Walking among prehistoric giants

Dinosaur enthusiasts will soon have the opportunity to behold a large number of cherished dinosaur specimens and models at the upcoming China's Dinosaur World exhibition in Shanghai. This unprecedented event brings the most representative dinosaurs from across the country to the public for the first time, according to experts.

On May 18, International Museum Day, three-star dinosaur specimens — Anchiornis huxleyi, Ambopteryx longibrachium, and Sinosaurus triassicus — were unveiled at the Shanghai Natural History Museum, marking the completion of preparations for the exhibition.

Cohosted by the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum and the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the exhibition will open to the public on Saturday, presenting 118 specimens and models from 12 museums and research institutions nationwide.

Among the exhibits, approximately 80 are first-class protected paleontological fossils, including 42 holotype specimens of newly named dinosaur species. Thirteen specimens have been featured in top international journals Science and Nature, with two gracing the cover of Nature.

Additionally, over 10 precious fossils are considered national treasures. Several high-value research specimens never exhibited outside research institutions will also be showcased.

"It's the first time for the public to see the most representative dinosaurs from across the country," says Zhou Zhonghe, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, asserting that China began holding dinosaur exhibitions in the 1980s.

Three "massive giants" have joined the B2 atrium of the Shanghai Natural History Museum, including the Ruyangosaurus fossil model from the Henan Natural History Museum, which features a mounted skeleton measuring 38.1 meters, making it one of the largest dinosaurs ever discovered.

Additionally, the Mamenchisaurus from the Zigong Dinosaur Museum in Zigong city, Sichuan province, stretches 22 meters in length, with its neck accounting for half the length, will be on display. The Omeisaurus, from the same museum, reaches 20 meters in length and serves as a key representative of the giant sauropod evolution during the Middle Jurassic period dating back 174-163 million years ago.

Zhou says that China has more than 350 dinosaur species out of the over 1,000 discovered globally, making it the country with the most diverse discoveries.

The exhibition highlights Anchiornis huxleyi from the Natural History Museum of China, whose exquisitely preserved feathers allowed scientists to reconstruct its full-body plumage color — the world's first such achievement — published in Science in 2010.

"Based on the micrometer-level structures preserved in the fossils and pigment cell research, we partially reconstructed the color of its feathers, which led to the first-ever three-dimensional reconstruction of a dinosaur's full-body feather color," Zhou says.

In 2024, a 3D model of this dinosaur was presented as a significant gift to French President Emmanuel Macron to commemorate the 60th anniversary of China-France diplomatic relations.

As a holotype specimen from the Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology Institute, Ambopteryx longibrachium represents a new dinosaur species named in 2019.The research paper and its reconstruction illustration appeared on the cover of Nature, showcasing its unique membrane wings similar to those of pterosaurs and bats.

Sinosaurus triassicus, discovered in Lufeng, Yunnan province, was named by Yang Zhongjian, the founding father of China's vertebrate paleontology, in 1948. A complete skull later discovered confirmed its status as an independent species.

"Its research process holds historical significance, representing the continuation of China's dinosaur research through relentless excavations and studies by several generations of dinosaur researchers," Zhou explains.

Ouyang Hui, a paleontologist and associate professor at Chengdu University of Technology in Sichuan province, highlights that studying dinosaurs reveals insights into biological evolution, ancient environments and climates.

"Each specimen carries a story of discovery, research, and global scientific significance, bridging paleontology with modern environmental understanding.

"China became the world's leading country in dinosaur discoveries by 2009. In my opinion, this exhibition marks the beginning of enriching the scientific and educational significance of dinosaurs as part of popular culture in addition to continuously discovering new dinosaurs in the next decade," Ouyang adds.

If you go

China's Dinosaur World

Starting from May 31, Tue-Sun, 9 am-5 pm (last entry at 4:15 pm).

Shanghai Natural History Museum, 510 West Beijing Road, Jing'an district, Shanghai.

Tel: 021-68622000.