Ancient mystery: The legendary Siberian Psittacosaurus

Many children have a dream of seeing a dinosaur. This dream can be fulfilled at the International RUSSIA EXPO. It is enough to visit the stand of Kuzbass in Pavilion No. 75.

The Kemerovo region is the homeland of dinosaurs, and the inhabitants of the region can tell a lot about prehistoric lizards. But outside of Kuzbass not everyone knows what kind of a beast Psittacosaurus is and what other dinosaurs inhabited these lands.

The burial of dinosaurs was discovered back in 1953 on the territory of Shestakovo village. Later it turned out that the remains are more than 130 million years old. By the way, this year was also not without a sensation. In the Kemerovo region, the remains of a theropod have been excavated again. The predatory dinosaur was found in Russia for the first time.

Photo: Alena Yambaeva

Over time, scientists found out that the most common in the Kuzbass lands was a species of dinosaur from the family Psittacosauridae called Siberian Psittacosaurus.

It cannot boast of impressive size. In length, this dinosaur usually did not exceed two meters, and it was about knee-high to a person. But its appearance was quite bizarre: the muzzle was adorned with small horns, there was a spectacular ridge on the lower jaw, and feathers on the tail. It’s not for nothing that Psittacosaurus is called a parrot lizard and even a small Siberian triceratops.

There's a romantic legend associated with Psittacosaurus.Scientists once discovered the remains of two lizards lying side by side, as if they had died in an embrace. The dinosaurs were dubbed Romeo and Juliet in the local media.

Photo: Alena Yambaeva

"Psittacosaurus is one of the symbols of our region. That is why here you can see both its virtual version on the screen and the skeleton of Psittacosaurus, recreated in all details, but slightly increased in size for greater clarity. And of course, Kuzbasik will greet our guests. This is a version of the lizard looking like a soft children's toy", — said Victoria Proshchenkova, a representative of the stand.

It is possible to cuddle, communicate and take pictures with the huge plush dinosaur. By the way, you can meet a dinosaur at the exposition of the Kirov region too. Guests are greeted by a charming Pareiasaurus Gosha, who looks just like a real one, can talk and move its head. It should be reminded that the International RUSSIA EXPO is open from Tuesday through Sunday, Monday is a technical day. The best time to visit is in the mornings and on weekdays, but the exposition is open to everyone on weekends as well. All expositions and events are free of charge.