in the gift shop belie the oft asserted opinion on the Forum - "That's fake the government prohibits the sale of that fossil."? Or perhaps, it is just the export and not the sale, that is the issue???

 

Your image-packed account gave an excellent overview of this institution, many thanks. 

[-Andy-]

4 hours ago, snolly50 said:

Thank you for revealing a sample of the contents of this wonderful facility. 

 

Are the large skeletal mounts actual fossils or casts?

 

When viewing the images of the fascinating in situ exhibit I was struck - But what will they do when they realize that a gigantic unknownasaurus lies beneath the building's foundation? 

 

On a similar mental tangent, I wondered, does the presence of the Keichousaurus fossil for sale in the gift shop belie the oft asserted opinion on the Forum - "That's fake the government prohibits the sale of that fossil."? Or perhaps, it is just the export and not the sale, that is the issue???

 

Your image-packed account gave an excellent overview of this institution, many thanks. 

 

I am not sure if the large skeletons are casts or not. I suspect there's a mix there.

 

I feel like they are not going to further excavate the site, considering how well-built the museum is.

 

It seems that fossil sales aren't prohibited within China itself, but they simply can't be exported out of the country.

[HamptonsDoc]

Wow looks like a great museum! Love those nests! Thanks for the pictures!

[snolly50]

2 hours ago, -Andy- said:

I feel like they are not going to further excavate the site, considering how well-built the museum is.

Andy, again thanks for the informative post.

 

Are those manikins in the in situ display? At first view, I took them for real workers and assumed that excavation was continuing!

[Fossildude19]

Great report Andy. 

Nice pictures and presentation. 

Glad to see a Museum that I probably never will in real life. 

Thanks for that.

[erose]

1 hour ago, snolly50 said:

Andy, again thanks for the informative post.

 

Are those manikins in the in situ display? At first view, I took them for real workers and assumed that excavation was continuing!

I had to look at that again myself. The "working paleontologists" were not there two years ago.

[Tidgy's Dad]

15 hours ago, caldigger said:

From what I understand, your collection is mighty impressive in its own right young man!

 

Pray tell, what is this exhibit showing us? I can't read the English captions.

 

At the top it says "Stratigraphic Position of the Vertebrate Fossils of the Jurassic in Zigong". 

Under that on the left 

Stratigraphic unit      Series     Formation

System                       Upper      Shangshaximiao Fm

                                    Middle     Xiashaximiao Fm

                                                     Xintiangou  Fm

Jurassic                     Lower       Ziliujing Fm

 

In the middle column it's just headed "Stratum."

On the right it's headed "Vertebrate Fossils" 

Under that in red :

Crocodiles

Plesiosaurs

Theropods

Ornithopods

Stegosaurs

Sauropods

In green it's the same except "Pterosaurs" is included between the first two.

In blue :

Fishes

Prosauropods

Sauropods

Footprints of Theropods. 

                 

[caldigger]

Well Adam, you have younger eyes and a larger screen to see it. 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Just now, caldigger said:

Well Adam, you have younger eyes and a larger screen to see it. 

Indeed, though i had to enlarge the image for some of it. 

I actually need new glasses. 

One of my eyes seems to be younger than the other. 

[bone2stone]

Absolutely amazing!

Thank you.

Jess B

 

[-Andy-]

9 hours ago, snolly50 said:

Andy, again thanks for the informative post.

 

Are those manikins in the in situ display? At first view, I took them for real workers and assumed that excavation was continuing!

 

Yeah, those are realistic-looking mannequins! I took them for real workers too initially.

[Tidgy's Dad]

8 hours ago, snolly50 said:

Andy, again thanks for the informative post.

 

Are those manikins in the in situ display? At first view, I took them for real workers and assumed that excavation was continuing!

I really do need new glasses, never noticed they were dummies. 

[bcfossilcollector]

Marvellous!  Thanks for the great photos!