First dinosaur fossil named after Korea to receive natural monument designation
Korea plans to grant natural monument status to the fossil of Koreanosaurus boseongensis, a rare Cretaceous fossil with major scientific value, along with a unique turtle fossil and Tongyeong weathering pits.
A fossilized skeleton of the Koreanosaurus boseongensis.KOREA HERITAGE SERVICE
The fossilized skeleton of the first dinosaur with an internationally recognized name incorporating "Korea" is set to be designated as a natural monument.
The Korea Heritage Service announced Monday it will designate three natural heritage properties — the fossil of Koreanosaurus boseongensis, also known as the Boseong ornithopod dinosaur; the fossil of the Byeoljubuchelys yeosuensis, or the Yeosu pig-nosed turtle; and weathering pits on Suu Island in Tongyeong — as natural monuments.
Ornithopods are dinosaurs with bird-like, three-toed feet that leave broad, blunt footprints. The Boseong fossil was discovered during an investigation of the Bibong-ri dinosaur egg site in Boseong, South Jeolla — also designated as a Natural Monument — conducted between 2000 and 2004.
Researchers at Chonnam National University's Korea Dinosaur Research Center were searching for intact dinosaur bones and traces of hatchlings when they identified the fossilized left shoulder blade, vertebrae and ribs of a dinosaur in 2003.
The fossil is the first ornithopod dinosaur skeleton discovered on the Korean Peninsula and provides important information about dinosaurs that lived there during the late Cretaceous period.
It is also considered highly valuable because it belongs to the Orodrominae subfamily, which is rarely found in Asia, making it important evidence of dinosaur migration between North America and Asia during the Cretaceous period.
A fossilized skeleton of the Koreanosaurus boseongensis.KOREA HERITAGE SERVICE
Its scientific significance was recognized in 2010 when the name Koreanosaurus boseongensis was formally published in a leading German journal specializing in geology and paleontology.
"It is the only fossilized skeleton among Korean dinosaurs with an officially recognized scientific name whose discovery site and excavation process have been clearly documented," the Korea Heritage Service said.
The fossilized skeleton of the Yeosu pig-nosed turtle, which is also slated for designation as a natural monument, was discovered on Sorok Island in Yeosu in 2006. Parts of both the carapace and plastron remain preserved.
"It is highly rare because it is the only turtle fossil discovered in Korea that preserves appendicular skeletons that preserve vertebrae as well as appendicular bones, including forelimb and hindlimb bones," the Korea Heritage Service said.
A reconstructed model of the Koreanosaurus boseongensis.KOREA HERITAGE SERVICE
The weathering pits on Suu Island in Tongyeong are a geological heritage site located on the island's southern coastal cliffs and on the southern slope of Ttandok Island, a small islet 150 meters (492 feet) east of Suu Island.
Weathering pits are natural depressions or basins carved into rock surfaces by chemical and physical weathering.
The site has high scientific value because the entire process of weathering pit formation and development can be observed in one location, while the original landforms remain well preserved.
The Korea Heritage Service will collect public opinions during a 30-day notice period before making a final decision following deliberation by the Cultural Heritage Committee.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
