French customs officers have made a remarkable discovery during a standard inspection of a Spanish lorry travelling on the A8 motorway, which connects Spain to Italy. On January 28, the officers found nine dinosaur teeth, including fossils from impressive prehistoric reptiles, during a random parcel check close to the Italian border.
Following the routine inspection, the discovered teeth were sent to a prehistory museum in Menton for further examination. Experts confirmed that these fossils date back to the Late Cretaceous period, approximately 72 to 66 million years ago, and are believed to have originated from Morocco.
Among the impressive haul, one of the teeth was identified as belonging to Zarafasaura oceanis, a marine reptile that grows to roughly 3 meters (10 feet) in length and was first named in Morocco in 2011. Another three teeth belonged to the Mosasaurus—a gigantic marine reptile measuring up to 12 meters—while five others were linked to Dyrosaurus phosphaticus, an ancient ancestor of the modern crocodile.
The driver of the lorry stated that the parcels were intended for recipients in the Italian cities of Genoa and Milan. Meanwhile, French authorities are actively investigating further to determine the intended recipients. While fossil collecting is legal, there are strict regulations regarding their export, which often necessitate acquiring the appropriate licenses. This discovery not only sheds light on France's role in preserving prehistoric heritage but also sparks discussions around fossil regulation and illicit trade.
