Through hundreds of millions of years to talk about paleontological fossils - enter the Xingyi National Geopark Museum

Into the museum of Xingyi National Geopark, hundreds of millions of years ago, different Guizhou dragon fossils, crinoids fossils, and the ecological environment of Marine reptiles after restoration, these rare geological treasures can be found here.

The Xingyi National Geopark Museum, located in Wusha Town, Xingyi City, opened in 2018. There are six exhibition halls in Xingyi Area and Xingyi fauna, the reasons and evolution of Marine animals going to the sea, Marine reptiles moving from Xingyi to the ocean, the biodiversity of Xingyi fauna, the relationship between Xingyi fauna and other Triassic Marine reptile fauna in South China, and the landscape and cultural characteristics of Xingyi National Geopark. There are many kinds of fossils on display, complete and rich, and the audience can enjoy the fossils of Guizhou Dragon fauna, which are different in various forms, among which the largest fossil weighs about 30 tons, the dragon pattern is clear and lifelike, each fossil reproduces the life image and ecological environment of Guizhou dragon fauna 240 million years ago, and it is like walking through a time and space tunnel. Let people have infinite imagination.

As the treasure of the museum, the Guizhou Ichthyosaur fossil, with a length of 5.2 meters, is a new species produced in the process of inshore to pelagic migration. It appeared as early as the early Triassic Period and was the largest reptile at that time. At present, it is the largest vertebrate fossil in the museum. The most prominent part of this fossil is the stomach of ichthyosaur, which is rare in paleontological fossils that have stomach remains, and it is extremely rare to find well-preserved bones in the stomach.

According to the museum staff, the researchers tested the forelimb bones of the ichthyosaurus fossil stomach and compared them with the bones of all Marine reptiles in the Xingyi fauna, and finally determined that the most matching species was a four-meter-long short-necked and long-tailed Marine reptile - Xinpu Dragon.
The head and body of this ichthyosaur fossil are clearly separated, a feature that shows how it died. Before it died, its throat had ruptured for a variety of reasons, perhaps because it was caught in the throat by the huge new dragon when it swallowed it; Perhaps it was the twisting body of the Xinpu dragon that caused the ichthyosaur's body to break while fighting with it. The clear bones of the devoured Xinpaosaurus, apparently uncorrupted by stomach acid, suggest that the ichthyosaurs died shortly after eating.

Nature has preserved this shocking picture for people, leaving endless space for imagination...