On paleoecosystem and paleoenvironment of the Early Cretaceous Tetori Group ; promotion of the public understanding of the fossils, local museums and visitor centers, site protection in the local community

通过该项目，石川县白岭村教育委员会已经准备了2062个标本，并将其分类为动物化石收藏。已发现的蛋壳有39种、3种形态类型，包括软体动物9种、鱼类4种、两栖动物1种、蜥蜴7种、海龟3种、脉管动物3种、恐龙6种、翼龙2种、鸟类1种、下孔类1种、哺乳动物2种。在这些爬行动物化石中，一种长龙类动物首次在欧洲/中东以外被发现。它代表了最早的化石记录和首次出现在非海相地层中。这一化石与一种最新的假设不一致，即蛇、长龙和沧龙是在晚白垩纪的欧洲/中东海域进化而来的。在鱼类化石中，亚洲首次发现了一种类法氏鱼，它代表了最早的化石记录。该化石质疑了Phareodus及其相关鱼类起源于晚白垩纪南半球的假设。我们于6月1日和2日在北九州市自然历史和人类历史博物馆组织了东亚早白垩世生物群国际研讨会。共有15篇论文，其中6篇是由海外代表提交的。我们举办了一个关于早白垩纪生物群的巡回展览。2002年夏天在千叶县博物馆和研究所首次举办，之后在群马县博物博物馆和北九州市博物和人类史博物馆举办，共吸引了37300多名参观者。

Through the project, 2062 specimens have been prepared and catalogued into the animal fossil collection at the Board of Education in Shiramine Village, Ishikawa Prefecture. Thirty-nine species and three morpho types of the egg shells have been recognized including 9species of molluscs, 4 species of fishes, one species of amphibian, 7 species of lizards, 3 species of turtles, 3 species of choristoderans, 6 species of dinosaurs, 2 species of pterosaurs, one species of birds, one species of synapsids, and two species of mammals. Among the fossil reptiles, a dolichosaur-like animal was identified for the first time outside of Europe/Middle East. It represents the earliest fossil record and the first occurrence in non-marine strata. The fossil is not congruent with a latest hypothesis that the snakes, dolichosaurs, and mosasaurs evoloved in the European/Middle Eastern sea in the Late Cretaceous. Among fossil fishes, a Phareodus-like fish was identified for the first time in Asia and it represents the earliest fossil record. This fossil questions a hypothesis that Phareodus and its related fishes were originated in the Southern Hemisphere in the Late Cretaceous. We organized an international symposium on the Early Cretaceous biota in East Asia at Kitakyushu City Museum of Natural History and Human History on 1 and 2 June. There were 15 papers including six given by overseas delegates. We produced a traveling exhibition on the Early Cretaceous Biota. It opened first at Chiba Prefectural Museum and Institute in the summer of 2002, and traveled to Gunma Museum of Natural History, and Kitakyushu City Museum of Natural History and Human History attracting more than 37300 visitors in total.