The photo shows the dinosaur fossil discovered at a construction site in Sichuan Province. Photo: Weibo

A prehistoric piece discovered at a construction site in Longchang city, Southwest China’s Sichuan Province, was confirmed to be a dinosaur fossil of about 160 million years old. Experts believe it can be of great scientific value for the study of systematic evolution, biodiversity, paleogeographic patterns and paleoenvironmental changes of in the Jurassic period. 

The fossil was discovered at a road construction site last Monday when workers were cutting a stone slab which was suspected of containing fossils of ancient creatures. 

Paleontologists and geologists from across the nation, including experts from the Geological Museum of China, the Henan Natural History Museum and the Paleontology Institute of Shenyang Normal University, determined that it is a relatively well-preserved fossil of a small- to medium-sized sauropod dinosaur after the inspection and assessment of the site on Saturday and Sunday. 

The photo shows the dinosaur fossil discovered at a construction site in Sichuan Province. Photo: Weibo

 
It is the first complete dinosaur fossil discovered in the city. 

The fossil was preserved in the quartz sandstone and presents a spiral shape. It is estimated to be about 10 meters in length. So far, parts of the fossil including cervical vertebra, caudal vertebra and hind limbs, have been taken out but others remain at the construction site. 

Experts mentioned that, although the dinosaur was not very big, it differed greatly from the large Mamenchisaurus sauropods which have been widely found in Sichuan. It can be a new species of the sauropods which was relatively rare in China. 

At the moment, the site where the fossil was discovered has been put under surveillance round-the-clock and further excavations will be carried out according to regulations. 

Global Times