Antarctic Tail Bone Identified as First Dinosaur Fossil from the Continent

A vertebra from the tail of a long-necked herbivorous dinosaur was identified as a titanosaur bone after decades of being stored in the British Antarctic Survey's collection. The specimen, gathered during a 1985 expedition to James Ross Island by geologist Mike Thomson, was originally catalogued as a large reptile. Paleontologist Mark Evans later recognized its potential as a dinosaur fragment and, together with other researchers, compared its shape to known sauropod remains, confirming the identification. The discovery was reported in the journal Acta Palaeontologica Polonica.

The find represents only the second sauropod body fossil recorded from Antarctica and the first dinosaur bone ever collected on the continent. At an estimated length of about 23 feet, the animal was relatively small for its group, suggesting it may have been a juvenile when it died. Researchers propose that the carcass drifted from the coast and settled on the sea floor, becoming fossilized in marine rock.

Co-author Paul Barrett of the Natural History Museum in London noted that the continent, now covered by ice, was once home to lush forests, providing a markedly different environment for such dinosaurs. The study adds to the global record of more than 100 identified titanosaur species, which were four-legged, long-necked plant eaters ranging up to 115 feet in length.

"If he were still with us, he would be delighted to know what this was," Evans said, referring to the late Mike Thomson.