450-mph Pompeii-type volcano blasts created exquisite dinosaur fossils
In the northeast of China, at the Yixian and Jiufotang formations, scientists have discovered thousands of exquisitely preserved fossils of plants and birds, dinosaurs and mammals. Together they make up the Jehol Biota -- an ecosystem, preserved in ash, that dates back nearly 130 million years. Some of these fossils are so complete that researchers can determine what a dinosaur had for breakfast on the day it died. Others include impressions of an animal's muscles and skin, as well as hair, feathers and scales. Read more
The dinosaurs, birds, and early mammals found in the fossil beds of northern China are famous - both for their exceptional preservation and for their incredible diversity. But no one knew how they died or why hundreds of creatures from different habitats were buried together on ancient lake floors. Read more
'Animal Pompeii' wiped out China's ancient creatures
The puzzle of how a 120-million-year-old animal graveyard in China formed may have been solved. Scientists believe that the creatures from the lower Cretaceous era were instantly killed by volcanic eruptions similar to the violent blast that hit the Roman city of Pompeii. Much like the residents of the city, the animals were entombed in ash and frozen in their death throes. Read more