A new excavation campaign is being carried out in Montouliers, in Hérault, in the same place where a titanosaur skeleton was discovered two years ago. Paleontologists have already found a new bone, a femur, belonging to this dinosaur that died 72 million years ago.
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It’s a story that takes you traveling far, very far, in time. A jump of 72 million years. A few kilometers from Montouliers, a paleontologist made a surprising discovery: the skeleton of a titanosaur. In Europe, this species of long-necked herbivore could weigh up to 5 tonnes. This specimen measured 10 meters from head to tail and four meters high.
The skeleton was discovered in “connection”, that is to say the bones were not scattered.
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© DAMIEN BOSCHETTO / MAXPPP
ALSO READ – PICTURES. 10 meters long, 4 meters high: an entire dinosaur skeleton emerged from the ground in Hérault
“It’s the discovery of a lifetime”explains Jean-Marc Veyssieres, one of the volunteer paleontologists from Acap (Archaeological and Paleontological Cultural Association) who works on the excavations. “We had chills when we discovered it. We didn’t expect to find an animal connection [les os sont solidaires entre eux, pas éparpillés, NDLR].” 60 to 70% of the animal’s remains have been unearthed. “This carcass is the most complete, but there are three other carcasses around.”
The titanosaur was approximately 10 meters long.
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© François Jobard / FTV
Around ten people were able to go to the laboratory and to the excavation site, in October 2024. The opportunity to discover more than two years of work. And the new femur found on site recently. “We see dinosaurs in children’s books… That’s something else!”, s‘one of the visitors was ecstatic.
Acap volunteers carefully clean the discoveries.
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© François Jobard / FTV
They can assist in cleaning the discovered bones, a meticulous job. “It’s gratifying to say that we will have participated in the discovery of this dinosaur, in the scientific work that will be carried out afterwards”explains Damien Garcia, another volunteer at Acap, mini-compressed air jackhammer in his hands. He excavates the earth from a 72 million year old dinosaur bone.
The dinosaurs of Montouliers undoubtedly have other treasures to offer, it remains to be discovered…
Written with Arnaud Delayre.
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