To know your fortune in the Year of the Dragon, do a dinosaur fortune-telling!

China is the country with the most dragons - we are not talking about the dragons in myths and legends, but dinosaurs.

The "dragon" culture is deeply rooted in the entire Asian cultural circle. Therefore, when Western science was introduced, many ancient reptiles were translated as "dragon". The most famous of these is the translation of "Dinosaur" (originally meaning "terrible and huge lizard") into "dinosaur".

China is the country that discovered and named the most dinosaurs , but due to the influence of Western film and television culture, Chinese dinosaurs are far less famous than Tyrannosaurus, Triceratops, Stegosaurus, and Brachiosaurus. In the Year of the Dragon, we carefully selected five of the hundreds of ancient dragon specimens discovered in China to help you with (completely unreliable) fortune-telling. I wish you all a prosperous and prosperous new year!

⚠️The following divination results are for reference and entertainment only, please do not be overly superstitious

Please look at the following five pictures carefully, close your eyes, and choose the one that makes the most sense to you:

What kind of dragons are these? You can find out by reading below｜Wikimedia Commons

Option A: Way of the Dragon

Sinoraptor dongi | Nobu Tamura / Wikimedia Commons

Friends who choose Dong's Chinese Raptors will be like a dragon crossing the river in the new year. Some problems that could not be solved in the past can be easily solved after sufficient efforts; but avoid verbal disputes and remember that harmony brings wealth.

Sinoraptor used to be called "Sinoraptor". In early January this year, the China Paleozoological Museum opened grandly, and the holotype of Dong's Sinoraptor was exhibited as the treasure of the museum, and it was renamed "Sinoraptor". The raptor title of "Sinoraptor" is easily confused with dromaeosaurs such as Microraptor and Velociraptor, and changing the name to "Sinoraptor" can not only avoid misunderstandings, but also sound more majestic.

The holotype of Sinoraptor dongi on display at the China Paleozoological Museum (Baoding Natural History Museum) | Photo: Liao Junqi

Sinoraptor was unearthed in Xinjiang and named in 1993. It lived in the late Jurassic period and belonged to the family of Mesosaurs, a cousin of the Allosaurus family. This ferocious predator could reach 7.6 meters in length and 3 meters in height. There are many scars on the skull and teeth of Sinoraptor from being attacked by its own kind, indicating its fierce and aggressive character; but these were not fatal injuries. Scientists speculate that they may have fought within the group for territory and status, just like lions today.

Option B: Dragon and Horse Spirit

Mamenchisaurus youngi | Steveoc 86 / Wikimedia Commons

Friends who chose Mamenchisaurus will be healthy and energetic in the new year. It is suitable for climbing high and looking far. While busy with life, don't forget that there are poems and distant places waiting for us to conquer. In addition, your career and studies in the new year will be as prosperous as the long neck of Mamenchisaurus!

Mamenchisaurus is one of the most famous dinosaurs in China. In addition to its spectacular size of 20 to 30 meters, its most distinctive feature is its long neck, which can even account for half of its body length. They are the dinosaurs with the longest necks in the world, no one else.

Unlike the fierce Sinoraptor, Mamenchisaurus is a vegetarian. Its long neck evolved to eat leaves at a higher altitude and in a wider range . The earliest Mamenchisaurus was discovered in 1952 when a road was being built in Sichuan, so it was named "Mamenchisaurus of Jianshe". Many other species were subsequently discovered, such as Mamenchisaurus of Hechuan, Mamenchisaurus of Yang, and Mamenchisaurus of Yunnan. Mamenchisaurus lived in the late Jurassic period and was mainly distributed in Sichuan, Xinjiang, Yunnan and other places. The largest of them was the "Mamenchisaurus of China" discovered in Xinjiang .

Comparison of the size of Mamenchisaurus and humans. From left to right, they are Mamenchisaurus Yang, Mamenchisaurus Jianshe, Mamenchisaurus Hechuan, and Mamenchisaurus Zhongjia｜Steveoc 86 / Wikimedia Commons

However, the fossils of Sino-Canadian Mamenchisaurus are incomplete, with only a few cervical vertebrae, cervical ribs, mandibles and some head bones. In a study published in 2023, by comparing it with its close relative Xinjiang Titanosaurus, which has a more complete neck, it was found that the length of the neck of Sino-Canadian Mamenchisaurus may have been underestimated in the past - its actual length can reach 15.1 meters , which is 6 times the neck of the giraffe, the representative of long necks today, and it is well-deserved to be the longest in the world.

The Sino-Canadian Mamenchisaurus (M. sinocanadorum) was jointly discovered by scientific research teams from China and Canada. Last year, the Sino-Canadian Mamenchisaurus re-study in which I participated was featured in many international mainstream media | Júlia d'Oliveira

Option C: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

Yinlong downsi｜Nobu Tamura / Wikimedia Commons

Friends who have chosen Dangshi Hidden Dragon should enrich themselves this year, keep a low profile, and pay more attention to and treat friends around them well. After all, in this environment where there are many hidden dragons and crouching tigers, there may be a noble person who can help you succeed.

Yinlong is the oldest and most primitive ceratopsian dinosaur known so far . To put it simply but inaccurately, it is the great-great ...

Dinosaurs can be divided into saurischian and ornithischian groups based on the differences in the structure of their pelvis (our pelvis). The Sinoraptor and Mamenchisaurus introduced above belong to the saurischian group, which is one of the two major lineages of theropods and sauropods; while the ceratopsians to which Cryptosaurus and Triceratops belong are from the ornithischian family, and other vegetarian friends such as Stegosaurus, Ankylosaur, Pachycephalosaur, Hadrosaurus, etc. also belong to this large family.

The skull fossil of Cryptosaurus dangsi shows that the front teeth are particularly large, similar to the characteristics of Heterodontia｜Xu et al., 2006.

As the earliest ceratopsian, Yinlong was only 1.2 meters long , but its small body hides many important secrets. In addition to the characteristics of ceratopsians, its head also has many features that were previously only found in pachycephalosaurs or heterodontosaurians, proving that these ornithischian families are more closely related. Seven gastroliths were found in Yinlong's stomach. It may have swallowed stones to help digest difficult-to-swallow plant fibers, just like its close relative, the Psittacosaurus.

Option D: Flying Dragon in the Sky

Feilong youngi｜Nobu Tamura / Wikimedia Commons

Friends who choose Yang's Flying Dragon will be like a flying dragon in the sky this year, with good luck shining on them. They can learn from many aspects, explore a wide range of fields, and look at problems from more diverse perspectives. They may gain unexpected results and achieve unexpected success.

This specimen comes from the famous Jehol Biota in Liaoning during the early Cretaceous period . When it comes to the Jehol Biota, the first thing that comes to mind for dinosaur lovers is the feathered dinosaur fossils such as Sinosauropteryx, Microraptor, and Confuciusornis. But there are actually many amazing fossil categories here, such as the mammal reptiles that ate dinosaurs, the Liaoning ancient fruit that bloomed the first flower, and a large number of pterosaur fossils - flying dragons belong to the pterosaur family. Although pterosaurs lived in the same era as dinosaurs, they evolved on their own path very early, so they are not classified as dinosaurs .

Skull fossil of Yang's flying dragon｜Wang et al., 2005

The only fossil of the flying dragon that exists is a skull, but it has many amazing features. Its upper jaw is longer than its lower jaw , so it can't close its mouth in life; its teeth are long and curved, concentrated at the front of its beak, with a total of 76 teeth . In addition, in the same stratum where the flying dragon was discovered, the Nurhaci pterosaur, which is not closely related, was also discovered, proving the diversity and uniqueness of the Jehol Biota in the evolution and distribution of pterosaurs.

Option E: Lucky Dragon

Yunguisaurus liae｜Nobu Tamura / Wikimedia Commons

Friends who choose the Li's Yungui Dragon will be prosperous when encountering water, and they will be rich and prosperous this year. They have the potential to get a raise, promotion, and make a fortune. However, you should be especially careful, as your beauty may lead to romantic disputes. In addition, sincerely cooperating with others and avoiding a half-hearted start is the only shortcut to success.

The Yunguisaurus was discovered on the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau and is from the late Triassic period. It is not a dinosaur either, but a marine reptile - a general term for reptiles that returned from land to the sea, the most famous of which include ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs, and mosasaurs. A large number of marine reptile fossils from the Triassic period have been excavated in Guizhou , including Guizhousaurus, Mixed Ichthyosaur, Guizhou Ichthyosaur, Anshunsaurus, etc.

Fossils of Yunguisaurus li｜Sato et al., 2010

The Yunguisaurus fossil is very well preserved, with only the end of the tail missing. It belongs to the pure plesiosaur family, the ancestor of the plesiosaur family, and therefore has signature features such as a long neck and paddle-shaped limbs. In the past, the fossils of the ancestors of plesiosaurs were very fragmented. The Yunguisaurus is the first well-preserved specimen and is currently the best preserved , which is of great significance for the study of the early evolution of the plesiosaur family.

The holotype of Yunguisaurus is now in the collection of the Natural Science Museum in Taiwan, and is one of the important achievements of cross-strait academic exchanges. The specimen is about 1.7 meters long, and it is estimated that the actual length of Yunguisaurus is 2.3 meters; but this is not the largest specimen - another Yunguisaurus specimen published in 2020 shows that this ancient creature can grow to at least 4.2 meters .

Good places to see dragons in the Year of the Dragon

After doing the divination for the Year of the Dragon, we also selected several Feng Shui treasures places suitable for seeing "dragons" - you can see real dinosaur fossils in these museums, and you may as well go and see the dragons when traveling in the Year of the Dragon.

China Paleozoological Museum

Although the area is small, there are many precious exhibits. In addition to the Sino -Canadian Mamenchisaurus introduced above, there are also important specimens or models of Microraptor, Monolophosaurus, Qingdaosaurus, Lufengosaurus, Tuojiangsaurus, etc. The Paleozoological Museum is located opposite the Beijing Zoo, and next door is the Planetarium, so you can go there and visit.

Mamenchisaurus in the Chinese Paleozoological Museum｜Photo: Liao Junqi

National Museum of Natural History

This is the former Beijing Natural History Museum. Although some of the exhibits are a bit old, the exhibits are rich, and there is also a restoration of an ancient forest of paleontology full of mechanical dinosaurs, which is suitable for bringing children to learn and have fun.

Ancient forest at the National Museum of Natural History | Photo: Liao Junqi

China Geological Museum

Also located in Beijing, it was founded in 1916 and has a long history. The overall display is mostly geological structures, minerals, and gemstones. It is the largest geological display museum in Asia . The third floor is an exhibition hall for paleontological fossils, with rich exhibits and even many specimens that can be touched and experienced. There is also a special exhibition "Dragon Out of Chaohu Lake", which displays many important ichthyosaur specimens from Anhui.

China Geological Museum gives you a thumbs up | Photo: Liao Junqi

China Paleozoological Museum (Baoding Natural History Museum)

Located in Baoding, Hebei, it was newly opened in January this year. It is the largest paleontological theme museum in Asia . Tickets are hard to come by at present, and you need to make reservations in advance. The treasure of the museum is the Chinese Raptor. You can also see specimens or models of flying dragons, Mamenchisaurus, and Gigantopithecus on site. In addition, there are a large number of realistic ecological restoration models, which are not only interesting, but also a good place for Internet celebrities to check in.

China Paleozoological Museum (Baoding Natural History Museum) opens in the Year of the Dragon! | Photo: Liao Junqi

Yunnan Lufeng Dinosaur Valley

Lufeng is an important place for the discovery of Chinese dinosaurs. Lufengosaurus is the first dinosaur mounted and studied by the Chinese themselves, and is also the first dinosaur printed on a stamp in the world. In the museum here, you can see thousands of Lufengosaurus lined up in a row, which is spectacular. In addition, there are fossils or models of Sinosaurus, a dilophosaurus, Yunnanosaurus, a sauropodomorph, and Erasaurus, which is a mesospinosaur like Sinoraptor.

Dinosaurs of Yunnan lined up in a row | Photo: Liao Junqi

Liaoning Paleontological Museum

Located in Shenyang Normal University, it has a large number of precious Jehol biota fossils and ecological restoration displays . In addition to typical feathered dinosaurs such as Anchiornis and Confuciusornis, you can also see giant dinosaurs such as Liaoning Titanosaur, as well as the earliest flowers Liaoning Ancient Fruit and Chinese Ancient Fruit.

The magnificent Liaoning dragon | Photographed by Liao Junqi

Inner Mongolia Museum

The Gobi Desert is an important dinosaur discovery site in China. Inner Mongolia has unearthed a large number of fossils, including the world's first nest of dinosaur eggs . The Inner Mongolia Museum exhibits a large number of dinosaur fossils, including the giant sauropod Chagannuoerosaurus. In addition, the Inner Mongolia Natural History Museum and the Erlian Dinosaur Museum are also worth a visit.

Indoor starry sky and dragon in Inner Mongolia Museum｜Photo: Liao Junqi

Shanghai Natural History Museum

Located in Jing'an District, Shanghai, the exhibition and design are very exquisite and novel. In addition to the cute lion specimen that has become famous on the Internet, the dinosaur area here also features a mechanical Tyrannosaurus Rex that is half skeletal and half skin, which is very domineering.

The handsome mechanical Tyrannosaurus Rex in the Shanghai Natural History Museum | Photo: Liao Junqi

Yingliang Stone Natural Museum

Located in Quanzhou, Fujian, the interior style is very artistic. Although it is a new museum established in 2020, it has many important and exquisite collections, including the Yingliang Velociraptor named after the group and the most complete dinosaur embryo currently. The first dinosaur footprint in Fujian was also discovered by the museum's scientific research team, ending the stereotype that "there are no dinosaur fossils in Fujian". In addition, the Xiamen Science and Technology Museum currently has a special exhibition "Dragon Hunt", which uses multimedia sound and light effects to realistically and flexibly reproduce the ancient dinosaur ecology.

The "Dragon Hunt" special exhibition at Xiamen Science and Technology Museum, the picture shows the embryo of the Oviraptor dragon Yingliang Beibei｜Photo: Liao Junqi

Due to the limited space and the limited number of museums and areas that the author has researched and visited, there are many wonderful museums that cannot be introduced one by one, such as the Zigong Dinosaur Museum in Sichuan, the Henan Geological Museum, the Nanjing Paleozoological Museum, etc. Everyone is welcome to share your favorite "dragon" viewing destinations in the comment section.

Finally, I wish you all a prosperous new year with great luck, prosperity, and everything goes well!

Author: Liao Junqi

Divination assistance: Astringent

Editor: Mai Mai

Title image source: Júlia d'Oliveira

This article comes from GuokrNature (ID: GuokrNature)