This is the first academic book about the dinosaurs, birds and pterosaurs of Korea, one of the richest and most exciting regions on earth for the study of vertebrate ichnology (the study of fossil traces such as footprints). Many ichnogenera appear indigenous to Korea, and based on present evidence there is nowhere else in the world where such densities and diversity of vertebrate tracks have been reported. Many sites also reveal the highest density of bird and dinosaur tracks in the world.
Dinosaurs, Birds, and Pterosaurs of Korea describes the significant advances in Cretaceous vertebrate ichnology and dinosaur research made in Korea over the past twenty years. Several dinosaur fossil sites have been excavated, and unique vertebrate fossils including dinosaurs and pterosaurs have been discovered. This landslide of discovery has resulted in a proliferation of papers on vertebrate tracks and remains from the Cretaceous of South Korea and the growing recognition that as a region it reveals multiple track-rich sequences of unique quality and scientific utility. Because of the outstanding ichnological resources in this region, it has been dubbed the Korean Cretaceous Dinosaur Coast (KCDC), and many sites of national and international significance have been designated as national natural monuments of Korea.
This book is written for geologists, palaeontologists, ichnologists, geology and earth science students, and earth science teachers at high school, as well as the general reader interested in ancient life including the dinosaurs, birds, and pterosaurs of Korea. The goal of this book is to provide readers with a scientific understanding of Mesozoic life flourishing in the Korean Peninsula. To facilitate easy comprehension, Dinosaurs, Birds, and Pterosaurs of Korea contains many sketches, graphs, diagrams, photographs and tables and is supported by a comprehensive glossary.
1 Introduction
2 Dinosaurs from the Cretaceous of Korea
3 Birds from the Cretaceous of Korea
4 Pterosaurs and Other Reptiles from the Cretaceous of Korea
5 Other Fossils from the Cretaceous of Korea
6 Major Cretaceous Fossilsites of Korea
7 Summary and Prospects
Appendix 1. Administrative district map showing localities of vertebrate fossils from the Cretaceous of Korea
Appendix 2. Major museums and research centers for vertebrate fossils from the Cretaceous of Korea
Index
Names of fossil localities, strata, taxa and ichnotaxa, and authors
Jeong Yul Kim is a professor of the Department of Earth Science Education at the Korea National University of Education. He received his PhD from Seoul National University and was president of the Paleontological Society of Korea in 2010-2012. He published 8 books related to geology and paleobiology in Korean. His main research field is ichnology.
Min Huh is a professor of the faculty of Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences at Chonnam National University. He received his PhD from Korea University. He was the President of the Paleontological Society of Korea from 2012-2016, and President of the Geological Society of Korea from 2016. Also, he is the Vice-president of the Korea Committee for inscribing of UNESCO World Heritage on the Korean Cretaceous Dinosaur Coast (KCDC) and the President of the Conservation Committee of UNESCO Jeju Global Geopark. His current research is on dinosaurs.