'Promotion of Fossil Species Excavation and Tourism Resource Development'
Focused Excavation in Yeosu City's Songdo, Daereukdo, and Soreukdo
The Cultural Heritage Administration announced on the 6th that it will begin excavation and research of domestic dinosaur skeletal fossils starting next year. These fossils are designated as geological heritage at high risk of loss and damage, and systematic preservation and management plans will be established.
Male giant carnivorous dinosaurs are performing courtship rituals to attract females. In the distance at the center, a mating scene can be seen.
Unlike countries famous for dinosaur fossil sites such as the United States, Canada, Mongolia, and Argentina, Korea's rocks are hard and dense, making outdoor excavation work difficult. There is also a lack of related infrastructure such as laboratories for fossil processing, storage facilities, and specialized personnel.
Accordingly, the Cultural Heritage Administration is promoting the "Domestic Endemic Fossil Excavation and Tourism Resource Development Model Project." This project aims to expand the foundation for fossil preservation and management, conduct specialized processing and research, and identify the reality of Korea's endemic dinosaur fossils. Based on excavation and research results, plans to utilize these as tourism resources and revitalize local areas will also be explored.
The first target sites are Songdo, Daereukdo, and Soreukdo in Yulchon-myeon, Yeosu-si, Jeollanam-do. In 2007, numerous dinosaur skeletal fossils were discovered during an academic survey by the Cultural Heritage Administration, raising the need for detailed investigation and excavation.
In the detailed academic survey conducted since July, sixty dinosaur skeletal fossils were confirmed at four locations on the exposed strata surfaces along the coastline.
A Cultural Heritage Administration official stated, "In particular, at the Daereukdo fossil site, we were able to identify the detailed distribution of skeletal fossils within a 6.6m × 1.8m area on the strata surface, totaling fifty-six specimens." He added, "Seventeen of the skeletal fossils were identified as vertebrae, ribs, pelvis, and leg bones." He further noted, "There are skeletal fossils longer than 50 cm, suggesting they belong to fairly large individuals."
The investigation team also found a 13 cm long astragalus (ankle bone) skeletal fossil at Songdo, and skeletal fossils presumed to be parts of a dinosaur's lower jawbone (mandible) and radius (forearm bone) at Soreukdo. A Cultural Heritage Administration official said, "Considering the preservation state of the astragalus fossil, the tibia (shinbone) may extend below the ground."
There have been many cases of discovery, investigation, and research of dinosaur footprints and dinosaur egg fossil sites in Korea. However, it is rare to find numerous dinosaur skeletal fossils as at Daereukdo.
Skeletal fossils exposed on the strata surface are often just the tip of the iceberg, with only a portion revealed. Excavation is essential to understand their full extent. Moreover, this area is the target site for the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries' "Gwangyang Port Wide-area Dredged Soil Disposal Site Construction Project." According to the plan, if the surrounding area is reclaimed in the future, preserving the fossil site may become difficult. A Cultural Heritage Administration official said, "Considering this, we plan to promptly carry out excavation, fossil processing, and research."
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