Dinosaur Egg Site in Gojeong-ri, Hwaseong

The Dinosaur Egg Site in Gojeong-ri, Hwaseong is a sedimentary layer formed in the Cretaceous period, estimated at roughly 83 to 85 million years old. Dinosaur egg fossils and nests have been found at six or seven locations that were islands before the Lake Sihwa tidal flat was created. Worldwide, most dinosaur egg fossils have been found in China and Mongolia, and it is very rare for so many to be discovered together in one place, as at Lake Sihwa. At the Lake Sihwa fossil site, around 20 nests measuring 50-60 cm across have been found, each containing 5-6 and in some cases as many as 12 dinosaur egg fossils. The eggs are oval, generally smaller than a fist, 11-12 cm in diameter with the largest reaching 14 cm, and about 180 have been found to date. It is expected that more egg fossils would be found if the mud still covering parts of the site were removed. Large numbers of plant fossils, such as jointed-stem marsh reeds, and other fossils bearing traces of life have also been found in abundance. From the fact that egg fossils occur across multiple sedimentary layers, experts infer that the Lake Sihwa area was a major dinosaur habitat around 100 million years ago. The Dinosaur Egg Site in Gojeong-ri, Hwaseong is highly valuable not only as evidence of a dinosaur habitat but also as important academic material for research into the environment and ecosystem of that time. (Note: the name was changed from "Dinosaur Egg Fossil Site in Gojeong-ri, Hwaseong" to "Dinosaur Egg Site in Gojeong-ri, Hwaseong", announced 26 July 2021.)

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Where it is

Region

Hwaseong, Gyeonggi

Designation

Natural Monument · 천연기념물