Science View
Fossil Findings - Clues to Japan in the Cretaceous Period
2021 • E18 Oct 19, 2021 28m
The Cretaceous period is regarded as the last part of the age of dinosaurs, when these fascinating creatures lived at their peak. While the flora and fauna of Japan's land mass during the Late Cretaceous period has long been a mystery, clues have emerged through the fossil record. Tyrannosaurid fossils and pieces of amber containing plants and insects have been discovered in Kuji City, Iwate Prefecture in a well-preserved layer of earth from the Cretaceous period called the Tamagawa Formation. Research on these specimens has revealed that Japan probably had a much warmer climate, with mangroves along the ocean and other organisms typical of tropical zones. In this program, we'll take a closer look at findings about Japan during the Cretaceous period.