(Photo : Dinosaur Fossils Found In East China)

Can China be the home of dinosaurs several million years ago?

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This was the question that arose after the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences said it has unearthed several dinosaur fossils in Shangdong's Laiyang City.

Chinese archaeologists found more than 130 fossils, including egg and bone remains, at the excavation site in the village of Jingangkou.  

The City of Laiyang was declared as a national park for dinosaur fossils in 2011 after scientists unearthed several dinosaur fossils from different layers.

The area was immediately sealed off to protect the fossils and the surrounding rock area to restore the site and for archaeologists to conduct further research and study.

Fossils Relatively Intact

According to Wang Xiaolin, a researcher of Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, most of the fossils are still relatively intact.

He said archaeologists can easily assemble a complete dinosaur skeleton from the fossils. Wang said the largest piece of fossil they unearthed is over 60 centimeters. The bone is believed to be an upper arm bone of a humerus dinosaur.

For years, Chinese archeologists and scientists have unearthed several ancient fossils, including that of dinosaurs and rhinoceros, creating the belief that such animals roamed the vast wilderness of China even before the existence of human beings.

Scientists also believe that the fossils unearthed in the country could shed light on how the dinosaurs vanished several million years ago and what caused their extinction.

Jurassic-era Dinosaur Fossil

Last April, the largest fossil discovery in the country was made after scientists dug up a Jurassic-era dinosaur fossil that measures 115 feet in length and weighs 30 tons. The fossil was unearthed by researchers from the China Research Society of Paleontology.

The fossil was discovered in Shanshan Country in a rock layer that dates back to the Middle Jurassic Period, or about 165 years old.