Rare Discovery: France Unearths 70-Million-Year-Old Titanosaur Fossil

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A rare specimen has been unearthed in southern France - an almost complete dinosaur skeleton that was found connected from its hind skull to its tail.

In May 2022, a massive fossil was discovered by 25-year-old amateur paleontologist Damien Boschetto and his dog while walking in a forest in Montouliers, France. Boschetto noticed a collapsed cliff edge and decided to investigate further, leading to the discovery of an exposed bone sticking out of the ground, as reported by local media outlet France Bleu on February 13.

The nearly 10-meter-long (32.8-foot-long) fossil was identified as a Titanosaur skeleton by the Archaeological and Paleontological Cultural Association at the Cruzy Museum, in collaboration with the French National Center for Scientific Research, during the excavation process. Boschetto, a member of the association for eight years, expressed that while uncovering dinosaur remains is always fascinating for scientific research and understanding ancient ecosystems, the extraordinary aspect of this find lies in the bones being in almost their original anatomical position.

"According to Boschetto, from a museography perspective, showcasing animals in almost complete anatomical positions will greatly enhance the presentation to the general public."

The massive fossil was discovered in May 2022 when a collapsed cliff edge had left a bone exposed.

Damien Boschetto

In 1975, the Archaeological and Paleontological Cultural Association was established by a group of history and archaeology enthusiasts to protect the heritage surrounding the village of Cruzy. Some members of the association, including Jean-Marc Veyssières, have developed a keen interest in paleontology due to the abundance of dinosaur fossils in the area. Today, the association consists of local residents, a few scientists, and students.

According to Veyssières, one of the fossil preparers for the group, the discovery of an anatomically connected titanosaur, a long-necked dinosaur, was particularly thrilling. He mentioned that a member named Boschetto, who is passionate about nature and spends a great deal of time exploring the region, has become an expert on the Late Cretaceous fauna in the area.

The association has been excavating the site, which Boschetto referred to as a bone bed, for the past two years. A bone bed is a term used by paleontologists to describe a dense area of animal bones and other fossilized remains.

During the excavation, Boschetto previously discovered a 70% complete Titanosaur skeleton along with several fossils of various dinosaurs and other vertebrates. Some of the fossils were found in anatomical connection and near complete. Other remains identified included those of a herbivore called Rhabdodon, similar to the Titanosaur, and fragments from skeletons of carnivores like Theropods and crocodiles, as shared by Boschetto.

The recently revealed near-complete Titanosaur skeleton currently resides in the Cruzy Museum’s laboratory, where it will be further studied, Veyssières said.

Damien Boschetto is a member of the Archaeological and Paleontological Cultural Association with the Cruzy Museum.

Researchers have found a well-preserved Titanosaur fossil. The estimated age of the fossil is around 70 to 72 million years old. Titanosaurs were four-legged dinosaurs that lived from the Late Jurassic Epoch to the end of the Cretaceous Period, approximately 163.5 million to 66 million years ago. They belonged to a group of dinosaurs called sauropods, which were known for being large, long-necked herbivores. According to Britannica, Titanosaurs were among the largest dinosaurs of their time.

Titanosaur fossils are commonly found in Europe, but only a few are discovered in anatomical connection, according to Boschetto. When a skeleton is found in this connected state, it indicates that the body was buried before completely decomposing, with some tissues still connecting the bones, as explained by Matthew Carrano, a research geologist and curator of Dinosauria at the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History.

Carrano mentioned that the completeness of the specimen will help determine if it belongs to a new species or is a new specimen of an already known species. While it will take time to uncover all the details about this new specimen, it is expected to provide valuable new information about this group of dinosaurs.

In the region where Boschetto found the specimen, there is a wealth of dinosaur and other species fossils from the same era. Boschetto mentioned that the area is on track to assemble one of the most extensive collections of dinosaurs from the Upper Cretaceous period in France. The discovery was kept under wraps by the association until the excavation was finished to safeguard the archaeological site.

The association has future plans to continue studying the fossils and explore the surrounding area for more discoveries. Boschetto expressed the group's desire to secure funding in order to establish a large museum that can properly display and showcase these collections.

Editor's P/S:

The discovery of this nearly complete dinosaur skeleton in southern France is a remarkable event in the field of paleontology. It provides an unprecedented opportunity to study the anatomy and behavior of these ancient creatures. The fact that the skeleton was found in almost its original anatomical position is particularly significant, as it suggests that the body was buried before completely decomposing. This will allow researchers to gain new insights into the taphonomy of dinosaurs, or the processes by which their remains become fossilized.

The discovery also highlights the importance of citizen science in paleontology. Damien Boschetto, the amateur paleontologist who found the skeleton, is a member of the Archaeological and Paleontological Cultural Association at the Cruzy Museum. This association is dedicated to protecting the heritage surrounding the village of Cruzy, and its members have made significant contributions to our understanding of the local dinosaur fauna. The discovery of this near-complete Titanosaur skeleton is a testament to the dedication and expertise of these citizen scientists.