Hokkaido is the land where precious fossils are excavated. The fossils are including dinosaurs, pterosaurs, ammonites, and other animals. Let me please introduce some fossils discovered in Hokkaido.
1. Kamuysaurus japonicus
Kamuysaurus japonicus is a new hadrosauridae which is a type of dinosaur that lived from 105 million to 66 million years ago. It was presented as a new species of dinosaurs in 2019. It is a herbivore living in the sea and its length was about 8 meters. The fossils were first found in 2003 in Mukawa-town. Its complete skeleton is the largest in Japan and was discovered from 2013 to 2014. A big earthquake hit Mukawa-town last year, but fossils of Kamuysaurus japonicus were miraculously safe. For this reason, the replica of Kamuysaurus japonicus is made as a symbol of reconstruction from this earthquake. This product was funded through crowdfunding.
2. Ammonites
Hokkaido is known as an area where there are an abundance of ammonites for the last 200 years ago. There were a lot of ammonites discovered in Mikasa-town and some of them are named from names of town in Hokkaido. In Mikasa City Museum, about 600 ammonites are exhibited. Nipponites mirabilis which has a strange shape and one of the largest ammonites in Japan which has a diameter is about 1.3 meters are main features in this museum.
3. Taniwhasaurus mikasaensis
Taniwhasaurus mikasaensis were found in Mikasa-town. It is one of Mosasaurus which was carnivore reptilia living in the sea. The fossil of its head is designated as a national monument. Its complete replica is exhibited in Mikasa City Museum.
There are more fossils, like Tyrannosaurus Rex, pterosaurs, a whale ancestor, etc. were excavated and exhibited in various parts of Hokkaido. You should try to visit museums where you can see ancient creatures.
Hobetu Museum in Mukawa-town : https://mukawaryu.com/
Mikasa City Museum : https://www.city.mikasa.hokkaido.jp/museum/index_sp.html
Event information about dinosaurs and fossils : http://www.pref.hokkaido.lg.jp/ss/ckk/dinosaur.htm
(Mifuyu)
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