Looking for the gnarled reptile more than 230 million years in Cuc Phuong

On the uneven limestone cliffs in Cuc Phuong old forest, the relatively intact fossil skeleton of the gnarled reptile was discovered from more than 230 million years ago. Until this ancient animal was discovered in Cuc Phuong, in the world, they were only known in Europe and the Middle East (Israel). And, that fossil has been proposed to rank as a special national geological heritage.

Journey to find ancient dark animals in the jungle

Mr. Lap, Head of Science and Mr. Hoa, local people, every 10 years worked as an adventurous tour guide of the garden, deer covered a forest knife, put on anti-squeezed shoes from 5am; Rice ball rice balls, young water, even made by Ms. Ha, the kitchen of the continental garden prepared at 4 o'clock. The garden, currently only two of these officers, can lead the way to the fossil area. A journey of limestone rock climbing, kicking sharp cat ears.

We traveled long hours through valleys of ancient trees with a diameter of 1.5-2 meters. The storm No. 7 was ruthlessly dragging himself through Cuc Phuong, the original trees were uprooted, dragging a huge mass of land around its big roots, and Lap and I measured the diameter: diameter 6 meters wide root block!

Deep in the forest core, we meet the vast rocky areas, ancient trees crawling with roots like serpents on the monopoly terrain of sharp and scattered limestone (without a soil), in the shadow dark thanks to the primeval forest. This place, it is true that no one has revealed and riddled with it, no one knows what way to go but invades " special national level geological heritage ". I said so, Mr. Lap and Mr. Hoa both panted and said "That's right".

Anh Hoa is a native of Muong Nho Quan, rarely speaking, climbing forests like chamois. Climbing the monkey-like cliff until 12 noon, I couldn't take my footsteps anymore. Just throwing the forest knife and sitting down on a tall, flat and flat cliff like a stele, Mr. Hoa scoffed: "Come to the dinosaur fossil (you still call it so often). I quiz you know which corner it is? ".

The natural stone wall is high by the flat surface of the stone wall washing the side of a 7-storey building. In the middle of the day, the sunlight was too bright to be visible somewhere on the dark arches. Mr. Lap, who owns modern cameras, must also sigh: "A photo of the area with fossils Cow is close to this blade because it is always very bad because of lack of light!".

I have just touched, trying to judge based on the story that was told by Cuc Phuong National Park Director, Mr. Truong Quang Bich: The fossilized skeleton of the scientific world has been borne by a farmer. show. His name is Bien, the house is in Ao Ne village, Ky Phu commune, Nho Quan district, 3 kilometers away from the garden.

That day, the people went to the forest to search for bamboo shoots, to fight against hunger (he didn't have any children). When people go to the forest to sit and rest, people talk about all kinds of things about the world, and he is silently silly to break the sticks, and yellow and red yellow mushrooms play with . the mountain.

Suddenly, he saw something hidden in a cliff, the more he looked like a large fish skeleton, the clear bones were burned. He tried to pull it out, it was impossible, it was part of a giant cool block of ice. Next to the stone block is a lot of large caves. When the rainy season comes, once he goes, Bien has heard the flood water roaring in the rock, in the dark cavern underground. Throwing down how much stone or wood items are also lost.

Facing the tall stone wall, Bien mute suddenly felt something unusual. He and the " bandits " (go to the illegal National Park as a logger) quietly returned. In the evening, he went to meet the leader of the garden, he pointed forever and nobody understood, then he asked for pen and paper to " talk pen " (he also used to go to school for several years). After reading the word mute, the brothers who made the science of the Garden immediately followed him to pull the shirt onto the road to the forest.

Receiving the news, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development immediately required to clarify and honor the scientific and tourist value of the ancient dark fossil. The most passionate person with this fossil specimen must include an assistant professor and doctor of science Trinh Danh, then the Director of the Institute of Information Archives, Geological Museum. Mr. Danh has visited Cuc Phuong many times (American and Japanese experts have also entered), and then led the experts to consider how to make the version brought out of the forest.

But, that did not work. Because the forest is too deep, carrying plaster, water and bringing experts into it is very hard. In addition to conditions of fossil molding on the cliff, in the absence of sunlight. Experts clean up plaster samples into a corner of the mountain and then slithered back. It was also the night forest closed, the sound of the children working on the mysterious mountain top. Stone walls, stone messages and old trees together with reptiles and ancient sloth teeth fall asleep. He has slept like that for over 230 million years. Nor should we debate what hundreds of millions of years have passed through the sleep of a reptilian hide in mountain rocks, let it be 100 million years. One hundred million years is how many millions of lives?

The document has been officially announced by leading experts: "Through appropriate document search and sample comparison" in the world, it is possible to determine this fossil as Placodontia (Reptile ")", "fossils revealed in thick limestone of the Dong Giao Formation aged Middle Triassic (T2) - ie more than 230 million years ago (The document was officially published by the collective of researchers : Associate Professor and Doctor of Science Trinh Danh, Professor Herbert H.Covert - Calorado University, USA, Associate Professor, Dr. Mark W.Hamrick - Keng State University - Ohio, USA; Kevin C.Mckinney - Department of Geology, United States .).

Me, Mr. Lap and Hoa shared a rice ball at the foot of the cliff with Fossil Reptiles. Fossils lie modestly in gray moss, gray stone of the cliff, at a height of about 3 meters above the forest ground there. This is the first fossil reptile fossil found in East - South Asia. It consists of 12 intact vertebrae, with a cylindrical shape, a center, a deep concave; and 10 ribs, along with some other bones. Why is this reptile species located in the opposite cliff instead of lying under soil humus or in the mountains like other " tombs "?

In the middle of the Triassic period, this place was a shallow coastal area with the presence of the gnarled reptile. The product of this geological period is limestone with shallow coastal fossils, including the gnarled reptile. Through the activities of the earth's crust, these limestone beds are raised, folded, crumpled . So the rock mass is " cremated " the reptile of ancient slab teeth is broken, half inert skeleton reptile on the cliff (as it is now). So, hundreds of millions of years passed, and one day, a brother named Bien discovered the existence of fossilized teeth reptiles on the cliff.

The remains of reptiles over 230 million years old have said that: at that time, the reptile reptiles spread to Vietnam, not only in Europe, the Middle East (Israel) - as the world still thinks for a long time. now on. This is a powerful testament to biodiversity research in the geological past; is evidence to add to the geological age of the limestone in the region. If we continue to expand our search, we will probably be able to clarify many other things as well.

Associate Professor Trinh Dich, Chairman of the Project " Researching geological conservation zones in Vietnam ", after many studies of Fossil Reptilian fossils in Cuc Phuong said: "If you find a skull, and The pelvic part of the reptile fossil fossils above, we can clarify a lot of things because, now, with 18 fossil vertebrae and some other small details, only identified: chemistry The stone came to the Reptilian teeth (but not yet to identify the species. However, it is too miraculous to let more than 230 million years of talk like this. Hope to find a similar fossil is difficult, find the main skull and pelvis of the cow Came close to the other teeth as much as the needle in the sea!

How long will this fossil be hidden?

In the report on the end of the project " Study of geological conservation zones in Vietnam " in 2004, Mr. Trinh Dich proposed to the State to rank 2 special national level geological heritage for fossil reptile fossils in Cuc Phuong and Geomorphic Landscape of Huong Son area (Ha Tay). But it is not known when they will be ranked. In the meantime, there is only one way to hide the fossil in the jungle.

Many researchers, many international organizations want to come to the scene to find out. Considering that the "case" is really necessary, the Board of Directors of Cuc Phuong National Park sends officers directly to bring people in, quite troublesome. The rest is rejected. Because, according to Mr. Bich, he was afraid of "exposing" the road to the area where the fossil Reptilian fossils were. To the wood in the forest has not been kept, let alone little bones on the other cliff, only a single knife or a stone is crushed to shatter.

There are many options already being shown for fossils of more than 230 million-year-old reptile reptiles "selected as a geological reserve, and a national geopark, in which fossils Viewers will be " witnessing " geological processes to the formation and development of the earth's crust, fossils, rocks, rock formations, each animal and plant species. related to the current ecosystem, both the behavior of plants and animals, the cultural identity of the ancient inhabitants of the region.

It is possible to build an outdoor greenhouse to protect the fossil-crawling fossils to serve tourists like in the US at the national dinosaur statue. From here, on a cliff about 20 meters high, thousands of dinosaur fossil bones are protected in the Museum prism. Inside this greenhouse, scientists continue to dig up research so every year fossil dinosaur paintings are always innovative.

In order to honor the geological relics in a desirable way, we need to have the treatment of interesting messengers from ancient times of the formation and development of the earth's crust. Worldwide, there is a global geopark park system based in China.

In our country, the proposal of " Research on geological conservation zones in Vietnam " for the first time has been proposed. The completed project has raised the geological heritage potential of Vietnam and also pointed out specifically. 20 heritage sites and 15 geological reserves are feasible for initial construction. But now things are stopped in the closing report. The project approved by the parishioner Danh owner has been submitted to the Department of Geological Archives. Because all the work is still ahead, the doctor of science Trinh Dich retired by regime. And those who travel, who can honor geological heritage, "they have something else to care about." Procedures for accreditation of geological heritage, including special national geological heritage for fossils Reptile tooth reptiles are still abandoned. The idea of ​​building the first three geological parks in Vietnam includes: Ghenh stone of Tuy An disk (Phu Yen); Columned basalts in Ba Lang An (Quang Ngai); Basalt cascade the Virgin (Dak Nong) - also waiting on paper.

According to World Security