While out walking his dog, a man stumbled upon a 70-million-year-old fossil in Montouliers, France. The fossil turned out to be a nearly complete titanosaur, a subgroup of sauropods known for their long necks and massive size. The man, Damien Boschetto, reported his find to local archeologists, who determined that the fossil was about 70% complete.
Despite the significance of the discovery, Boschetto and the researchers decided to keep it a secret for two years to protect the site from potential vandals. Once the bones have been fully studied, the titanosaur will be displayed at the Cruzy Museum, joining another titanosaur femur uncovered in 2012.
Boschetto, who quit his job in the energy sector to pursue a master’s degree in paleontology, has been volunteering at the museum for the past two years. The director of the museum, Francis Fages, praised Boschetto’s contributions to the paleontology department and highlighted the scientific importance of the discovery for understanding the late Cretaceous ecosystems of France and Europe.
