Hong Kong discovers dinosaur fossils for the first time

HONG KONG — Scientists have discovered dinosaur fossils for the first time in Hong Kong.

Initial analysis showed that the fossilized bone belonged to a large dinosaur from the Cretaceous period about 145 million to 66 million years ago, the government said Wednesday in a statement, adding that the exact species will be confirmed by future studies.

The bones were “scattered, fragmented, and weathered” when unearthed in a UNESCO-listed geopark in the Chinese territory’s Port Island, authorities said in a separate handout.

“Experts infer that the dinosaur may have been buried by sand and gravel after its death, later exposed to the surface by floods, and then reburied at the discovery site,” it said.

Hong Kong has previously found many plant and animal fossils, including ostracod and ammonite fossils from about 400 to 190 million years ago, but this is the first time dinosaur fossils have been unearthed in the city, the handout said.

“The discovery of this dinosaur fossil is considered very lucky,” it said, noting that despite Hong Kong’s Jurassic to Cretaceous geological layers, which could contain dinosaur fossils, local researchers had not found any in more than a century of geological surveys.

Michael Pittman, an assistant professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong who specializes in dinosaur studies, said he was “very excited” about the landmark discovery, which researchers had “long expected.”“It’s difficult to find dinosaur bones in general,” Pittman said, adding that he had been to Port Island himself but had had no luck. “You have to find the right rocks. They have to be the right age and the right environment.”

Pittman said he hasn’t seen the fossils yet but hopes Hong Kong can find more, adding that the one discovered so far, a “relatively small” piece, would be part of a bigger skeleton that would be “meters of meters long.”

Until now, all the fossils studied in Hong Kong were from other places, Pittman said, noting that China, the United States, Canada and Argentina are the four global “powerhouses” of dinosaur paleontology where experts find the most fossils.

“Now we can say that in Hong Kong, as well as having a strong track record of dinosaur research, we actually can contribute fossils,” he said. “It’s fantastic news.”

In the nearby Chinese province of Guangdong, four types of dinosaur fossils and more than 30,000 dinosaur egg fossils have been discovered.

The dinosaur fossils found in Hong Kong come from a geological layer similar to the discovery sites in Guangdong, suggesting they may come from a similar time and environment. But limited data and the fragile condition of the fossils make a detailed comparison difficult, officials said.The government commissioned researchers from mainland China to conduct field investigations after learning in March that the sedimentary rock on Port Island might contain suspected vertebrate fossils.

The dinosaur fossils will be on public display at the Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre starting Friday. A temporary workshop and exhibition space is also expected to open by the end of this year, allowing the public to watch experts at work and see the fossils being prepared.

The discovery site of Port Island has been closed entirely to facilitate future investigations, excavations and research.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com