Walking your dog is a pretty mundane task. One that many of us partake in several times throughout the day. For Damien Boschetto, a paleontology enthusiast, though, it turned out to be one of the most significant things he would ever do, as Boschetto discovered nearly intact dinosaur bones, including Titanosaurus fossils, while walking his dog back in 2022.
Boschetto, a member of the Association of Culture, Archeology, and Paleontology (ACAP) at France’s Cruzy Museum, says that he was walking his dog, Muffin, in Montouliers, a town in southern France. The two walked past a cliffside, where they discovered the bones sticking out of the partially eroded cliffside. (via CBS News)
From there, Boschetto and the group he’s part of, worked to keep the discovery a secret for two years, giving them as much time as needed to safely expose the dinosaur bones. Among the various bones that they discovered, the most complete set is that of Titanosaurus fossils, which measure almost 10 meters, or 33 feet, long. For more on the Titanosaurus, check out this video from the Natural History Museum.
Researchers have reportedly discovered several fossils throughout the small neighboring village of Cruzy, but this was the first time they’d found any in the particular area where Boschetto had walked his dog. And, since many of the bones are almost in complete anatomical connection, Boschetto says they can present a really great showing to the general public.
The dinosaur bones discovered by Boschetto and ACAP and are on display at Cruzy Museum. The museum says that over 25 species of dinosaur have been found in the region by other scientists and volunteers within ACAP and that even more species are currently being studied.
Boschetto’s discovery of an almost complete set of titanosaurus fossils is exciting and continues to help scientists grow their understanding of the dinosaurs that roamed that area of France. Finding bones from a Titanosaurus isn’t uncommon, especially in Europe, but finding one that is as complete as the one Boschetto and his group uncovered is.
Finding new fossils is always exciting, and this discovery is surely a win, especially after recent news broke that one of the most famous fossils ever discovered was actually just a painted rock.