Complete skeleton of new marine reptile discovered in Mexico

Mexico's arid desert area has revealed the well-preserved complete skeleton of a new marine reptile that is reportedly 93 million years old, revealing such details of tissue mass and scales previously unseen in other fossils.

The reptile christened the Mauriciosaurus fernandezi was discovered in 2011 by former mayor Mauricio Fernandez in Vallecillo in northeastern Mexico, an area that was once a large ancient seaway.

The fossilized remains of the ancient reptile reveal its soft skeletal tissue structure, from its neck, flippers, torso and tail. It is estimated to have been six-feet long and with a flipper span of nearly four-feet.

Mexico is a prime stamping ground for paleontologists in search of dinosaurs. Due to the region's diverse climatic factors such as erosion the discovery of fossils and other dinosaur remains is commonplace in northern arid areas of the country.