The most ancient, and the largest dinosaur fossils in China are moved from southern Yunnan Province to China Science and Technology Museum in Beijing. The fragile artifacts are transported in 15 special anti-shock freights by plane and special transportation vehicles. The skeletons of three prehistoric beasts will meet the public at the opening ceremony of the new museum on Sept. 16 in Beijing.
The fossils would be protected by 50 guards day and night. They were donated by Yunnan provincial government to the museum to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and would be permanently displayed in the new museum. The Chuanjie saurus anaensis is the largest dinosaur skeleton in China and the Lufengosaurus huenei is believed to be the oldest.
The dinosaur fossils include three sets:
- the 27-meter-long by 6.5-meter-high long-necked herbivore, Chuanjiesaurus anaensis (sauropoda), with a lizard-like tail, dating back to the Jurassic Period, 158 million years ago;
- the 180-million-year-old Lufengosaurus huenei (prosauropod),7.1-meters-long by 2.6-meters-high, a herbivorous dinosaur, from the late Triassic to early Jurassic periods;
- a 2.45-meter-high Dilophosaurus sinensis (theropod) from180 million years ago, which lived during the Pliensbachian stage of the early Jurassic period.
The three skeletons were unearthed respectively in 2006 and 2007 in Lufeng County, Yunnan Province.
The museum has arranged an exhibition hall of 1,600 square meters on the second floor for the fossils.