Hong Kong discovers dinosaur fossils for the first time

HONG KONG (AP) — Officials in Hong Kong said Wednesday they have discovered dinosaur fossils for the first time in the city on a remote, uninhabited island that is part of a geopark.

Experts initially confirmed that the fossils were part of a large dinosaur from the Cretaceous period, about 145 to 66 million years ago, the government said in a statement. They need to conduct further studies to confirm the species of the dinosaur.

Experts believe the dinosaur was likely buried by sand and gravel after its death, before it was later washed to the surface by a major flood and then reburied at the site, they said.

The government said the Nature Conservancy informed its Office of Antiquities and Monuments in March about a sedimentary rock that contained substances believed to be vertebrate fossils. The stone was found on Port Island in the Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark in the city’s northeastern waters.

The government said it had hired experts from mainland China to conduct field investigations.

Port Island will be closed to the public starting Wednesday until further notice to allow for future surveys and excavations.

The fossils will be on display starting Friday at the Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Center in Tsim Sha Tsui, one of the city’s most popular shopping districts. The government also plans to open a temporary workshop by the end of 2024 for the public to observe how experts prepare fossil specimens.