Dinosaur Tracksite and Sedimentary Rocks in Nangdo-ri, Yeosu

The Dinosaur Tracksite and Sedimentary Rocks in Nangdo-ri, Yeosu is widely distributed across Cretaceous sedimentary strata on five islands within Hwajeong-myeon, Yeosu: Sado Island, Chudo Island, Nangdo Island, Mokdo Island and Jeokgeumdo Island. Surveys found a total of 3,546 dinosaur footprint fossils: 755 on Sado Island, 1,759 on Chudo Island, 962 on Nangdo Island, 50 on Mokdo Island and 20 on Jeokgeumdo Island. Various types of tracks were found, including those of ornithopods, bipedal herbivorous dinosaurs that walked mainly on their hind legs; theropods, carnivorous dinosaurs; and sauropods, long-necked herbivorous dinosaurs. Ornithopod tracks were by far the most numerous, accounting for 81% of the total. Continuous trackways were also discovered, including one exceptionally well-preserved trackway 84m long. In addition to the dinosaur fossils, large quantities of textbook-quality sedimentary features were found, including silicified wood, plant fossils, mollusc fossils, ostracods, other invertebrate fossils, trace fossils, ripple marks and desiccation cracks. The dinosaur tracksite in Nangdo-ri, Yeosu is regarded as valuable material linking the already-discovered dinosaur fossil sites along the coasts of South Jeolla and South Gyeongsang provinces with those of Japan and China, making possible the reconstruction of the pan-Asian ecological environment of the Cretaceous period of the Mesozoic era. (Note: the name was changed from "Dinosaur Tracksite and Sedimentary Rocks in Nangdong-ri, Yeosu" to "Dinosaur Tracksite in Nangdo-ri, Yeosu" by public notice on 26 July 2021.)

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Where it is

Region

Yeosu, Jeonnam & Gwangju

Designation

Natural Monument · 천연기념물