Scientists confirm diverse dinosaur fauna in NE China

SHENYANG -- After studying a set of dinosaur track fossils and replicas, an international research team on Wednesday confirmed the discovery of a diverse fauna that contains at least five dinosaur species in Northeast China more than 100 million years ago.

The finding was published in an article in the journal Cretaceous Research.

The dinosaur track site was located in a coal mine in Fuxin city, Liaoning province. It closed in 2005 and has been a national mine park since then. In 2006, an international paleontologist group found dinosaur tracks in the area.

The authors of the new article, mainly from China, the United States, and Australia, launched a study on the Fuxin dinosaur track specimens in 2020. They identified that these tracks, ranging from 10 cm to 29.5 cm in length, were left by at least five species, including the theropod and ornithopod.

The differences between these dinosaur track types and sizes show the diversity level the dinosaurs had reached by the Upper and Lower Cretaceous, dating back 100 million years, noted the article.

The first dinosaur track was discovered in the coal mine area in 1960. The new study adds to scientists' knowledge of the region by adding a more diverse dinosaur fauna. It also suggests that Fuxin in Northeast China may have more tracking potential than previously supposed, said lead author Xing Lida, an associate professor with the China University of Geosciences.