Photo of Qinglong Mountain egg fossil featured in top chemistry publication for groundbreaking dating research

A picture of a crystalline dinosaur egg fossil at Qinglong Mountain in Shiyan, Hubei province, has been selected for Chemical & Engineering News' The year in chemistry through pictures as representative of "how chemistry can both explain the world around us and make it a better place".

Chemical & Engineering News is a leading source of news about chemistry and related fields. The article, which was published on Dec 2, compiles striking images of events and developments in chemistry around the world that are considered to be among the most influential of the year.

"The picture was selected because of its significant innovation," said Zhao Bi, senior engineer at the Hubei Institute of Geosciences in Wuhan, Hubei province.

"This study is the first to show that isotopic geochronology can be applied to biogenic eggshell minerals. Our findings offer new ways to refine Cretaceous environments, clarify the timelines of evolution, and help humanity explore the ancient world of dinosaurs and the reasons for their extinction."