Latest news with #Zarafasauraoceanis
Ya Biladi
16-02-2025
- Ya Biladi
French customs seize Moroccan dinosaur fossils
Customs officers in Menton, southern France, made an unexpected discovery: fossilized dinosaur and crocodile teeth originating from Morocco's rich geological deposits, as reported by France Bleu. On January 27, customs agents conducted a routine inspection of a Spanish freight truck heading to Italy. Among the various packages, they found several bags containing fossilized teeth, a find that left the officers astonished. «Our teams are accustomed to intercepting drugs, not fossils millions of years old», remarked Samantha Verduron, communications director for Nice customs. The officers uncovered nine teeth, which were subsequently handed over to Pierre-Elie Moullé, a paleontologist at the Regional Prehistory Museum in Menton. Upon examination, Moullé identified the fossils as hailing from Morocco. The collection included a tooth from Zarafasaura oceanis, a marine plesiosaur, three mosasaur teeth, and five attributed to Dyrosaurus phosphaticus, a prehistoric aquatic reptile. «These fossils come from Morocco, where an illegal trade is organized around these rare pieces, often resold at a high price», the paleontologist explained. Morocco, with its extensive paleontological deposits, particularly in the Khouribga region and the Sahara Desert, is a prime target for traffickers. The illegal trade in cultural goods is estimated to generate between three and six billion dollars annually, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Besides fossils, customs officers frequently intercept antique objects, ancient manuscripts, and statues. An investigation is currently underway to identify the intended recipients of these fossils and to determine the appropriate legal actions in this case.
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
French customs seize dinosaur teeth found in lorry
French customs officers have found nine dinosaur teeth during a routine check near the Italian border. The discovery was made as the officers inspected a Spanish lorry on the A8 motorway on 28 January, officials say. They spotted the apparent fossils in two parcels and sent them to be examined by a prehistory museum in the nearby city of Menton. On Friday, an expert revealed the teeth had belonged to reptiles from the Late Cretaceous period - 72 to 66 million years ago - in Morocco, authorities said. Lorries travelling on the A8 motorway between Spain and Italy are regularly stopped. Agents open parcels at random as they sometimes contain illegal drugs, customs Samantha Verduron told AFP news agency. But the latest haul was unexpected. One of the teeth identified belonged to a Zarafasaura oceanis, a marine reptile measuring about 3m (10ft) and named in Morocco in 2011. Three belonged to a Mosasaurus, a large aquatic creature that measured up to 12m. Five other teeth are believed to have been those of a Dyrosaurus phosphaticus, a distant ancestor of crocodiles. The lorry driver told officers he had been delivering the parcels to people in the Italian cities of Genoa and Milan, French authorities said. Officials are working to identify the intended recipients of the packages. Collecting fossils is legal, but exporting them often requires a licence.
BBC News
15-02-2025
- Science
- BBC News
Dinosaur teeth found in French customs check near Italy border
French customs officers have found nine dinosaur teeth during a routine check near the Italian discovery was made as the officers inspected a Spanish lorry on the A8 motorway on 28 January, officials spotted the apparent fossils in two parcels and sent them to be examined by a prehistory museum in the nearby city of Friday an expert revealed the teeth had belonged to reptiles from the late Late Cretaceous period - 72-66 millions years ago - in Morocco, authorities said. Lorries travelling on the A8 motorway between Spain and Italy are regularly open parcels at random as they sometimes contain illegal drugs, customs Samantha Verduron told AFP news the latest haul was unexpected. One of the teeth identified belonged to a Zarafasaura oceanis, a marine reptile measuring about 3m (10fr) and named in Morocco in belonged to a Mosasaurus, a large aquatic creature that measured up to other teeth are believed to have been those of a Dyrosaurus phosphaticus, a distant ancestor of lorry driver told officers he had been delivering the parcels to people in the Italian cities of Genoa and Milan, French authorities are working to identify the intended recipients of the packages. Collecting fossils is legal, but exporting them often requires a licence.
