Chinese paleontologists claim that dinosaur fossils discovered in Erenhot in the northern part of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region may help to explain the secrets behind the extinction of the gigantic animal.

The paleontologists said the fossils come from about 10 dinosaurs and have enormous scientific research value.

The dinosaur graveyard, which covers an area of several hundred mu (1 hectare = 15 mu), is believed to be the largest of its kind in the world.

The paleontologists said the graveyard belongs to the late Cretaceous period (around 65 million to 70 million years ago) when the huge animal suddenly became extinct.

Dinosaur fossils were first found in Erenhot in 1893 by Russian geologists.

(Xinhua News Agency August 28, 2006)