Scientists have announced the discovery of a perfectly preserved dinosaur embryo that was preparing to hatch from its egg, just like a chicken.

The embryo was discovered in Ganzhou in southern China and researchers estimate it is at least 66 million years old.

It is believed to be a toothless theropod dinosaur, or oviraptorosaur, and has been named Baby Yingliang.

Researcher Dr Fion Waisum Ma said it is "the best dinosaur embryo ever found in history".

The discovery has also given researchers a greater understanding of the link between dinosaurs and modern birds. The fossil shows the embryo was in a curled position known as "tucking", which is a behaviour seen in birds shortly before they hatch.

"This indicates that such behaviour in modern birds first evolved and originated among their dinosaur ancestors," Dr Ma told the AFP news agency.