This is the 1st-ever dinosaur bone found in Antarctica
29 Jun 2026

A fossil that lay unnoticed for four decades has been identified as the first dinosaur bone ever discovered in Antarctica.

The specimen, a tailbone from a Titanosaur, was unearthed in 1985 but remained unidentified and stored away at the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) in Cambridge.

It was only recently that Dr. Mark Evans, BAS's collections manager, rediscovered it among thousands of other specimens collected during various Antarctic expeditions over the years.

Initially thought to belong to a marine reptile
Discovery

The fossil was discovered on James Ross Island and its find was documented in a notebook by geologist Dr. Mike Thomson.

He had sketched a small image of the fossil on December 9, 1985, and labeled it "vertebra of large reptile," estimating its width at about 10cm.

Initially thought to belong to a marine reptile, the specimen was later identified as a potential dinosaur bone by Evans, and later confirmed by Professor Paul Barrett after he noticed its dinosaur-like appearance.

Tailbone belonged to titanosaur
Expert validation

Evans invited Barrett from the Natural History Museum (NHM) to validate his discovery.

Barrett confirmed the identification, noting the fossil's distinctive shape and unique combination of features that are characteristic of Titanosaurs.

These dinosaurs were four-legged herbivores with long necks and tails, some species reaching lengths of over 35m and weighing around 60 tons.

The Antarctic Titanosaur's tailbone size suggests it was about seven meters long.

Discovery sheds light on prehistoric life in Antarctica
Ecological implications

The Antarctic Titanosaur lived around 82 million years ago during the Late Cretaceous Period when Antarctica was a lush forest, providing plenty of food for this plant-eating dinosaur.

This discovery sheds light on how these creatures fit into broader ecosystems at the bottom of the world about 80 million years ago.

Despite other dinosaur fossils being discovered in Antarctica after 1985, they remain relatively few due to the continent's harsh conditions and ice-covered prehistoric record.