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First dinosaur bone from Antarctica identified after decades in storage

Nexus Europa Newsroom
Posted Jun 29, 2026, 11:00 AM UTC · In the digest of 2026-06-29-1100
First dinosaur bone from Antarctica identified after decades in storage

A fossil stored for four decades in a drawer has been confirmed as the first dinosaur bone ever discovered in Antarctica, marking a significant milestone in the continent's palaeontological history.

A fossil that remained unexamined for four decades in a drawer has been confirmed as the first dinosaur bone ever discovered on the Antarctic continent. The specimen was initially unearthed in 1985 by a research team, but its identity remained uncertain, leading to its storage within the geology collection of the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) in Cambridge. Recently, palaeontologists undertook a study of the unassuming fossil, definitively identifying it as a dinosaur bone. This significant finding marks a milestone in Antarctic palaeontology, offering new insights into the ancient ecosystems and prehistoric life that once thrived on the continent.

Sources: BBC News

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