Fossil kept in drawer for decades turns out to be first ever Antarctica dinosaur bone

Key Points:

• A fossil vertebra found in Antarctica in 1985 was recently identified as the first dinosaur remains ever discovered on the continent, belonging to a Titanosaur, a group of large, long-necked herbivorous dinosaurs.
• The fossil, initially misclassified as a large reptile, was reexamined decades later by palaeontologist Mark Evans and determined to be from a juvenile or small adult Titanosaur measuring about six to seven meters long.
• This discovery, dating back approximately 82 million years to the Late Cretaceous period, provides rare evidence that long-necked sauropods once lived in Antarctica, which was then covered by lush temperate forests.
• The find enhances understanding of dinosaur dispersal across southern continents during the time Antarctica was part of the supercontinent Gondwana, linking species in South America and Australia via Antarctica.
• Experts emphasize the fossil's significance in highlighting the value of museum collections and the potential for further discoveries as climate change causes Antarctic ice to retreat.