By Xinhua
Hangzhou : Chinese and Japanese scientists have confirmed that a dinosaur fossil unearthed in eastern Zhejiang province in September was a new species of the dominant vertebrate animal.
The fossil, measuring five metres tall and 15 metres long, basically was a sauropod, or a large long-necked herbivorous dinosaur, in the Cretaceous period about 60 million years ago, said Jin Xingsheng, deputy curator of the Zhejiang Museum of Natural History.
The fossils were unearthed at the foot of Hugong Mountain on the outskirts of Dongyang city.
After meticulous study and comparison of the fossils, the scientists concluded the dinosaur belonged to a new species.
“It demonstrates many unique features, different from any identified dinosaur species. It will enrich the dinosaur family,” Jin said.
“But the scientific name for this species of dinosaur will be subject to examination and approval. It will probably be named after Dongyang.”
Scientists are currently restoring the fossils in the Dongyang Museum and they plan to put them on show in late May or early June.
The first discovery of dinosaur fossils in Zhejiang dated back to 1977 when a 22-meter-long “Jiangshanosaurus Lixianensis” was unearthed. Such titanosaurian dinosaurs appeared some 125-100 million years ago.
In August last year, scientists announced the identification of a new dinosaur species – Zhejiangosaurus Lishuiensis – that was found in 2000 at a village near Lishui city in Zhejiang.