New dinosaur species found in Mexico

SALT LAKE CITY, Feb. 12 (UPI) -- The fossilized remains of a new species of dinosaur have been unearthed in Mexico, providing new insights into the ancient history of western North America.

The discovery was made by an international research team led by the Utah Museum of Natural History at the University of Utah and opens a new window into time when much of continent was submerged, scientists said Tuesday.

The 72-million-year-old species -- called Velafrons coahuilensis -- was found in the state of Coahuila in north-central Mexico and belonged to a group of duck-billed dinosaurs or hadrosaurs.

"Velafrons is a combination of Latin and Spanish meaning 'sailed forehead,' in reference to the large sail-like crest that grew atop the dinosaur's head," said Rosario Gomez, director of the paleontology program in Coahuila.

Utah paleontologists joined with researchers from the Utah Geological Survey, Coahuila's Museum of the Desert, and the Royal Tyrrell Museum, in Drumheller, Alberta, Canada, to excavate and study the specimen.

The species was formally announced in the December edition of the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.