Fossilised remains of bird-like dinosaur that died ‘fighting for life in flood’ discovered in China

The fossilised remains of a large bird-like dinosaur have been found in China which appeared to have been fighting for its life in a flood in the moments before it died, according to researchers.

The remains of the new species were discovered at a construction site in Ganzhou in Jiangxi province, the journal Scientific Reports said on Thursday.

The dinosaur’s head is lifted sharply upwards and its wings and legs spread out as if it was struggling, according to Lu Junchang, associate professor at the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences in Beijing. To find a fossil in such a posture is rare, as most specimens are pressed flat when preserved.

“We were shocked when we separated the specimen from rock”, Lu told the South China Morning Post.

“We shocked by its defiance in the face of death and willingness to live. It happened millions of years ago, but the preservation of the fossil was so good it looked like yesterday.”

The specimen was discovered during blasting at the construction site and one of the bore holes went straight through the remains.

Miraculously, the fossils remained largely intact after the explosion and was spotted by a few amateur fossil collectors among a heap of debris.

The research team named the dinosaur Tongtianlong, meaning “dragon reaching out to the sky” in Chinese.