Research, Protection, and Utilization of Paleontological Fossils Meeting Concluded Successfully in Zigong

The International Academic Exchange on the Research, Protection, and Utilization of Paleontological Fossils in Zigong Concluded Successfully

From November 28 to 29, 2025, the "International Academic Exchange on the Research, Protection, and Utilization of Paleontological Fossils in Zigong" was successfully held in Zigong, Sichuan Province. A delegation comprising geological and paleontological experts, as well as geopark managers from over ten countries including Russia, the United States, Thailand, and Romania, alongside domestic representatives from research institutions, museums, and geoparks, gathered in the "Hometown of Dinosaurs" for in-depth discussions on the protection and utilization of paleontological fossils.

Zigong is renowned worldwide for its abundant dinosaur fossil resources, characterized by numerous, widely distributed burial sites, great diversity, excellent preservation, and continuous stratigraphic sequences. Since the first discovery in 1915, more than 200 paleontological fossil sites have been identified in the city, including over 180 dinosaur fossil sites. Research has led to the naming of 21 genera and 26 species of dinosaurs, accounting for approximately one-thirteenth of the dinosaur genera and species named in China to date.

During the event, experts conducted field investigations at key geological heritage and fossil sites such as the Da'anzhai Limestone, the Lianggaoshan Petrified Wood, and the Dashanpu Dinosaur Fossil Quarry. The Lianggaoshan Petrified Wood, formed in the Middle Jurassic and remarkably well-preserved, provides valuable physical evidence for studying the paleoclimate, environment, and vegetation succession of the Sichuan Basin during that period.

Wang Yongdong, a researcher at the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, highlighted Zigong's significant achievements in the systematic research, scientific conservation, and integrated development of fossils, forming a exemplary "Zigong Model" that has gained high recognition from international peers. The Zigong Dinosaur Museum, as a world-class thematic dinosaur museum, serves as a crucial platform for research, exhibition, and public education.

At the academic exchange meeting, experts from the Zigong Dinosaur Museum introduced the newly published academic work Dinosaur Fossils of the Sichuan Basin and shared the latest research findings on multituberculates from southern Sichuan. A book donation ceremony was also held. Thai scholar Nattinee Thongdee expressed her admiration for Zigong's urban environment and dinosaur culture, hoping to foster more international collaboration.

Co-organized by several domestic research institutions and museums, this event injected new vitality into the protection and utilization of Zigong's paleontological fossil resources. It enhanced the international visibility and influence of the "Zigong Model" in integrating paleontology, geology, and cultural tourism, supporting Zigong's development as an international tourist city. Moving forward, the Zigong Dinosaur Museum will continue to explore new pathways for the synergistic development of geological heritage protection and cultural tourism.