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China's Fossil Marvels
AUGUST 2005
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In Learn More the National Geographic magazine team shares some of its best sources and other information to expand your knowledge of our featured subjects. Special thanks to the Research Division.
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 Did You Know?
In the mid-1990s China's Liaoning Province became famous for the discovery of spectacular fossils of primitive birds and dinosaurs with feathers. Among the finds to grab worldwide attention was the magpie-size Confuciusornis, or "sacred Confucius bird," the earliest known bird with a toothless beak.
Since Confuciusornis was found, more than a thousand specimens have come to light, many of them exquisitely preserved. This abundance, however, is a double-edged sword: Today Confuciusornis fossils are among the hottest commodities in the illegal fossil trade. About 80 percent of Confuciusornis specimens are smuggled out of China or sold illegally within the country, according to paleontologist Zhou Zhonghe of the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP) in Beijing. Most are purchased by private collectors in Japan, Germany, and the United States, which has no law banning the import of such fossils. Why is this a problem when there are so many specimens? Multiple examples of an animal are often needed to learn how it developed certain evolutionary traits, paleontologists say. In addition, valuable scientific information can be lost if a fossil isn't carefully collected.
Stopping the smuggling is difficult. Local farmers can increase their annual income substantially with the sale of just one fossil. Black-market dealers profit even more, and demand is high: Prime Confuciusornis specimens have been known to sell for over $10,000. On the other hand, some local Chinese authorities have been accused of exacerbating the problem by undervaluing the fossils: Science magazine recently reported that some 20 Confuciusornis fossils have been cemented into a wall as an architectural flourish at the Beipaio Paleontology Museum.
As fossil smuggling intensifies, authorities move to counter the trade—with mixed results. The area is "in great danger because of rampant private fossil excavation and smuggling," says one IVPP scientist. "The situation is very, very serious."
—Kathy B. Maher
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Related Links
American Museum of Natural History
www.amnh.org/exhibitions/dinosaurs
Get the scoop on a landmark exhibition at New York's American Museum of Natural History. "Dinosaurs: Ancient Fossils, New Discoveries" reveals how the latest technology is shedding light on dinosaur behavior. Visit the museum in person (by January 8, 2006) to experience a walk-through diorama of the primeval forest that existed in northeastern China 130 million years ago, and go to the museum's website to learn more about the dinosaurs featured in this article.
Dalian Natural History Museum
www.dlnm.org/english/001.htm
Hundreds of spectacular fossils are housed in the Dalian Natural History Museum, one of the leading institutions of its kind in China. Click on the "Footsteps of Evolution" for a brief introduction to the Jehol biota and view dozens of photos of primitive birds, feathered dinosaurs, and other Liaoning fossils.
Chinese Academy of Sciences
English.cas.ac.cn/Eng2003/page/SRA/D_1.htm
In recent years scientists from China's Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP) have uncovered a remarkably detailed portrait of terrestrial life in the early Cretaceous. Find out more about the work of the IVPP at this site.
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Bibliography
Chang, Meemann, ed. The Jehol Biota: The Emergence of Feathered Dinosaurs, Beaked Birds, and Flowering Plants. Shanghai Scientific and Technical Publishers, 2003.
Du, Lei. "Scientists Warn of Threats to Fossil-Rich Chinese Site." Science (July 9, 2004), 172-73.
Gee, Henry. Rise of the Dragon: Reading from Nature on the Chinese Fossil Record. University of Chicago Press, 2002.
Lucas, Spencer. Chinese Fossil Vertebrates. Columbia University Press, 2001.
Norell, Mark A., and Mick Ellison. Unearthing the Dragon. Pi Press, 2005.
Wu, Qicheng. Fossil Treasures From Liaoning. China Scientific Book Services, 2002.
Zhou, Zhonghe, Paul M. Barrett, and Jason Hilton. "An Exceptionally Preserved Lower Cretaceous Ecosystem." Nature (February 20, 2003), 807-14.
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NGS Resources
Achenbach, Joel. "Flesh and Bone: A New Generation of Scientists Brings Dinosaurs Back to Life." National Geographic (March 2003), 2-33.
Sereno, Paul. Paul Sereno: Digging for Dinosaurs. National Geographic Books, 2003.
Monastersky, Richard. "The Rise of Life on Earth: Pterosaurs, Lord of the Ancient Skies." National Geographic (May 2001), 86-105.
Barrett, Paul. Dinosaurs. National Geographic Books, 2001.
McGough, Kate. Fossils. National Geographic Books, 2001.
Rattini, Kristin Baird. "Dino Hunting." National Geographic World (December 2000), 12-16.
Webster, Donovan. "Debut Sue: Chicago's Field Museum Unveils the World's Most Famous T. Rex." National Geographic (June 2000), 24-37.
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