Pukyong National University

PKNU found fossils of dinosaur footprint with ’clearly printed toes’ in Gijang
Professor Paik In sung’s research team of Pukyong National University found at Sinpyeong mini-park

△ A footstep trace of a dinosaur footprint fossil found at the coast of Gijang-gun, Busan.

Here is some interesting news that has taken us back into the distant past for a while, living a tense life in Corona 19 crisis.

That is the news of the discovery of dinosaur footprint fossils released by Gijang district office on the 17th of March.

This is a fossil discovered by the research team of Professor Paik In sung (pictured on the left) of the Department of Earth Environmental Sciences, Pukyong National University. The first discoverer was Park Jeong-kyu, a graduate student in the department.

When it comes to dinosaurs, how can we not mention Pukyong National University.

Because, we have the Pukyongosaurus millenniumi.

A dinosaur with the Korean name for the first time in the world and the dinosaur with the name of Pukyong National University is the Pukyongosaurus millenniumi.

It is the research team of Professor Paik that first discovered Pukyongosaurus millenniumi. Professor Paik is currently the chairman of the Natural Monuments Subcommittee of the Cultural Properties Committee, an advisory board of the Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA).  

Pukyongosaurus was discovered in 2000 by the team led by Professor Paik on the small rocky island located on the coast of Galsa-ri, Geumseong-myeon, Hadong-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do.

This time, the fossils of dinosaur footprints came out from the waterfront in front of the parking lot of ’Sinpyeong mini park’ in Ilgwang-myeon.
 
The tracks were 10 feet or more and the material was Cretaceous sedimentary rocks, which is about 20cm per feet.

Regarding the dinosaur tracks found in Gijang, Professor Paik said, “In the sedimentary layer of the Icheon-ri Formation exposed on the shore of Shinpyeong mini park, fossils of dinosaur footprints are identified in at least two bedding plane, two in the form of the waking tracks of Ornithopod and one of Sauropoda’s." and he added, "Since other traces of dinosaur footprints appear in various forms in the sedimentary layer, there is a possibility that dinosaur footprint fossils may be additionally found in the sedimentary layers distributed on the coast of the region."

It is a sauropod dinosaur that walks on all fours with a set of four footprints in front and back. Ornithopod was found in sets of two tracks. Ornithopod lifts the front foot and walks only with the rear foot. Hop, hop by leaps.

△ The Sauropod dinosaur (left) and the Ornithopod dinosaur.

But why is it that some of the fossils among the footprints are sticking out?

Professor Paik said, "The sediments that filled the paw footprints were revealed.” Thankfully, there is also a ’guy’ who clearly shows his three toes.

However, Pukyongosaurus is also herbivorous dinosaur with a long neck of sauropod that lived in the Cretaceous Period.

It is 120 million years ago from now. Did Pukyongosaurus ever encounter dinosaurs found at Gijang?

The answer is ’No’. According to Professor Paik, the Pukyongosaurus is a ’big brother’ about 50 to 60 million years older than a dinosaur trace found in Gijang.

The Cretaceous period is between 145 million and 65 million years. When it comes to a case of Korea, it is between 140 million and 70 million years.

Dinosaurs that lived in Gijang are the dinosaurs in the late half of the Cretaceous period, 70 million years, and are the youngest. From the west to the east, the younger and the most recent dinosaurs. It’s too distant to say ’recent’.

According to Professor Paik, volcanic activity was active on the Korean Peninsula at that time. In the Gijang area of Busan, dinosaurs lived in groups near the lake even in the harsh conditions of active volcanic activity at the end of the Cretaceous Period.

Professor Paik said, "In the sedimentary layers of this area, the sedimentary structures such as stratification bedding and wave streaks, which indicate that this area was a lake environment at the end of the Cretaceous Period, have been well developed, and a record of Calcic paleosols that shows that a dry climate developed at the time of sedimentation."

It seems to be in front of my eyes like the recent Kagoshima volcano in Japan, while the volcanoes are emitting smoke here and there, there is a wide blue lake, and dinosaurs walking slowly around.

Professor Paik said, "The Cretaceous sediments exposed in this area (where Gijang dinosaurs came out) are very useful academic materials for understanding the spatio-temporal scalability of dinosaur age in the Korean Peninsula." and evaluated "It is the last of the dinosaur footprint fossils produced in parts of North and South Gyeongsang Provinces, and it is a representative case in which the shape is clearly preserved in all areas of Busan and in Gijang area."

It is said that dinosaur traces have been very rare, even though the southeastern region of Gyeongsang province is a strata of dinosaur age. Therefore, these ‘clear footprints’ are very nice gifts for us.

No matter how much we read and hear about dinosaur stories, it is so exciting as if we become children.

The central figures of the footprints story, who ruled the Earth for 170 million years and disappeared 65 million years ago, stimulates the curiosity of mankind who came to this earth only 300,000 years ago and amplifies the imagination to infinity.

Then, how did the dinosaur, Pukyongosaurus, that lived on the Korean Peninsula look like?

At the time of 2000, Pukyongosaurus was found to include 5 pieces of the neck vertebrae, 1 piece of a vertebra, 1 piece of the clavicle, 1 piece of the rib, and 1 piece of the coccyx. The size of the dinosaurs totaled 20m from head to tail.

This Pukyongosaurus is not only a new kind that has never been found on the Korean Peninsula until then, but it is also the first case that fossils enough to restore a dinosaur’s original shape have been found. At this point, it attracted the attention of the academic community at the time.

Are you curious about the wonderful figure?

The Pukyongosaurus of 120 million years ago was restored based on bone fossils discovered in 2000.

The skeletal frame model of the Pukyongosaurus stands tall in the lobby of the Pukyong National University’s Museum. Let’s take a moment to relax the tension of Corona 19 situation as we travel in the past time with this wonderful Pukyongosaurus. <Pukyong Today>


△ A skeletal frame of the Pukyongosaurus displayed in the lobby of the Pukyong National University’s Museum.