Scientists unearth largest and most complete fossilized whale in Taiwanese history
Scientists unearth largest and most complete fossilized whale in Taiwanese history
2022-12-12
A discovery in Pingtung has astonished scientists. It’s the largest and most complete fossilized whale ever unearthed in Taiwan. Paleontologists say it’s a baleen whale, that lived about 85,000 years ago. It took researchers from the National Museum of Natural Science and National Cheng Kung University three months to excavate. Experts say when the whole skeleton is assembled, it might be as long as 15 meters.
A team from the National Museum of Natural Science and NCKU made the thrilling discovery here at Tougou Village in Hengchun Township.
Members of the team very carefully dig down. Every step must be taken with the utmost care, applying gypsum before moving the find.
And this is it: a fossilized baleen whale that lived about 85,000 years ago. The team dug constantly for 90 days to successfully excavate the entire skeleton. But once it was out of the ground, transportation was equally challenging.
Yao Chiu-ju
National Museum of Natural Science
The entire skeleton, looked at in terms of its entirety, is probably 12 to 15 meters long. We managed to excavate eight layers. I think it’s incredibly significant for the field of cetacean paleontology.
Just one of the lower jaw bones of the fossilized whale is 2.23 meters long. Initial estimates suggest the whole skeleton could even be more than 15 meters long when reconstructed. The team found more than 70% of the animal’s bones.
Huang Wen-shan
National Museum of Natural Science
The National Museum of Natural Science wants to authenticate exactly which species it is, and why it came here, and when. Those are all important questions. So these are our targets for collaboration between the museum and global experts.
This is the largest and most complete fossil of a whale ever unearthed in Taiwan. The team hopes it can be studied and reconstructed soon. Then visitors to the museum can come meet this ancient leviathan face to face.
台灣史上最完整鯨魚化石挖掘全紀錄首曝光
2022-12-12
國立自然科學博物館和成大師生組成的研究團隊，在屏東恆春，發現台灣史上最完整的鯨魚化石，估計距今超過8萬5千年以上，光是現在發現到的下顎骨，長度就有223公分，推估標本全長，可能超過15公尺，現在化石，已經搬移到科博館，由專業團隊進行處理，而挖掘過程影像，也跟著首度曝光。
在屏東縣恆春鎮頭溝，由科博館和成大組成的研究團隊，有了驚喜發現，讓大家為之振奮。
團隊成員小心翼翼，慢慢挖掘。每個步驟都要小心謹慎，上完石膏，之後才能搬運。
研究團隊，發現的是距至今八萬五千年以上的鬚鯨化石，前後歷經超過90天，密集挖掘，才順利將整具化石骨骼，帶出地表。不只出土過程，費盡千辛萬苦，搬移過程，同樣不輕鬆。
[[科博館生物學組副研究員 姚秋如]]
“整個骨骼完整度來評估大概是12到15公尺左右，這次能夠在這裡挖掘出有8層以上，我想對整個鯨豚類的古生物學來講是一個非常重要的意義”
這一回發現的鯨魚化石，光是一根下顎骨長度就有2.23公尺。初步推測，化石標本全長可能超過15公尺，而且化石完整度超過70%。
[[科博館學術副館長 黃文山]]
“科博館後續就是要鑑定牠到底是哪一種，牠為什麼會來這裡，牠什麼時候來的，這個都很重要。所以我們覺得這個東西是，我們博物館跟世界的專家合作的指標”
團隊成員，細心修復，希望能盡速將這具台灣目前最大、最完整的鯨魚化石標本，完整呈現在科博館，讓民眾一睹「鯨奇發現」。
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