Dinosaurs may have died out sixty five million years ago, but that has never stopped palaeontologists from trying to gain new insight and information about one of the oldest species on the planet. In fact, a recent discovery has actually revealed a brand new type of dinosaur that was not previously known.
Palaeontologists in Zhucheng, China have recently unearthed the fossilised skull and jaw bones of what appears to be a very sizable dinosaur, estimating that the specimen would have been four metres tall, eleven metres long and weighed around six tones.
The dinosaur has been appropriately named Zhuchengtyrannus magnus, meaning "tyrant from Zhucheng", and has been classified as being in a group of dinosaurs known as tyrannosaurines - the same group as the famed Tyrannosaurus Rex. The bones gathered were just slightly smaller than the largest Tyrannosaurus Rex specimen ever found, making the Zhuchengtyrannus magnus one of largest carnivorous dinosaurs that had ever existed. Though similar to the T-rex, with its strong back legs, small arms, two fingered hands, sharp teeth and large jaws, Zhuchengtyrannus magnus has a combination of unique features in its skull that other similar dinosaurs don't have.
With many other fossils being discovered in this area of China, we can only wait and see what other kinds of interesting and new surprises palaeontologists will unearth as they strive to better understand these mysterious and fascinating creatures.