Chile seizes more than 200 fossils of extinct mollusks
Key Points:
- Chilean customs officials seized over 200 ammonite fossils hidden in a shipping container from Madagascar, which was declared as carrying household ornaments.
- The ammonites, dating back approximately 110 million years, were found wrapped in newspapers and magazines from Madagascar inside a container shipped via China.
- Ammonites are extinct mollusks related to octopuses and squids, wiped out during the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event around 66 million years ago.
- Specialists from the San Antonio Museum of Natural History in Chile verified the fossils' authenticity.
- Chilean authorities have contacted Madagascar’s government to confirm the fossils' origin and discuss potential repatriation.