Chinese palaeontologists discovered an impressive Jurassic dinosaur skeleton.
The fossil was uncovered in Lufeng, southwest China, and estimates suggest that it is approximately 70% intact, and it comes from a dinosaur that was estimated eight metres in length.
It was discovered during a dig in late May in soil from 180 million years ago, during the Jurassic period, dailymail suggests.
Wang Tao, the head of the Dinosaur Fossil Conservation and Research Center from Lufeng City, said that finding a highly complete dinosaur fossil is extremely rare across the globe.
He even said that the fossil is a “national treasure” and that the team is working on excavating the animal’s skull.
‘Based on the fossil was have discovered over the years, on its tail, and thigh bones, we believe this is a type of giant Lufengosaurus, which lived during the Early Jurassic period’, he said.
The centre is working on an emergency dig plan to rescue the skeleton as it was discovered in a spot where there is a high risk of soil erosion.
Discovering skeletons as complete as that one in Lufen is an extremely rare happening in the world of palaeontology.
The dinosaur species made the news in 2017 when collagen proteins were found preserved in the beast’s rib. The dinosaur is commonly known as a Lufengosaurus.
However, that discovery was awe-inspiring because it was 100 million years older than any similar past discovery, the BBC announced.
Additionally, the scientists discovered traces of a mineral they think would have been present in the dinosaur’s blood.
As for the species, it is believed to have been four-legged herbivores.
