Rebecca Morelle

A fossil stored for forty years at the British Antarctic Survey was identified as the first dinosaur bone ever found in Antarctica, a tail vertebra from a small titanosaurs species discovered in 1985 on James Ross Island. Paleontologists confirmed its distinctive features, offering new insight into Antarctic ecosystems during the Late Cretaceous, when the continent supported lush forests and diverse species despite its current inhospitable conditions.

Archaeologists discovered a simpler and older structure near Stonehenge in Bulford, consisting of two wooden posts aligned with the summer solstice sunrise and winter solstice sunset. Dating to around 5,000 years ago, the site predates Stonehenge by about 500 years. Artefacts including pottery fragments, flint tools, and carved animal bones helped determine its age. Researchers reconstructed ancient sky positions to confirm the alignment, suggesting early communities shared astronomical practices with Stonehenge’s builders. Experts believe the site reflects the spiritual and seasonal significance of the Sun for early farming societies.

A long-overlooked fossil stored for decades at the British Antarctic Survey has been confirmed as Antarctica’s first dinosaur bone, identified as a Titanosaur tail vertebra originally collected in 1985 on James Ross Island. Palaeontologists from the Natural History Museum determined its distinctive features, estimating the animal was about seven metres long and lived roughly 82 million years ago when Antarctica was forested. The discovery adds crucial evidence to the sparse Antarctic fossil record and broadens understanding of dinosaur ecosystems in the ancient polar environment.

A fossil stored for four decades in the British Antarctic Survey’s collections has been confirmed as the first dinosaur bone ever discovered in Antarctica. Paleontologists identified the specimen as a Titanosaur tail vertebra originally collected on James Ross Island in 1985. The finding provides rare evidence of dinosaur life on the continent during the Late Cretaceous, when it was covered in forest. The discovery highlights gaps in Antarctica’s fossil record and offers new insight into ancient ecosystems later buried by ice.