Fossil Site of the Xinmin Paleontological Group

　　The Fossil Site of the Xinmin Paleontological Group, located 110 kilometers from the ancient city of Panxian, lies in Yangjuan Village, Xinmin Township. It is part of the Wumengshan National Geopark and also represents the earliest discovered marine reptile fossil group in Guizhou to date, dating back approximately 240 million years. The site was first discovered in 1999, and formal scientific excavation began in 2004. This paleontological fossil stratum mainly features well-preserved and abundant marine reptile fossils, along with multi-category fossils such as lepidotid fish, saurichthyids, cephalopods, nothosaurs, and brachiopods. The fossils are found in the upper section of the Guanling Formation from the Middle Triassic period. The marine reptile fossils primarily include mixosaurids, nothosaurs, and protorosaurs, characterized by rich species diversity, excellent preservation, and large quantities. This represents the oldest known Middle Triassic marine reptile assemblage in the world and has been named the Panxian Fauna. The Panxian Fauna fossils have helped fill an early gap in the evolutionary lineage of marine reptiles. Currently, the Liupanshui Municipal People’s Government and the School of Earth and Space Sciences at Peking University have jointly established the “Panxian Xinmin Marine Fauna Research Workstation” to carry out the excavation, protection, and research of marine fauna, as well as to develop a “Geoscience Popular Science Education Base.” The emergence of the Panxian Fauna fossils unveils the underwater world of Panxian from 240 million years ago and tells the story of humanity’s even more ancient past.