Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleThe fossil was immediately recognised by Dr Mark Evans as a dinosaur vertebra ((Paul Barrett/Natural History Museum))A fossil unearthed in Antarctica in 1985 has been confirmed as the first-ever dinosaur bone discovered on the continent. The fossil, a tail vertebra, belongs to a Titanosaur, a group of colossal, long-necked sauropods. Initially misidentified as a prehistoric reptile, the bone was stored for 40 years before modern analysis by Dr Mark Evans and Professor Paul Barrett confirmed its true nature. An analysis of the find has been published in Acta Palaeontologica Polonica.This Titanosaur is estimated to have roamed the region 82 million years ago during the Late Cretaceous Period, when Antartica was covered in lush forests. The discovery marks a significant milestone for palaeontology in Antarctica, a region where extreme conditions make fieldwork challenging.In fullFirst dinosaur bone from Antarctica was unnoticed for 40 yearsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in
Antarctica’s first dinosaur bone confirmed after four decades
Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleThe fossil was immediately recognised by Dr Mark Evans as a dinosaur vertebra ((Paul Barrett/Natural History Museum))A fossil unearthed in Antarctica in 1985 has been confirmed as the first-ever dinosaur bone discovered on the continent. The fossil, a tail vertebra, belongs to a Titanosaur, a group of colossal, long-necked sauropods. Initially misidentified as a prehistoric reptile, the bone was stored for 40 years before modern analysis by Dr Mark Evans and Professor Paul Barrett confirmed its true nature. An analysis of the find has been published in Acta Palaeontologica Polonica.This Titanosaur is estimated to have roamed the region 82 million years ago during the Late Cretaceous Period, when Antartica was covered in lush forests. The discovery marks a significant milestone for palaeontology in Antarctica, a region where extreme conditions make fieldwork challenging.In fullFirst dinosaur bone from Antarctica was unnoticed for 40 yearsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in
