BAS collections manager Dr. Mark Evans recently unearthed an extraordinary fossil among thousands of specimens collected from extensive expeditions to Antarctica over the years.
“Sometimes you wonder, ‘What’s in this drawer?’ and then something emerges that piques your interest,” he reflects.
This significant specimen was originally gathered on James Ross Island, with its discovery meticulously documented in field notes by geologist Dr. Mike Thomson.
Among the notes, dated December 9, 1985, he included a detailed sketch of the fossil, describing it as “a large reptilian vertebrae” approximately 10 cm wide.
According to Evans, the discovery team suspected the fossil belonged to a marine reptile.
However, upon closer examination, Evans observed that the vertebrae had distinct dinosaur-like features. Remarkably, its discovery date marks it as the first dinosaur fossil identified on the continent.
Source: www.bbc.co.uk