- Email: [email protected]
A very British coup
culture
A very British coup Major Chinese fossils take the UK by storm, finds Graham Lawton
THE city of Nottingham knows a thing or two about punching above its weight. In 1979, Nottingham Forest won the European Cup – possibly the greatest feat in the history of English football. In 1980, they did it again. The story of a hithertounfashionable Nottingham institution pulling off a major coup has just repeated itself. Landing Dinosaurs of China is possibly the greatest feat in the history of English natural history museums. It is the first time many of the world’s most important and iconic dinosaur fossils have travelled outside China. Some have never even been seen by the public before. When it is over, they will return to Beijing. Nottingham 1, The Rest of the World 0. It is not a large exhibition – just 23 specimens in four galleries – but what it lacks in size it makes up for in impact. Sinosauropteryx, Microraptor, Mei long, Gigantoraptor: these feathered dinosaurs have changed our understanding of prehistoric life. The first to be discovered was Sinosauropteryx, which came to the world’s attention in 1996. It was found in early Cretaceous deposits in Yixian, north-east China. Yixian is a lagerstätte: a site of exceptional fossilisation where soft tissues are often preserved alongside bones and teeth. Around 120 million years ago, it was a forested wetland next to a volcano. Frequent eruptions and Take a good look: China’s important finds are unlikely to travel again 48 | NewScientist | 22 July 2017
followed by other downy toxic emissions killed the local dinosaurs, including the fauna, covering them in ash or velociraptor-like Sinornithosaurus sending their corpses to the and tyrannosaur Dilong. Both bottom of lakes where they are represented here by replica were rapidly buried. “That’s specimens. There is also the the reason we’ve got soft tissue genuine holotype specimen of preservation, which is what Caudipteryx, which had long makes them so special,” said feathers on its arms and tail. TV presenter Chris Packham, A holotype is a unique specimen who opened the exhibition. defining a new species. “These are The Sinosauropteryx – a small, predatory theropod – is so finely preserved that a halo of soft tissue “It is the first time that many important dinosaur is visible around its skeleton. fossils have travelled Palaeontologists interpreted outside China” this as a coat of downy feathers, probably used for display or the pieces of evidence that prove insulation. The specimen in the beyond any doubt that dinosaurs exhibition is the original fossil, have feathers, and that birds a piece of dinosaur royalty. evolved from dinosaurs,” said the To me, it was like seeing the exhibition’s curator, Adam Smith. Archaeopteryx in Berlin’s natural history museum: familiar Another butterflies-in-thefrom magazines and books, stomach moment is seeing the but unexpectedly vivid in the holotype of Microraptor gui, flesh. No amount of studying the four-winged dinosaur first reproductions quite prepares described in 2003. Though you for the original. probably a glider rather than a Sinosauropteryx was quickly flier, it had well-developed flight
feathers on its arms and legs. This adds weight to another controversial hypothesis: that the evolution of flight went through a four-winged stage. The bird-dinosaur link is made even clearer by a 3D-printed model of the exquisite Mei long, the sleeping dragon, its head tucked under its forearm like a sleeping bird. There are also fossils of early birds themselves. The mover and shaker behind the show is Wang Qi, an assistant professor of architecture at the University of Nottingham. He started work with the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology in Beijing in 2011, just as it was renovating its own museum. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Nottingham Forest will probably never win the European Cup again. These rare research specimens may never be put on public display again. If you’re a fan, you need to be able to say: I was there. n
Dinosaurs of China
Dinosaurs of China: Ground shakers to feathered fliers, Wollaton Hall, Nottingham, UK, until 29 October
A very British coup Major Chinese fossils take the UK by storm, finds Graham Lawton
THE city of Nottingham knows a thing or two about punching above its weight. In 1979, Nottingham Forest won the European Cup – possibly the greatest feat in the history of English football. In 1980, they did it again. The story of a hithertounfashionable Nottingham institution pulling off a major coup has just repeated itself. Landing Dinosaurs of China is possibly the greatest feat in the history of English natural history museums. It is the first time many of the world’s most important and iconic dinosaur fossils have travelled outside China. Some have never even been seen by the public before. When it is over, they will return to Beijing. Nottingham 1, The Rest of the World 0. It is not a large exhibition – just 23 specimens in four galleries – but what it lacks in size it makes up for in impact. Sinosauropteryx, Microraptor, Mei long, Gigantoraptor: these feathered dinosaurs have changed our understanding of prehistoric life. The first to be discovered was Sinosauropteryx, which came to the world’s attention in 1996. It was found in early Cretaceous deposits in Yixian, north-east China. Yixian is a lagerstätte: a site of exceptional fossilisation where soft tissues are often preserved alongside bones and teeth. Around 120 million years ago, it was a forested wetland next to a volcano. Frequent eruptions and Take a good look: China’s important finds are unlikely to travel again 48 | NewScientist | 22 July 2017
followed by other downy toxic emissions killed the local dinosaurs, including the fauna, covering them in ash or velociraptor-like Sinornithosaurus sending their corpses to the and tyrannosaur Dilong. Both bottom of lakes where they are represented here by replica were rapidly buried. “That’s specimens. There is also the the reason we’ve got soft tissue genuine holotype specimen of preservation, which is what Caudipteryx, which had long makes them so special,” said feathers on its arms and tail. TV presenter Chris Packham, A holotype is a unique specimen who opened the exhibition. defining a new species. “These are The Sinosauropteryx – a small, predatory theropod – is so finely preserved that a halo of soft tissue “It is the first time that many important dinosaur is visible around its skeleton. fossils have travelled Palaeontologists interpreted outside China” this as a coat of downy feathers, probably used for display or the pieces of evidence that prove insulation. The specimen in the beyond any doubt that dinosaurs exhibition is the original fossil, have feathers, and that birds a piece of dinosaur royalty. evolved from dinosaurs,” said the To me, it was like seeing the exhibition’s curator, Adam Smith. Archaeopteryx in Berlin’s natural history museum: familiar Another butterflies-in-thefrom magazines and books, stomach moment is seeing the but unexpectedly vivid in the holotype of Microraptor gui, flesh. No amount of studying the four-winged dinosaur first reproductions quite prepares described in 2003. Though you for the original. probably a glider rather than a Sinosauropteryx was quickly flier, it had well-developed flight
feathers on its arms and legs. This adds weight to another controversial hypothesis: that the evolution of flight went through a four-winged stage. The bird-dinosaur link is made even clearer by a 3D-printed model of the exquisite Mei long, the sleeping dragon, its head tucked under its forearm like a sleeping bird. There are also fossils of early birds themselves. The mover and shaker behind the show is Wang Qi, an assistant professor of architecture at the University of Nottingham. He started work with the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology in Beijing in 2011, just as it was renovating its own museum. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Nottingham Forest will probably never win the European Cup again. These rare research specimens may never be put on public display again. If you’re a fan, you need to be able to say: I was there. n
Dinosaurs of China
Dinosaurs of China: Ground shakers to feathered fliers, Wollaton Hall, Nottingham, UK, until 29 October