The Current Status of Fossil Resources in China (Regulations on the Protection of Paleontological Fo

1. Fossils are the wealth of all mankind

Fossils are the remains, relics and relics of ancient life preserved in rocks after a long period of geological action. Paleontological fossils are precious records and wealth left to us by life in different periods of billions of years of Earth's history. They are very valuable non-renewable natural heritage left to mankind by Mother Earth, and are also an irreplaceable resource. It should be noted here that "non-renewable" and "irreplaceable" are two concepts with different meanings. "Non-renewable" such as coal and oil are called non-renewable resources by us, but they can be replaced, such as atomic energy, solar energy, etc., but fossils are absolutely irreplaceable. Before the emergence of humans, many creatures once lived on Earth, but some species became extinct for various reasons, and because humans cannot return to the ancient Earth where we have never lived, we can only prove their existence by finding fossils formed by these extinct species, and only by studying their fossils can we peek into the characteristics and habits of these species. The preservation conditions of fossils are extremely harsh and special. It is estimated that only about one in ten thousand individuals can be preserved to form fossils, and the process of fossil formation is irreversible and irreversible.

Fossils are the basis of paleontological research. Scientists can find information about the history of the earth from them, including the origin, evolution and development of different organisms on the earth. They are the most direct evidence to support Darwin's theory of biological evolution. The study of fossils not only has unparalleled biological significance, but is also an indispensable part of studying the paleoenvironment, paleogeography and paleoecological system evolution of the earth. Only by understanding the past can we better study the changes in the current earth's organisms and environment. Therefore, paleontological research has a unique historical reference for us to better cherish the common home of mankind-the earth and protect biodiversity.

The "non-renewable" and "irreplaceable" nature of fossils, coupled with their important scientific value, make them an important asset for all mankind, and should not belong to any independent individual.

　2. Fossil resources in China

China is rich in paleontological fossil resources. Over the past century, several extremely important fossil groups have been discovered in China: for example, the Chengjiang Animal Fossil Group, the oldest and most complete mollusk fossil group in the world; the Weng'an Biota, which lit the torch for the mysterious world of the Precambrian and is considered by the academic community to be one of the greatest discoveries of the 20th century; the Triassic marine biota in Guizhou and Yunnan, which is of great significance to the study of taphonomy, paleoecology, and paleogeography; and the Liaoxi Jehol Biota, which has the world's only feathered dinosaur fossils.

China's paleontological research has been going on for nearly a hundred years. After several generations of efforts and struggles, and after several ups and downs, it is now in another golden period of research and has a certain international status. In the 1930s, a group of Chinese geological pioneers who learned modern geological survey and research methods from the West devoted their lifelong energy to the study of paleontological fossils in their motherland. They discovered the Shanwang fossils in Linqu, Shandong Province, and the Lufeng fossil group in the northwest of Kunming, which set off the first climax of paleontological research in China; the second climax appeared around the 1980s. With the extensive development of basic geological survey work, major discoveries of paleontological fossils have emerged in an endless stream. The third climax occurred in recent years, with a series of major discoveries and major research results of the Jehol fauna, which made the originally unpopular paleontological research hot.

But along with these major discoveries came the crazy destruction of fossil resources and the speculation and smuggling of fossils. In some fossil producing areas, the theft of fossils is very common, and the destruction of paleontological fossil resources is shocking.

3. Current Status of Fossil Protection in China

The destruction of paleontological fossils includes two aspects: one is the destruction caused by natural weathering, and the other is man-made destruction. From the current situation, the man-made destruction of paleontological fossils in China is extremely serious. The value of paleontological fossils has never been taken seriously in China. The theft of fossils mainly started with dinosaur egg fossils, and it was not until the 1980s that it spread to all areas of fossils.

"The scientific research value of fossils is its original attribute. But now, fossils have been given other attributes, such as shape and ornamental value, so many people began to collect fossils and then buy and sell them, which gave them the attributes of commodities. "Li Jinling said. There is still a saying in Guanling that "it is better to dig a fossil than to grow corn for a year"; even worse, some people have lost their lives in nighttime theft. The phenomenon of indiscriminate mining of paleontological fossils is serious in more than a dozen provinces and regions. Fossil producing areas such as western Liaoning and southwestern Guizhou are full of theft pits.

Illegal mining and smuggling are a pair of black twin brothers. In 2006, a nest of dinosaur egg fossils from my country was sold at a high price of nearly 420,000 US dollars in the United States, which shocked the paleontological community at home and abroad. According to relevant national management departments, in the past three years, my country has recovered more than 5,000 paleontological fossils lost abroad, most of which are key protected fossils.

The "Regulations on the Protection of Paleontological Fossils" was passed at the 123rd Executive Meeting of the State Council on August 25, 2010, and officially announced to the public, and will be implemented from January 1, 2011. The regulations regulate the excavation, collection, entry and exit of paleontological fossils in the territory of the People's Republic of China and other sea areas under its jurisdiction, as well as legal responsibilities. Individuals are prohibited from excavating and trading precious fossils.

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