China opens first museum dedicated to prehistoric flying reptiles
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In the Xinjiang region of northwestern China, authorities opened the world’s first museum fully dedicated to pterosaurs, reptiles closely related to dinosaurs.
The museum stands within the Hami National Geopark, an area famous for its pterosaur fossils. Over twenty years of excavations yielded the exhibits, which span approximately 4,600 square meters. The museum displays findings that reconstruct the life and evolution of these creatures during the Cretaceous period, roughly 130 million years ago.
Researchers recovered the first three-dimensional fossilized pterosaur eggs and embryos, and the museum is now exhibiting these to the public. The Hami National Geopark became known for its abundance of pterosaur fossils, making it a fitting location for the museum. The exhibits offer insight into a prehistoric period and the animals that lived during it.
