A fossilized hind leg of a huge dinosaur has been discovered in Qitai County in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

The exposed section of the fossil is three meters long, with a diameter of 30 centimeters, according to a report in the Xinjiang Economic Daily.

The paper quoted experts as saying that such huge dinosaur fossils are rarely found in China and in other places of the world.

Experts confirmed that the herbivore was 30 to 35 meters long and 10 meters high, and weighed about 60 tons.

Near the site where the dinosaur fossil was found were several fossils of petrified wood.

Experts said that the discovery of the dinosaur fossil and petrified wood is of scientific significance in the study of the ancient geography, climate and bio-evolution in Xinjiang.

(Xinhua News Agency August 20, 2003)