Authorities in France have made a rare discovery, recovering dinosaur teeth that may shed light on the region's prehistoric past.
**French Customs Unearths Ancient Dinosaur Teeth During Routine Inspection**
**French Customs Unearths Ancient Dinosaur Teeth During Routine Inspection**
Authorities discover rare fossils while inspecting a Spanish lorry, leading to an investigation on the legality of their export.
In a surprising turn during a standard customs check near the Italian border, French officials seized nine dinosaur teeth from a Spanish lorry on January 28. The teeth were discovered while officers carried out random inspections on the A8 motorway, a route commonly used for transporting goods between Spain and Italy.
Initially stored in two parcels, the teeth were transported to a prehistory museum in Menton for scientific evaluation. Experts have identified the fossils as belonging to marine reptiles from Morocco that roamed the Earth during the Late Cretaceous period, approximately 72 to 66 million years ago.
Among the remarkable finds was a tooth from the Mosasaurus, a colossal marine reptile that could grow up to 12 meters long. Additionally, one of the teeth belonged to the Zarafasaura oceanis, a species first named in Morocco in 2011, which reaches lengths of about 3 meters (10 feet). The remnants of a Dyrosaurus phosphaticus, a creature related to modern crocodiles, were also part of the discovery.
The driver of the lorry stated that the parcels were destined for addresses in the Italian cities of Genoa and Milan. With the growing interest in fossil collection, authorities are now tasked with tracing the intended recipients of these ancient relics. While collecting fossils is permitted, exporting them often requires special licenses, leading to further scrutiny of the legality surrounding this case.
Initially stored in two parcels, the teeth were transported to a prehistory museum in Menton for scientific evaluation. Experts have identified the fossils as belonging to marine reptiles from Morocco that roamed the Earth during the Late Cretaceous period, approximately 72 to 66 million years ago.
Among the remarkable finds was a tooth from the Mosasaurus, a colossal marine reptile that could grow up to 12 meters long. Additionally, one of the teeth belonged to the Zarafasaura oceanis, a species first named in Morocco in 2011, which reaches lengths of about 3 meters (10 feet). The remnants of a Dyrosaurus phosphaticus, a creature related to modern crocodiles, were also part of the discovery.
The driver of the lorry stated that the parcels were destined for addresses in the Italian cities of Genoa and Milan. With the growing interest in fossil collection, authorities are now tasked with tracing the intended recipients of these ancient relics. While collecting fossils is permitted, exporting them often requires special licenses, leading to further scrutiny of the legality surrounding this case.
