A rare dinosaur fossil, the first ever found in Antarctica, is discovered after sitting in a drawer for decades; it belonged to a titanosaur.

A rare dinosaur fossil, the first ever found in Antarctica, has been identified after decades in storage. Discovered in 1985 on James Ross Island by geologist Mike Thomson, the 82-million-year-old tail vertebra belonged to a titanosaur, a group of large, long-necked dinosaurs.¹²⁴

Paleontologist Mark Evans later recognized the bone in the British Antarctic Survey's collections, speculating it might be a dinosaur. This discovery is significant as it represents only the second sauropod body fossil known from Antarctica, although it was the first dinosaur bone collected from the continent. “This discovery represents only the second sauropod body fossil known from Antarctica,” the study's authors noted.³

Titanosaurs roamed Antarctica around 80 million years ago, when the region was lush and forested. The identified specimen measures about 23 feet (7 meters) long, indicating it was relatively small for its group and possibly young at the time of death. Scientists theorize that the creature's body may have floated away from the coast before sinking to the sea floor, where it became fossilized in marine rock.⁶

Since 1985, researchers have discovered additional dinosaur specimens in Antarctica, identifying fossils from 12 named species and several unidentified bones. The findings contribute to understanding the fragmentary fossil record of today’s southern landmasses. “If he were still with us, he would be delighted to know what this was,” Evans remarked, reflecting on Thomson's legacy.⁸⁹