Pupils visiting the Mentougou mountainous district in Beijing accidentally discovered several pieces of algae fossils a few days ago. Experts confirmed on August 30 that these fossils dated back one billion years.

According to the Beijing-based The First newspaper, a few days ago a summer camp event was held in the Kunying Valley resort village of Wangping Town in the Mentougou District. Participating kids unexpectedly came across several stones, used as the pavement materials, that had images of ancient plants imprinted upon them.

Geologists told The First that these stones are usually called "dolomitic calcareous". They are also fossils of neritic algae. The various forms of the ancient algae can be clearly seen on the fossils. The biggest fossil is 1 meter long, 0.5 meter wide and 0.3 meter thick. Geologists estimated that it might be multi-layered inside.

Experts also said that they have discovered many fossils consisting of ancient animals, deep-sea creatures and terrestrial plants covering every ancient era around the Mentougou District. These fossils bear great value for researchers to study not only the geological changes of Beijing's western areas, but also the global geology, physiognomy, and climate of the Earth.

(China.org.cn by Zhang Rui, September 3, 2007)