Young Tarbosaurus skeleton unearthed in Mongolia

0 Comments | AFP, July, 2008

TOKYO (AFP) — Fossil hunters say they have discovered a rare skeleton of a young Tarbosaurus dinosaur in the Gobi Desert that could yield important clues on the species.

The fossil, which is 70 million years old, is the first discovery of such a complete skeleton of a young Tarbosaurus, a carnivorous dinosaur related to the Tyrannosaurus, a Japanese company involved in the project said.

About 80 percent of the two-metre (six-foot six-inch) five-year-old's skeleton has been discovered, according to a statement from biotechnology firm Hayashibara, which has been conducting research in the desert since 1993.

Researchers hope analysis of the well-preserved specimen will shed light on the difference between young and adult dinosaurs and their growth process,...