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EARTH


CAN THESE AWESOME ROCKS BECOME CENTRAL ASIA’S FIRST UNESCO GEOPARK?

Long feted by fossil hunters and geologists, if UNESCO recognises the
extraordinary rock formation at Madygen in Kyrgyzstan, it will soon be a player
on the world stage

By Diana Kruzman

30 April 2024

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The Madygen formation is one of the world’s richest Triassic fossil beds – but
few people have heard of it.

GeoExplorersClub



Around 235 million years ago, in what is now central Asia, a small reptile fell
into a freshwater lake and settled in the soft mud at the bottom. The creature –
named Longisquama, meaning “long scales”, after the strange, feather-like
protrusions on its back – probably lived in a nearby forest with a host of other
curious animals, including a flying reptile known as Sharovipteryx and
Gigatitan, a giant mantis-like insect.

As the Longisquama‘s body slowly decayed and gradually turned to stone,
continents drifted and the landscape above changed, with the lake drying up and
reforming numerous times. Then, in the 1960s, Soviet palaeontologist Aleksandr
Sharov found the fossilised reptile and shone a scientific spotlight on this
little-known corner of the USSR.

Today, the region is in southern Kyrgyzstan, a dusty landscape of colourful rock
outcrops and dry riverbeds framed by the snow-capped peaks of the Turkestan
range. These rocks, remnants of the layers of mud and silt deposited on the lake
bed on which Longisquama came to rest, are called the Madygen formation, after a
nearby village. Palaeontologists recognise it as one of the world’s richest
Triassic fossil beds and a lagerstätte – a site with exquisitely preserved
specimens – but few other people have heard of Madygen.



Read more

World's first tunnel to a magma chamber could unleash unlimited energy



That looks set to change. If all goes to plan, this year the region will become
a Global Geopark, the first in central Asia. As well as showcasing this natural…

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