Exotic fossils: The Soaring Dinosaurs - Chinese Dinosaurs & Prehistoric Life exhibition features 200 fossils, including this Miocene period Giant Panda.

About 200 fossils unearthed in China are now on show at the Science Museum until November 25. They offer clues to the evolution of the dinosaurs and shed new light on the rise of birds, mammals and flowering plants.

Opening the Soaring Dinosaurs - Chinese Dinosaurs & Prehistoric Life exhibition today, Secretary for Home Affairs Dr Patrick Ho said the show is one of the major events celebrating the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region's 10th anniversary.

"The fossils represent important milestones in the evolutionary history of the Earth. It is a rare opportunity for the people of Hong Kong to be introduced to these gems, some of which have never been seen before in Hong Kong," Dr Ho said.

7 topics

Provided by the Chinese Academy of Geological Science Institute of Geology, the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Museum, the Chongqing Museum of Natural History, the Lufeng Dinosaur Museum and the Changzhou Dinosaurland, the fossils are divided into seven topics: Fossil Excavation Site, Paleozoic Animals & Plants, Mesozoic Animals, Mesozoic Dinosaurs, Mesozoic Plants, Mesozoic Feathered Dinosaurs & Birds, and Cenozoic Mammals. They range from the earliest animals that flourished in the Cambrian waters to the first placental mammal, and flowering plants to feathered dinosaurs that evolved into birds.

A series of activities, including the Prehistoric Giants Theatre, will be organised during the exhibition. The theatre will feature a series of documentaries on dinosaurs and ancient creatures, and six episodes of the Walking with Dinosaurs series.

For details click here or call 2732 3223.