Archaeologists discover intact dinosaur tail in northern Mexico

Archaeologists in Mexico's northern desert region have unearthed an extraordinarily preserved dinosaur tail that experts believe could be over 70 million years old.

The dig team, which included experts from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) and the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), said the tail resembled that of a hadrosaur or crested duckbill dinosaur, the Associated Press reported.

The 15-foot tail, found near the small town of General Cepeda in the border state of Coahuila, likely made up half the dinosaur's length, Australia's ABC News reported.

The 36-foot creature lived about 72 million years ago, during the Cretaceous period.

The team found 50 vertebrae of the tail completely intact.

It was the first complete dinosaur tail found in Mexico, Reuters cited INAH director Francisco Aguilar as saying, although dinosaur remains have been found in many parts of the state of Coahuila.

Sixty-five million years ago, much of what is now central northern Mexico was on the coast. This has enabled researchers to unearth remains of both marine and land-based dinosaurs.

Other fossilized bones, including one of the dinosaur's hips, were found around the taiI, INAH said.