Two students stumble on new dinosaur (with a killer cousin)
British student scientist Michael Pittman and an American colleague stumbled on the near-complete fossil skeleton of Linheraptor exquisitus on a field trip to Inner Mongolia.
The 8ft-long creature is related to the Velociraptor, one of the terrifying stars of Jurassic Park. Like its famous cousin, Linheraptor had a large curved claw on each foot, which may have been used to dispatch prey.
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Hide AdThe dinosaur, which lived 75 million years ago, would have been agile and swift.
Mr Pittman said: "Jonah saw a claw protruding from the cliff face. He carefully removed it.
I told him it was from a carnivorous dinosaur, and when he agreed I'm surprised nobody in London heard us shouting."