Authorities are investigating the origin of nine dinosaur teeth discovered in a lorry, believed to date back to the Late Cretaceous period.
**French Customs Uncover Rare Dinosaur Teeth During Routine Inspection**
**French Customs Uncover Rare Dinosaur Teeth During Routine Inspection**
French authorities seize ancient reptile fossils while checking a lorry near the Italian border.
On January 28, French customs officers made an unexpected discovery during a routine inspection of a Spanish lorry traveling on the A8 motorway near the Italian border. While examining two parcels, they found nine dinosaur teeth that have since been identified as belonging to ancient marine reptiles from the Late Cretaceous period, approximately 72 to 66 million years ago.
The seized fossils were sent to a prehistory museum in Menton for further examination, where experts confirmed the extraordinary nature of the finds. Among the identified teeth, one was linked to the Zarafasaura oceanis, a marine reptile that was around 3 meters (10 feet) long and first described in Morocco in 2011. Additionally, three teeth were confirmed to belong to the notorious Mosasaurus, a massive aquatic predator that could grow up to 12 meters long. Five teeth have been tentatively attributed to Dyrosaurus phosphaticus, a distant relative of modern crocodiles.
Customs agent Samantha Verduron stated that lorries on the A8 are often stopped randomly during checks for illegal drugs and other contraband, making this fossil haul an astonishing deviation from the norm. The lorry driver informed officials that he was en route to deliver the parcels to recipients in Milan and Genoa.
Investigations are ongoing to pinpoint the intended recipients of the fossils. While the collection of fossils is legal in many regions, the act of exporting them usually necessitates a proper license, prompting authorities to delve deeper into this unusual case.
The seized fossils were sent to a prehistory museum in Menton for further examination, where experts confirmed the extraordinary nature of the finds. Among the identified teeth, one was linked to the Zarafasaura oceanis, a marine reptile that was around 3 meters (10 feet) long and first described in Morocco in 2011. Additionally, three teeth were confirmed to belong to the notorious Mosasaurus, a massive aquatic predator that could grow up to 12 meters long. Five teeth have been tentatively attributed to Dyrosaurus phosphaticus, a distant relative of modern crocodiles.
Customs agent Samantha Verduron stated that lorries on the A8 are often stopped randomly during checks for illegal drugs and other contraband, making this fossil haul an astonishing deviation from the norm. The lorry driver informed officials that he was en route to deliver the parcels to recipients in Milan and Genoa.
Investigations are ongoing to pinpoint the intended recipients of the fossils. While the collection of fossils is legal in many regions, the act of exporting them usually necessitates a proper license, prompting authorities to delve deeper into this unusual case.
