French Customs Intercept Rare Dinosaur Teeth in Routine Inspection

In a surprising development, French customs officers discovered nine dinosaur teeth while inspecting a Spanish lorry on the A8 motorway near the Italian border on January 28. The teeth were packaged in two parcels, leading authorities to send them for expert examination at a nearby prehistory museum in Menton.

The analysis confirmed that these fossils dated back to the Late Cretaceous period, approximately 72-66 million years ago, and originated from Morocco. Among the notable finds were teeth from a Mosasaurus, a large aquatic reptile known to have dominated marine environments around 66 million years ago. Samantha Verduron, a customs officer, noted that the regular inspections often uncover illegal materials, but this discovery was particularly unexpected.

The identified specimens included one tooth from a Zarafasaura oceanis, a marine reptile around three meters long, as well as three teeth belonging to the formidable Mosasaurus, which could reach lengths of up to 12 meters. Additionally, five teeth likely belonging to Dyrosaurus phosphaticus, a remote ancestor of modern crocodiles, were also found.

According to French authorities, the lorry driver mentioned he was transporting the parcels to recipients in Genoa and Milan. Customs officials are now working to determine who was intended to receive the packages, especially since collecting fossils is legal, although their export often requires a specific license.