In Shenzhen City, Guangdong Province, China, a 7-year-old boy has become a hot topic for pointing out two problems at a natural history museum. Chinese media Guangming Online reported on the 17th.

【その他の写真】

According to the article, 7-year-old Zhu Zixu (Zhū Zǐxù) recently, in a video posted by his mother, explained two problems he noticed during his visit to the Shenzhen Museum of Natural History. The first was that, although there were three major mass extinctions of organisms in the Paleozoic Era, the museum's introductory video incorrectly described the 'mass extinction at the end of the Devonian period' as the 'mass extinction at the end of the Silurian period'. Zhu pointed out, 'In the Silurian period, there were actually no volcanoes or anything like that, only early plants and animals. It was a period when various things were growing.'

The second was that a curator compared ammonites to snails, and Zhu said this analogy was not accurate, explaining, 'While the body of an ammonite is coiled, a snail's entire body is one large shell. Inside the ammonite's body, there are chambers, like many small rooms separated by walls. But snails do not have that structure.' Regarding this, netizens also voiced that 'ammonites belong to the class Cephalopoda and snails to the class Gastropoda, making the comparison inappropriate.'

On the 12th, the museum's official account stated in the video's comment section that regarding the period of mass extinction, 'we are confirming the specific details and will correct it promptly.' Furthermore, regarding the explanation of ammonites, while explaining that 'it was an attempt to aid understanding by using familiar animals as examples,' it also stated that 'such analogies, which prioritize ease of understanding, sometimes lack professional accuracy, and in the future, we will strive to balance both clarity and professional accuracy.'

According to his mother, Zhu took a notebook with him when visiting museums and drew even the smallest details. He began to develop an interest in living things after visiting Chimelong Ocean Kingdom in Zhuhai at the age of two and a half and seeing marine life. What he particularly likes are ancient organisms and minerals. Now he also likes insects, and regarding his impression of visiting the museum, he said, 'It was so much fun. There were many specimens that I knew. Like Tiktaalik and Dunkleosteus.'

Zhu is said to have been observant of small details, had a good memory, and was very curious since he was little, and his mother said, 'I have always valued my child's ability to think for himself. I want to continue to support my child as he explores nature and deepens his interest in science.' (Translation/Editing by Kitada)