Rare dinosaur fossil identified in Antarctica, stored in a drawer for decades
Kyiv • UNN
Scientists have identified a tailbone of a titanosaur from Antarctica, which was mistakenly classified as reptile remains in 1985. The dinosaur was about seven meters long and died at a young age.
Scientists have identified a rare dinosaur fossil from Antarctica that had been stored in a museum collection for nearly 40 years after being mistakenly classified as the remains of a large reptile. This was reported by the Associated Press, writes UNN.
Details
It concerns the tail bone of a herbivorous long-necked dinosaur – a titanosaur. So far, researchers have not been able to determine which exact species it belonged to.
The fossil was found back in 1985 during an expedition to James Ross Island in Antarctica. Geologist Mike Thomson, who worked as part of the British Antarctic Survey, was collecting samples for the study of geological rocks and marine reptiles and labeled the find as a bone of a large reptile.
The discovery was confirmed decades later
Decades later, paleontologist Mark Evans noticed the bone in the collection of the British Antarctic Survey and suggested that it might belong to a dinosaur. After analyzing the shape of the bone and comparing it with other fossil remains, researchers confirmed this hypothesis. The results of the work were published in the journal Acta Palaeontologica Polonica.
According to study co-author Paul Barrett from the Natural History Museum in London, millions of years ago Antarctica was covered with dense forests and was "a completely different and much more hospitable place than we imagine today."
Scientists believe the dinosaur was about seven meters long, was a small representative of its group, and likely died at a young age. According to researchers, after death its body was carried out to sea, where it sank to the bottom and eventually fossilized.
If he were still with us, he would be glad to know what it is