A rare fossil from Antarctica, belonging to a long-necked, plant-eating titanosaur, has been identified by scientists decades after its discovery. The bone, found in 1985 on James Ross Island, was tucked away in a drawer at the British Antarctic Survey's collections.
Geologist Mike Thomson collected the fossil, recorded as a large reptile, during an expedition to map the area's rock layers. It remained unidentified until paleontologist Mark Evans noticed the bone and suspected it might be from a dinosaur. Subsequent analysis by Evans and other researchers confirmed the discovery by comparing the bone's shape to more complete dinosaur remains.
The findings were published in the journal Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. This image provided by the Natural History Museum shows a fossil found in Antarctica that belongs to a group of dinosaurs called titanosaurs.
Fossils are seldom found in Antarctica due to its ice caps. However, millions of years ago, the region was a hospitable environment with lush forests. The dinosaur, estimated to be about 23 feet long, was small for its species and may have been young. Scientists theorize its body floated from the coast and sank to the sea floor, where it became fossilized in marine rock.
Advancements in technology have enabled researchers to examine the internal structure of the bone, providing more detailed information about the ancient creature. Thomson passed away in 2020 before the fossil was definitively identified as a dinosaur. Evans noted that Thomson would have been pleased to know the true nature of his find.