Excavation Sites

Before 1970's no fossils of dinosaurs was excavated from Japan.Almost all of Japanese has thuoght that there was no dinosaur in Japan.Very big news that a fossil of a dinosaur was discovered from Iwate Pref.?in 1976.A lot of people was surprised by the news.This was the first dinosaur from?Japan.Then several sites were discovered.Japanese dinosaurs are no match for Chinese in quantity.But there are so much dinosaurs fan( or dinosaurs mania) in Japan.Then, I will introduce Japanese dinosaurs excavation sites.

01. Hokkaido
There are two excavation sites in Hokkaido, the north part of Japan.One is in Obira-machi. A femur of Hadrosauridae was excavated from Upper?Cretaceous formation.This dinosaur has not yet a scientific name, nor nickname.Another site is in Yubari-city.A part of skull of Nodosauridae was excavated from Upper Cretaceous?formation.Nodosauridae, had no bony-tail club, is a kind of Ankylosauria.Chinese Ankylosauria, Pinacosaurus is not Nodosauridae.This Nodosauridae also has no scientific name, no one has described yet. I?do not know his nickname.

02. Iwate Prefecture
In 1976, a humerus of sauropoda was discovered from Lower Cretaceous?formation.The site is in Moshi-district, Hiraizumi-cho.At first it was considered as a humerus of Mamenchisaurus, but it's?doubtful.Now only understand thing is that it belongs to sauropoda.To my surprise, it has only nickname, "Moshiryu". No science name.It's already passed 25 years from the discovery.Why ? Who studies this specimen? Where is this specimen now?The fossil has been locked and anyone can study it.In fact there was no specialist of dinosaurs in Japan.I wish that "the first dinosaur from Japan"will have a suitable science?name.

03. Fukushima Prefecture
There are 3 points of dinosaur sites.Kashima-machi is north of Fukushima prefecture.A foot print of theropoda from Upper Jurassic formation.From Hirono-machi excavated a Hadrosaur's teeth.(Late Cretaceous)From Lower Cretaceous formation in Iwaki-city, excavated teeth of sauropod,?fibulae of theropod, etc.There are many amateur fossil hunters in Iwaki-city.Iwaki is famous for Ammonites.

04. Gunma Prefecture
Footprints(uncertain, I think) and a caudal vertabra of Gallimimus sp, only?nickname "Sanchuryu".This came from "Sebayashi"formation, Eary Cretaceous.Type specimen of Gallimimus, from almost last age of Late Cretaceous.(late?
Campanian or early Maastrichtian)If this "Sanchuryu were a Gallimimus sp, this would be the oldest?Gallimimus sp.But there is only a fossil, nobody can judge what genus it is.

05. Nagano Prefecture
Eary Jurassic formation is in Otari-mura.There, four footprints of theropoda was discovered.These are the oldest fossils of dinosaur in Japan.

Before we go to next place, I'll introduce you about "The Tetori Group".

The Tetori Group, from where many vertebrate fossils have been recovered,
extends mainly Hokuriku area(Fukui, Ishikawa, Toyama and Gifu).
This Lower Cretaceous group consists of three part of subgroups, Kuzuryu, Itoshiro, Akaiwa.
The first dinosaur fossil from The Tetori Group was reported in 1982.
A junior high school girl fouud it.
It's nickname is Kagaryu and was found in Shiramine-mura, Ishikawa Prefecture.

06. Fukui Prefecture
From the Kitadani quarry, Katsuyama-city,Fukui Prefecture, plenty of dinosaur fossils has been dug out.These account for 80% of Japanese dinosaur fossils.The authorities of Fukui Prefecture organized "The First Fukui Dinosaur Excavation Project" from1989 to 1993.This was the first organized and scientific and planned research in Japan.
Professor Dong Zhi-Ming(I.V.P.P., Beijing ), as you know, had made a big contribution to this project.So, this project was also the first international one in Japan.The secondary project was held from 1995 to 1999.Through these projects, lots of dinosaur fossils were discovered.It includes a number of part of theropoda, sauropoda, ornitopoda, ceratopcia, etc.Tooth, skull, arm, leg, claw,etc.And many footprints, egg shell have been also discovered.

The first restored Japanese dinosaurs is nicknamed "Fukuiryu", Iguanodondidae. From here it has come.The secondary restored dinosaur, also from here, scientific name "Fukuiraptor kitadaniensis", was desclibed?on "Canadian Journal of Earth Sciene".Because plenty of fossils were discovered, the authorities of Fukui Prefecture decided to construct a new "Dinosaur Museum".Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum opened in Katsuyama-city on 14th July, 2000.Here is not only discovering site, but studying place for students and scholar, amusument spot for children and mania.
A real study of Japanese dinosaur has started from here.I hope this museum will be a research and imfomation center of Japanese dinosaur.I think from here Japanese dinosaurs informations will be sent to all over the world.And it will gather dinosaur informations from all over the world and introduce them in Japan.From another dinosaur site in Fukui Prefecture, Izuni-mura , some footprints has been discovered.

07. Ishikawa Prefecture
There is a dinosaur point in Shiramine-mura.Till now excavated were teeth and foot print of theropoda, footprints and teeth of ornithopoda.Recently reported oviraptorosauridae and hypsilophodontidae.

08. Toyama Prefecture
In 1995, lots of foot prints of dinosaur and birds were discovered.About more than 300 of footprints distributed on 400square meters.Some one declare that all of them are dinosaurs footprints, but it's doubtfull, I think.There are desclibed "dinosaur footprint". It's true or not, non of my business.Soon or later the fact will come out.In 2000, two teeth of theropoda was discovered to one after another.

09. Gifu Prefecture
There are two dinosaur sites in Gifu Prefecture.One is in Shoukawa-mura. From there a tooth of Hypsilophodontidae was discovered in 1988.A part of egg shell ofo dinosaur was also discovered here.Another site is in Shirakawa-mura.There are some footprints.

10. Mie Prefecture
On summer in 1996 , some fossils of sauropoda were discovered from Toba-city.After cleaning, a femur, a humerus and three caudal vertabra were recognized.They are just now studying about other part of fossils.This stratum called "Matsuo group".(Early Cretaceous)

11. Tokushima Prefecture
A tooth of Iguanodondidae was discovered from Early Cretaceous of Katsuura-cho in 1994.

12. Yamaguchi Prefecture
Footprints of dinosaurs were discovered from Late Jurassic of Shimonoseki-city.

13. Fukuoka Prefecture
A partial tooth of theropoda was disconered from Early Cretaceous of Kitakyushu-city.
It's nickname is "Wakinosatouryu".

14. Kumamoto Prefecture
There are two dinosaurs sites.One is in Mifune-cho(Mifune Group, Late Cretaceuos) and the other Goshoura-cho(Goshoura Group, Middle Cretaceous).From Mifune Group, a tooth of carnivorous dinosaur was reported in 1982.In 1990, a part of bone was discovered.Another discovery, Velociraptor sp. and Ankylosauria, etc.From Goshoura Group reported a tooth of Carnosauria, a tooth of ornithopoda, femur of sauropoda, a tooth of sauropoda, etc.A footprint of carnivorous dinosaur was also discovered.

There are many fossil hunter in Japan.But a number of dinosaur specialist is very small.So, except for some affairs, there are many fossils that was not studied.Then, Japanese dinossaurs have only nickname but sciencename.And not expart appraise, sometimes appraisal was forced to change.For example the first dinosaur fossil in Japan, "Moshiryu".At first it was declared as "Mamenchisaurus", but now, noone believe it.It is only a sauropod, noone studies more.Same for onother fossils.If the fossil keeper would not study it, the development of science would certainly be overdue.If the fossil keeper would not have ability to study it, he must ask aonther researcher.From this point of view, I think it's neces.