Scientists identify a dinosaur fossil believed to be the first evidence of dinosaurs from Antarctica after the specimen is examined following decades in storage. The bone was discovered in Antarctica in 1985 and later kept in a drawer in England, where it remained unrecognized for almost 40 years. Reporting across outlets says dinosaur fossils are rare on the continent because of the extreme conditions created by its ice caps, yet research and context suggest Antarctica was much warmer in the distant past and supported forested environments. The newly identified specimen is described as belonging to a very large type of dinosaur, though sources focus mainly on the significance of it being the first Antarctic dinosaur bone. Coverage credits researchers and museum staff—particularly linked to the London Natural History Museum—with recognizing the fossil’s importance during recent identification work. The find highlights how previously collected specimens can still yield new scientific information when re-examined with updated expertise and methods.
Antarctica’s first dinosaur bone identified after decades in museum drawer
Scientists identify a dinosaur fossil believed to be the first evidence of dinosaurs from Antarctica after the specimen is examined following decades in storage. The bone was discovered in Antarctica...
- A dinosaur bone from Antarctica was found in 1985.
- The specimen stayed stored in a drawer in England for almost four decades before being identified.
- Researchers describe it as the first dinosaur fossil evidence from Antarctica.
- Dinosaur fossils are rare on Antarctica, where current ice conditions make discovery difficult.
- Sources note Antarctica was forested millions of years ago, when dinosaurs lived there.
We’re living in a golden age of scientists making major discoveries not by tirelessly digging at remote sites, but by digging through old museum drawers full of stuff collected long before anyone had the tools or expertise to appreciate what it really was. Earlier this year, researchers at London’s Natural History Museum identified an ancient […] The post Scientists Found Antarctica’s First Dinosaur Fossil Hiding in a Museum Drawer appeared first on VICE.
1 month agoScientists have stumbled on a rare dinosaur fossil from Antarctica, tucked away for decades in a drawer.
1 month agoWe're kind of glad scientists are hoarders. ScienceAlert stories are written, fact-checked, and edited by humans, never generated by AI. Don't miss a story, subscribe here.
1 month agoDinosaur fossils are rare to find in Antarctica because of the unforgiving ice caps. But millions of years ago, the region was populated by lush forests.
1 month agoA bone found in Antarctica in 1985, and kept in a drawer in England for almost four decades, turns out to belong to one of the largest types of dinosaurs to ever walk the Earth.
1 month agoDino fossils are a rare find in Antarctica due to unforgiving ice caps, though the frigid continent was once home to lush forests.
1 month ago
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