China has unveiled a new species of early Jurassic dinosaur, with a somewhat well-preserved fossil of it discovered in southwest China's Yunnan province, the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP) announced recently.
Named Lishulong wangi, the fossil represents one of the largest known early sauropods from the region.
The well-preserved specimen, which includes an intact skull and nine cervical vertebrae, was unearthed in 2007 in the Chuanjie Basin of Yunnan's Lufeng City.
"(The fossil) was discovered in the back hills of Dalishu Village, and, after years of studies, named Lishulong wangi. The name is to commemorate a man named 'Wang Zhengju' who discovered Lufengpithecus fossils. So, the newly discovered fossil has been named after Mr. Wang Zhengju," said Wang Tao, director of Dinosaur Fossil Conservation and Research Center under Lufeng's Department of Natural Resources.
Scientists from the IVPP have classified Lishulong wangi as an early-branching sauropodomorph, closely related to Yunnanosaurus.
The skull alone measures about 40 centimeters in length, making it the largest of its kind found in the Lufeng Formation.
This discovery increased the diversity of dinosaurs in southwest China, and improved the understanding of the evolution of early differentiated sauropods.
"Its skull and cervical spine are better preserved. It would have been about eight meters long when it was alive," Wang said.
The fossil is now on public display at an exhibition hall in the Lufeng Dinosaur Valley.
Chinese scientists discover new early Jurassic dinosaur species in southwest China's Yunnan
The first Hualong One nuclear power unit in south China's Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area officially entered commercial operation on Monday.
The newly commissioned Unit 1 of China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN) Guangdong Taipingling Nuclear Power Project achieved multiple key technological breakthroughs and completed 26 major design upgrades, according to engineers. It also marked the simultaneous completion and handover of both the physical plant and its integrated digital system.
Unit 1 is expected to generate more than nine billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, which is sufficient to meet the yearly power needs of around one million residents in the Greater Bay Area.
Zhang Guoqiang, head of CGN Huizhou Nuclear Power Project, said the project helps advance the nation's carbon reduction drive.
"The clean energy output is equivalent to reducing carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 8.4 million tons or adding around 20,000 hectares of forest. Currently, Unit 1 has completed all performance tests and a 168-hour full-power continuous operation assessment. All parameters of the unit are normal and stable, and the unit is in good condition," said Zhang.
The Taipingling Nuclear Power Project is planned to build six Hualong One units in three phases. Once fully completed, the project is expected to generate more than 55 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually.
"Hualong One" is China's domestically developed third-generation nuclear reactor. The technology is considered vital in the country's pursuit of improving its energy mix and meeting its dual carbon targets of peaking carbon emissions by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060.
First Hualong One nuclear power unit in China's Greater Bay Area starts power generation
