Recently, the “China dragon fossils” were on display at the Xinwei Ancient Life Fossils Museum in Anshun, Guizhou.
When archeologists initially removed the clay off the fossil, they discovered that the dragon had a pair of horns above its head, and that the dragon’s form closely resembled that of the fabled creature often recounted in novels.
Dragons have often appeared in Chinese legends. The dragon with two horns on its head is regarded as a totem. The totem was first invented by Chinese ancestors and worshipped by the Chinese people. Therefore Chinese people are also called the “descendents of the dragon”.
Long ago, experts believed that dragons were fictitious creatures that only existed in books.
The dragon fossil was discovered in 1996 in Guanling County, Anshun City, and has been preserved well. It is 7.6 meters in length. It has a 76-centimeter-long head and a 54-centimeter-long neck. The length of the body is 2.7 meters and the breadth is 68 centimeters, while the length of the tail is 3.7 meters.
The dragon’s head is in a triangle shape. Its mouth is 43 centimeters long. The widest part of the head is 32 centimeters long. The horns project from the widest part of the head, and are symmetrical and 27 centimeters long. They are a little bit curved and tilted, which makes the fossil look very much like the legendary dragon.
The China dragon was a reptile animal living in the ocean in Triassic Period about 200 million years ago. It was an amphibian. It spent most of its time living in water, although sometimes it walked on land. It also laid eggs on land. The animal lived on fish and small reptile animals.
This is the first time that China found a dragon fossil with a pair of horns. Its discovery provides some evidence to prove that dragons might really have horns. The fossil provides important scientific information for people to trace the origin of the Chinese legendary dragon.
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