This article is published as an external submission via the EFGeoBlog. It may not reflect the official positions of the European Federation of Geologists.
A Geological Gift from China’s President to the President of France
From 5th to 7th May, 2024, China’s President XI Jinping paid an important state visit to France to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and France. President XI Jinping met with French President Emmanuel Macron and presented a reconstruction of the Anchiornis huxleyi, along with a replica fossil, referred to as paleoart. This gift was a collaborative effort made possible by various paleontologists, artists and technicians. The fossil was unearthed in Liaoning Province, China, renowned for its significance as the home of the earliest known feathered theropod dinosaur from the middle to late Jurassic period.
This remarkable geological discovery was mainly attributed to Dr. Wang Meng, a member of the Portuguese Association of Geologists and European Geologist EurGeol title holder (number 1593), under the guidance of his mentor, the renowned Chinese dinosaur scientist, Prof. Dr. Xing Xu and collaborated with Dr. Paul Rummy, Dr. Lizhao Zhang, Mr. Yunpeng Zhang and several scientists and artists to bring this discovery to light.
Here it is the story behind the scenes!
Dear Meng Wang, how does the idea of preparing this gift originate?
I have been a big fan of avian dinosaurs since I was a child. Nevertheless, it was never in my imagination that one day I could become a dinosaur hunter. It was back in 2005 during my undergraduate studies, and 2016, as the start of my professional geological research career, when I was given the chance to perform a rather important fossil site rescue work in Huludao City, Liaoning Province, the birthplace of Chinese Feathered Dinosaurs. It is a very small and lovely city in the northeast of China by the sea, and my hometown. During this rescue work, we found this amazing “fossil”.
During the 79th United Nations General Assembly 2023, I was invited to deliver a talk at the Climate Action Weekend from scientists. I showed a piece of fish fossil to highlight the importance of climate scientific research and biological diversity. It was an interesting experience to present the fossil at the United Nations, and it was applauded by many scientific communities and member states. And later, while we were discussing what to prepare as a national gift, I stood up and shouted, “It’s the Year of the Dragon! We can present something that resembles the dragon— and the closest we could get to a dragon is a dinosaur!” Everyone got excited and agreed to the idea. The dragon, or Loong, is the highest mythical creature in Chinese culture. It represents many things, such as good fortune, health, and more.
Figure 1. Location map of the fossil site with a photo of Anchiornis huxleyi. Photo courtesy of Dr. Wang Meng.
What is Anchiornis huxleyi and when was it discovered?
Anchiornis huxleyi is a species of feathered dinosaur. The fossil was discovered in the Tiaojishan Formation from the Jurassic period in the Linglongta area of Jianchang County, Liaoning Province, dating back approximately 160 million years. The newly discovered fossil of Anchiornis hirsuti displays clear feather impressions around its skeleton, particularly unique flight feathers on the forelimbs, hindlimbs, and tail—a feature unprecedented in any extinct species. This is the earliest known feathered dinosaur fossil, bridging a crucial gap in the evolution from dinosaurs to birds. It is also one of the few dinosaur fossils for which scientists have determined the exact coloration.
In a recent interview with Nature Ecology & Evolution, Prof. Dr. Xing Xu, who studied and named the specimen, described Anchiornis huxleyi as enigmatic and his favorite species among the multiple dinosaurs with amazing features that capture the imagination of all of us. When Prof. Dr. Xu and his colleagues named the dinosaur in 2009 based on a partial skeleton, they initially believed it represented the first branch of the bird family tree. However, they soon revised their opinion, suggesting it might instead be closely related to either troodontid dinosaurs or Archaeopteryx, within a larger group known as Deinonychosauria. This shift in perspective was due to new data from better-preserved fossils of A. huxleyi.
Figure 2. The working team with the real fossil of Anchiornis huxleyi, the origin for the replica and its reconstruction. From the left to the right is Dr.Meng WANG, Prof. Xing XU, Dr. Dr. Lizhao ZHANG, Dr. Paul Rummy.
Figure 3. The working group presenting the ‘Dragon’of the replica fossil and its reconstruction of the Anchiornis huxleyi. Photo courtesy of Meng Wang.
What is, from your point of view, the meaning of this “geological gift”?
The “geological gift” symbolizes friendship without borders and unity on our shared Earth. As we embark on the new “International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development 2024-2033” (Sciences Decade), this gift marks the end of one chapter and the beginning of another, strengthening ties between our nations across various fields. The Earth, with its 4.5 billion-year history, has experienced tremendous geological events that have shaped life in countless ways. Humanity is but a tiny blip in the vast universe. The geological gift is a timepiece that records these events, imprinting Earth’s history. It serves as a history book, teaching us to be humble before nature’s forces and to respect our mother Earth.
It is a gift involving the interdisciplinary cooperation of scientists and artists with real paleontological research and 3D modeling rebuilding. For example, its color was done by artists but resulted from a comparative study of modern birds by scientists and published through a peer-reviewed article. With strong support from the China Association for International Sciences and Technology Cooperation, the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology and the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, we set up the new Science for Public initiative named “From the Past to the Future” to call for urgent action form not only geologists but all scientists to implement the SDGs 2030 and present the traceable plan from the UN Summit of the Future to 2030. The first sci-art exhibition on “Dinosaurs Unearthed, 2 Million Years of Earth’s History” was just launched by our same team in Beijing 798 Art district, one of the most popular modern art districts of the world.
This is the first time a dinosaur has been selected as a national gift from the Chinese presidency, highlighting the importance of geological science in the areas of biodiversity, climate change, raw materials, and several basic scientific research fields. It encourages more earth scientists to take action, using not only the geological hammer but also science-driven initiatives to meet the challenges of a shared future for humanity.
Figure 4. From 3D designing to 3D printing: A precise and delicate effort by the working group on dinosaur reconstruction and modelling, resulted by the scientific research and comparative study of modern birds and fossils.
What are common challenges for professional geologists in Europe and China?
We do face so many common challenges, including urgent climate action, developing more resilient cities, and the transformational development of capacity in raw materials. These challenges are critical for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals 2030, as well as for achieving breakthroughs in fundamental geological questions. At the same time, as future generations of professional geologists in the geo-industry, we may have another inescapable responsibility for the recovery of the global economy.
Geology is the foundation of resilient cities and provides the background data for climate research, offering solutions to these problems based on understanding the basic evolution of the Earth. This involves tracing long-term human activity data and modeling complex systems based on these data. Europe and China are probably the most active and important consumers of raw materials in the world, as well as important producers and suppliers. They complement each other in different demand categories and development stages at the same time.
The world’s big mining entrepreneurs must find a new formula for success. The era of critical minerals has arrived, and it’s the most momentous change the industry has seen in decades. The era of critical minerals must therefore be an era of reinvention, with the main theme of the mining industry continuing to be transformation, more specifically, energy transformation. This transformation requires geologists to balance resource extraction with environmental conservation, ensuring that geological practices contribute to the long-term health of our planet.
Most of the current challenges and difficulties transcend national boundaries. The only way forward is to cooperate, complementing each other’s shortcomings and working together to address the most difficult global and systemic challenges. Hence, we are working hand-in-hand with the United Nation’s SDGs goals, governmental bodies and NGOs to achieve greater heights in these areas, extending our efforts beyond Europe and China to the entire world.
In this context, I would like to highlight the words of Mr. António Guterres, the Secretary General of the UN, during his speech on World Environment Day at the American Museum of Natural History on 5th June: “Of the vast forces that have shaped life on earth over billions of years. Humanity is just one small blip on the radar. But like the meteor that wiped out the dinosaurs, we’re having an outsized impact. In the case of climate, we are not the dinosaurs. We are the meteor. We are not only in danger. We are the danger. But we are also the solution.”
Figure 5. Action to Protect Our Earth. Pictures from United Nation Summit of the Future (September 2024).
Please note that we could not obtain permission to publish photos of President Xi presenting the geological gift to President Macron. For information purposes, pictures of this special moment can be viewed via the Agence Press website:
About the Author: Meng Wang is a researcher in geology at the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and an Adjunct Professor at Bologna University. His work has primarily focused on scientific research and international cooperation in paleoclimate and natural resources over the past 15 years, starting his career as a scientific assistant to the Chinese Deputy Minister of Natural Resources. He holds an academic background in earth sciences from undergraduate to PhD levels, complemented by two interdisciplinary degrees in law and economics.
Disclaimer: This article expresses the personal opinions of the author. These opinions may not reflect the official position of the European Federation of Geologists (EFG).
