Liujiaxia Dinosaur National Geopark

introduce

The fossil remains of dinosaur footprints in the Three Gorges of the Yellow River are located in Dinosaur Bay, Laohukou, Luojiabao, 1 kilometer upstream of Yanguoxia Hydropower Station, 43 kilometers away from the county waterway. In an area of 2 square kilometers, 10 categories, 150 groups, and 1,724 dinosaur footprint fossils were discovered in August 1999. Fossils such as bird footprints, plants, and leaf limbs were also found. These include at least two types of giant lucidopods, two types of theropods, one type of ornithopods, one type of pterosaurs and the distinctive coelurosaur footprints, as well as individual footprints that have not yet been assigned.

These footprints not only have three-toed footprints and four-toed footprints, but also each footprint has a small front foot and a large rear foot, and the front and rear foot prints appear in pairs. It is the first discovered and newly identified pterosaur foot at home and abroad. Indian and ornithopod dinosaur footprints were first discovered in China. Dinosaur lying traces, tail trails and dung traces were also found, and dinosaur bone fossils were also found near the footprints. The footprints of the larger cleavoid dinosaur fossils are 79 × 112 cm in front feet, 150 × 120 cm in hind feet, the stride between the front and rear feet is 375 cm, and the distance between the outer edges of the left and right footprints is 345 cm. After research, this is the largest dinosaur footprint fossil found in the world.

In November 2001, the relevant departments of Gansu Province approved the establishment of the "Liujiaxia Cretaceous Dinosaur Footprints Provincial Nature Reserve". In December, the Ministry of Land and Resources approved the construction of the "Liujiaxia Dinosaur National Geological Park". At present, the construction of power grids, waterways, highways, and railways in the entire area has been completed, the 2.5 square kilometers of the core area has been fenced and protected, waterway wharfs have also been built, and railway stops have been added.