• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.386-395
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• 2008

The absolute age of lapilli tuff in sedimentary formation that contains dinosaur fossils in the Boseong area, Korea was determined radiometrically against volcanic rocks below and above the fossil-bearing horizons. The sanidine in the lapilli tuff below the fossil-bearing horizon (Seonso formation) has an $^{40}Ar-^{39}Ar$ age of $81.l{\pm}1.4Ma$. The Pilbong tuff above Seonso formation has an $^{40}Ar-^{39}Ar$ age of $81.0{\pm}2.4Ma$. An andesite dyke intruding all sedimentary units yields an $^{40}Ar-^{39}Ar$ age of $42.4{\pm}2.5Ma$. Thus 81 Ma age can be regarded as the best estimate for the age of the Seonso Formation and the associated the dinosaur eggs. This age correlates well with dinosaur fossil finds in the Haenam and Koseong regions of Korea. The occurrence of dinosaur eggs and clutches attests to the existence of dinosaurs in southern Korea at least inCampanian times.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.27-35
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• 2015

This study aims to establish the age of the Cretaceous Togeum Formation in Gurye that reported the discovery of dinosaur eggshells and bones. This study also investigates to determine the period of the dinosaurs' dominance in the region. K-Ar ages are measured on the whole volcanic rocks in the lower - and upper parts of the formation. The six samples dated are volcanic pebbles deposited in the Geumjeongri Conglomerate that is distributed underneath the Togeum Formation, and the ages dated as Aptian ($118.3{\pm}2.3Ma$) or Albian ($103.6{\pm}2.0$, $102.5{\pm}2.0$, $99.9{\pm}1.9Ma$), which all correspond to the Early Cretaceous. In addition, the ages of andesites and porphyritic andesites overlying the Togeum Formation are dated in a similar way. The result is that the ages are apparently corresponding to the Campanian ($83.9{\pm}1.6$, $74.2{\pm}1.5$Ma) of the Late Cretaceous. Field evidence and the age results indicate that the formation of the Togeum and the activities of dinosaurs dated back between 84 and 100Ma. It suggests that the Togeum Formation be somewhat older than the Boseong Seonso Formation (81Ma) which contains egg shells, the Haenam Uhangni Formation (79-81 Ma) that has dinosaur, pterosaur and webbed bird footprints, and also older than the theropod egg nests (77-83Ma) found in the Aphaedo area.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.329-336
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• 2012

In September 2009, a perfectly preserved fossil of a dinosaur egg nest was discovered in the Cretaceous formations of the Aphaedo area in Shinan, Jeollanam-do, South Korea. In order to estimate the age of dinosaur eggshells and the depositional age of the Cretaceous sediments in Aphaedo area, a whole-rock K-Ar dating was carried out on volcanic pebbles showing a sedimentary structure contemporaneous with the Aphaedo strata, acidic tuffs overlaying the strata conformably, and acidic dike rocks intrude to both of them. Volcanic rocks observed in the strata are 3-20 cm in diameter as pebbles found in lenticular conglomerate and pebble bearing mudstone strata. K-Ar whole-rock dating was performed on six different volcanic pebbles which show a sedimentary structure contemporaneous with the dinosaur egg nest contained in the strata, and all samples show Late Cretaceous ages: Cenomanian ($97.6{\pm}1.9$Ma), Coniacian ($87.6{\pm}1.7$ Ma), Santonian ($84.5{\pm}1.7$Ma) or Campanian ($82.5{\pm}1.6$, $77.3{\pm}1.5$, $75.7{\pm}1.5$ Ma). The K-Ar whole-rock age of acidic tuffs overlaying the Cretaceous formation conformably was estimated to be Campanian ($79.2{\pm}1.6$ or $77.3{\pm}1.5$Ma), when the dating was carried out under the same conditions. The acidic dike intruding both Cretaceous formation and acidic tuff showed a K-Ar whole-rock age of $70.9{\pm}1.4$Ma (Campanian). Therefore, the depositional age of the Cretaceous formation in the Aphaedo area and the time when dinosaurs lived in the study area are considered to be 77-83 Ma. Such results indicate that the ages of dinosaur eggshells from Aphaedo area can be correlated with the ages of the Seonso Formation (81Ma) with dinosaur egg nest fossils and the Uhangri Formation (79-81Ma) with dinosaur, pterosaur and web-footed bird tracks.