LONDON, Oct 13: Scientists have unearthed the remains of a perfectly preserved 130 million-year-old new species of dinosaur which provide a first-ever look at how the prehistoric creatures slept.

The small two-legged dinosaur was discovered in China, curled up with its head tucked under the forearm similar to how modern birds sleep. "This is the first report of sleeping behaviour in dinosaurs," Xing Xu, of the Chinese Academy of Science in Beijing, said on Wednesday.

"We've never had any other information about a dinosaur sleeping." Dubbed Mei long, which means "soundly sleeping dragon" in Chinese, the dinosaur was about 53 cm long or about the size of a large bird.

Several features indicate its avian origins. "It is one of the most complete skeletons I have ever seen. It is a perfect preservation. We have almost every bone in the skeleton," Xu explained. -Reuters