Well Preserved Giant Dinosaur Tail was Discovered in Mexico
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| The tail, from a hadrosaur, will enable experts to learn about bone conditions that affected the colossal beasts |
16-foot dinosaur complete tail unearthed in Mexico is in perfect condition
A team of archaeologists have discovered the fossilized remains of a 72 million-year-old dinosaur tail in a desert in northern Mexico.
Apart from being unusually well preserved, the16 foot-long tail was the first ever found in Mexico, said Francisco Aguilar, National Institute for Anthropology and History director in the border state of Coahuila.
The team, made up of archaeologists and students from INAH and the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), identified the fossil as a hadrosaur, or duck-billed dinosaur.
The tail, found near the small town of General Cepeda, likely made up half the dinosaur's length, Mr Aguilar said.
Strewn around the tail were other fossilized bones, including one of the dinosaur's hips, INAH said.
Dinosaur tail finds are relatively rare, according to INAH. The new discovery could further understanding of the hadrosaur family and aid research on diseases that afflicted dinosaur bones, which resembled those of humans, Aguilar said.
Scientists have already determined that dinosaurs suffered from tumors and arthritis, for example.
Dinosaur remains have been found in many parts of the state of Coahuila, in addition to Mexico's other northern desert states.
"We have a very rich history of paleontology," Mr Aguilar said.
He noted that during the Cretaceous period, which ended about 65 million years ago, much of what is now central northern Mexico was on the coast. This has enabled researchers to unearth remains of both marine and land-based dinosaurs.
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| Despite Mexico's rich heritage in paleontology, this is the first dinosaur tail found in the country |
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| Precision: Archaeologists painstakingly excavate the tail |