Scientists have discovered a new species of dinosaur which roamed the world 100 million years ago.

Nicknamed the Sibirosaurus, the creature is thought to be related to the giant Titanosaurs which could grow to 40 metres and weighed up to 90 tonnes.

The find was made by experts in Russia who discovered fossils encased in rocks on the banks of the Kiya River in Western Siberia in 2008.

The rocks could not be removed so scientists from Tomsk State University extracted fragments of the fossils from the sandstone for examination.

Dr Stepan Ivantsov, a scientific researcher in the Laboratory of Mesozoic and Cenozoic Continental Ecosystems, said they originally believed the remains were of a very large herbivore.

It took many years of painstaking research to discover it was an entirely new dinosaur.

"When we discovered this finding, it was only clear that the remains belonged to a very large herbivorous dinosaur from the sauropods group. It was the first scientifically described dinosaur from this group in Russia.

"Now after work on the extraction of all the remnants and the restoration (of the bones) are almost completed, we can confidently say that we have found a new species, and maybe even genus.

"If we talk about our discovery, this dinosaur lived in the Late Cretaceous period, that is about 100 million years ago."

Bones including part of a shoulder blade will be exhibited permanently in Paleontological Museum of Tomsk State University.

Titanosaurs were some of the biggest dinosaurs to ever walk the earth and weighed up to 90 tonnes, the equivalent of nine African elephants.

They were named after the mythical Titans of Ancient Greece - giant deities of incredible strength.

Titanosaurs have very long necks and whip-like tails, tiny heads and thick stumpy legs.

They ate plants and were armoured with small bony plates along its back which helped protect them from predators.