| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
OKAZAKI Hiroko Chiba Prefectural Museum and Institute, Dept. of Geology, Senior Scientist, 地学研究部, 上席研究員 (10250135)
HIRAYAMA Ren Teikyo Heisei University, Dept. of Information, Associate Professor, 情報学部, 助教授 (00238396)
YABUMOTO Yoshitaka Kitakyushu City Museum of Natural History and Human History, 歴史博物館, 主査・学芸員 (80359471)
MATSUOKA Hiroshige Kyoto University, Dept. of Geology and Mineralogy, Assistant, 理学部, 助手 (00324608)
ISAJI Shinji Chiba Prefectural Museum and Institute, Dept. of Geology, Scientist, 地学研究部, 研究員 (40280747)
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| Research Abstract |
Through the project, 2062 specimens have been prepared and catalogued into the animal fossil collection at the Board of Education in Shiramine Village, Ishikawa Prefecture. Thirty-nine species and three morpho types of the egg shells have been recognized including 9species of molluscs, 4 species of fishes, one species of amphibian, 7 species of lizards, 3 species of turtles, 3 species of choristoderans, 6 species of dinosaurs, 2 species of pterosaurs, one species of birds, one species of synapsids, and two species of mammals. Among the fossil reptiles, a dolichosaur-like animal was identified for the first time outside of Europe/Middle East. It represents the earliest fossil record and the first occurrence in non-marine strata. The fossil is not congruent with a latest hypothesis that the snakes, dolichosaurs, and mosasaurs evoloved in the European/Middle Eastern sea in the Late Cretaceous. Among fossil fishes, a Phareodus-like fish was identified for the first time in Asia and it represents the earliest fossil record. This fossil questions a hypothesis that Phareodus and its related fishes were originated in the Southern Hemisphere in the Late Cretaceous. We organized an international symposium on the Early Cretaceous biota in East Asia at Kitakyushu City Museum of Natural History and Human History on 1 and 2 June. There were 15 papers including six given by overseas delegates. We produced a traveling exhibition on the Early Cretaceous Biota. It opened first at Chiba Prefectural Museum and Institute in the summer of 2002, and traveled to Gunma Museum of Natural History, and Kitakyushu City Museum of Natural History and Human History attracting more than 37300 visitors in total.
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