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World's largest dinosaur fossil group discovered

By Zhan Ruiwan (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2009-10-12 17:31

A 500 meter-long, 26 meter-deep dinosaur fossil gallery was recently unearthed in the Zhucheng Dinosaur Stream in Shandong.

Dozens of well-known dinosaur experts at home and abroad have confirmed that it is the largest fossil group with the richest reserves in the world.

“The unparalleled scale of the dinosaur fossil group in Zhucheng is a shocking spectacle of physical geography,” said the UNESCO World Geopark Group Executive Board authorities after a recent inspection of the fossil group.

On October 7, the complete dinosaur skeletons were transported from Zhucheng to the Beijing Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology for further study.

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Renowned dinosaur expert Professor Xu Xing considers the finding likely to be a new dinosaur species and another major discovery since the third exploration in January 2008 in the Zhucheng Dinosaur Stream.

The newly discovered duck-billed dinosaur skeletons have proven to be the largest in the world, as identified by the Chinese Academy of Sciences expert Zhao Xijin and Professor Xu Xing .

Fossil repair work is currently being done. Experts have initially named the skeletons "Huge Chinese Dragon". The body length is over 21 meters, longer than the "Dragon King of the World", which is nearly four meters-long. Previous dinosaur species found in the Zhucheng Dinosaur Stream have only reached at least 10 meters so far.

Efforts to recognize the Dinosaur Stream, the core area in the Zhucheng Cretaceous Dinosaur Geopark, as a world geological park, World Natural Heritage Site and a Geological Wonder of the World, are actively being made, according to reports.