In brief
During a routine customs inspection near the Italian border, French authorities discovered nine ancient dinosaur teeth in a Spanish lorry, adding an unexpected twist to their regular checks for smuggled goods.
The find occurred on January 28 when officers inspected a vehicle on the A8 motorway. They came across the fossils, which were packed in two parcels, and subsequently sent them to a prehistory museum in Menton for further analysis. On Friday, experts confirmed that the teeth date back to the Late Cretaceous period, approximately 72 to 66 million years ago, originating from Morocco. The discovery included teeth from notable prehistoric marine reptiles. Among them, one tooth belonged to a Zarafasaura oceanis, a 3-meter marine reptile characterized as having been discovered in Morocco in 2011. Additionally, three teeth were identified as belonging to the Mosasaurus, a giant aquatic reptile reaching lengths of up to 12 meters. The remaining five teeth were thought to come from a Dyrosaurus phosphaticus, a creature related to modern crocodiles. The lorry driver stated he was en route to deliver the parcels to recipients in the Italian cities of Genoa and Milan. Authorities are currently investigating to determine the intended recipients of these ancient items. Although collecting fossils is permitted, their export often mandates a specific license, raising concerns about potential legal violations in this case.
