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French customs seize dinosaur teeth in lorry near Italian border

The fossils were found inside two parcels, prompting authorities to send them for analysis at a prehistory museum in Menton.

Three of the teeth belonged to a Mosasaurus, a large aquatic reptile. (Photo: French customs via BBC)

French customs officers discovered nine dinosaur teeth in a Spanish lorry during a routine inspection on the A8 motorway near the Italian border on 28 January, officials reported, as per BBC.

The fossils were found inside two parcels, prompting authorities to send them for analysis at a prehistory museum in Menton. On Friday, experts confirmed that the teeth belonged to reptiles from the Late Cretaceous period, dating back 72 to 66 million years in Morocco.

One tooth was identified as belonging to Zarafasaura oceanis, a marine reptile measuring around 3m (10ft) that was named in Morocco in 2011. Three teeth belonged to a Mosasaurus, a large aquatic reptile that could reach up to 12m in length. The remaining five were attributed to Dyrosaurus phosphaticus, a distant relative of modern crocodiles.

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Lorries on the A8 motorway between Spain and Italy are regularly searched for contraband, including illegal drugs, reported BBC. Customs officer Samantha Verduron told AFP that agents randomly open parcels, but this discovery was unexpected.

Also Read: | 66 million-year-old fish vomit, dating back to the time of dinosaurs, discovered in Denmark

The lorry driver stated he was delivering the parcels to recipients in the Italian cities of Genoa and Milan, according to French authorities. Officials are now working to identify the intended recipients.

While fossil collecting is legal, exporting them often requires a licence.

(With inputs from BBC)

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