According to the press service of the government administration of the Kemerovo region, the expedition team of the Kuzbass State Museum of Local Lore made the discovery while tracking at the foot of the Shestakov Yar on the banks of the Kiya River. Monitoring of the Shestakovo-1 locality showed that the sandstone monolith contains several dozen well-preserved bones, including articulating theropod limb bones.
According to preliminary estimates, the dinosaur that lived in this area 125 million years ago was about one meter tall and almost two meters long, including its tail. It has already been determined that the fossils most likely belong to a member of the dromaeosaurid family. To determine the species of the theropod, scientists will need to dissect paleontological material from the monolith and then perform a comparative analysis. Leading paleontologists in the country will participate in the studies of the skeleton, which will be carried out using tomography and electron microscopy.
The found fossil is now in the branch of the State Museum of Kuzbass Local Lore in the village of Shestakovo. The cleanup process for finds of this size typically takes several weeks to several months. After the fossil specimen is fully stuffed and ready for transportation, it will be delivered to Kemerovo.
“The new discovery of the Kuzbass scientists is a real breakthrough in paleontology. This is the first discovery of its kind in Russia, and it is a sensation. We actively support the research,” Kuzbass chief Sergei was quoted as saying by the press service. Tsivilev.
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The Shestakovo paleontological complex, discovered in the 1950s, is a unique site and one of the largest in the world of well-preserved fossils of dinosaurs and other representatives of prehistoric fauna. So, it was here that, several years ago, complete skeletons of Siberian psitacosaurus, herbivorous parrot lizards, were found. In addition, many other archaeological, geological and natural attractions are concentrated in the Shestakovo area, which makes this place attractive for the development of various types of tourism.
