Walking among prehistoric giants

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.