Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily (Reporter: Cao Hua) news: The Kalamaili National Nature Reserve that is building in Xinjiang is mainly composed of the Kalamaili Mountain Ungulates Wildlife Nature Reserve, Xinjiang Qitai Silicified Wood & Dinosaur National Geopark, and Xinjiang Qitai Silicified Wood National Desert Park, and it not only embraces abundant wildlife resource but also is regarded as a national geological relics museum. The geological relics resources typified by silicified woods and dinosaur fossils make the land of wild filled with mystery.

Photo shows dinosaur fossil museum at the Dinosaur Valley scenic spot. (Photo by Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily/ Cao Hua)

Let’s walk into the Xinjiang Qitai Silicified Wood & Dinosaur National Geopark and feel the charm of the unique landscape of this magic land.

Photo shows a vertical silicified wood. (Photo by Cao Hua/ Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily)

The geopark features silicified woods formed 150 million years ago, dinosaur fossils and wonderful Yardang landform, and has several scenic spots such as Silicified Wood Park, Dinosaur Valley scenic spot and Ghost City set in. Among them, silicified woods in the park are mainly distributed in the Shishugou area, with a number of nearly 1,000, the largest diameter of more than 2.8 meters, and the longest trunk of 26 meters, ranking first in Asia in scale. The fossils are of various shapes and good reservation since they were buried where they were. With high silicification level, hard fossil textures, various colors and clear wood structures and year rings, these tress have witnessed the great changes of the earth. There are three sites in the park where silicified woods are found abundantly buried underground. The park has been preliminarily detected three silicified wood buried layers with abundant reserves.

Photo shows a silificated wood outcrop. (Photo by Cao Hua)

Dinosaur Valley, about 5 kilometers east of the Silicified Wood Park, is one of the areas with the largest concentration of dinosaur fossils, the largest number of species, the most complete preservation and the largest individual dinosaur fossils in the world. Various dinosaur fossils such as of theropods, sauropodomorphas and ornithischians were discovered here. Among them, a Mamenchisaurus sinocanadorum discovered in 1987 was the largest dinosaur fossil in Asia and the second largest in the world at that time. The discovery of dinosaur fossils promoted the research on ancient vertebrate in the east Junggar Basin, making the basin an important area of studying dinosaurs and vertebrate paleontology development and dinosaur reproduction.

Photo shows a part of dinosaur fossil exhibited in the Dinosaur Fossil Museum. (Photo by Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily/ Cao Hua)

Silicified woods and dinosaur fossils are the typical representatives of Jurassic paleontological groups in Junggar Basin and northwest China. They are also the most valuable resources of geological relics for the establishment of Kalameli National Park. In the process of creating a national park, Xinjiang will not only protect the authenticity and integrity of the natural ecosystem, but also actively explore the comprehensive functions of scientific research and education, fully explore the value of geological relics such as silicified woods and dinosaur fossils, and show the rich cultural landscape of Kalamaili National Park, making it the best classroom for nature education.

(A written permission shall be obtained for reprinting, excerpting, copying and mirroring of the contents published on this website. Unauthorized aforementioned act shall be deemed an infringement, of which the actor shall be held accountable under the law.)