The Frenchman found the intact skeleton of a giant dinosaur (5 photos)

An almost complete skeleton of a 70-million-year-old dinosaur was accidentally discovered in the south of France. The rare find was a titanosaur - one of the largest dinosaurs to ever walk the Earth.





While walking his dog in the forest near Montulier, 25-year-old Damien Boschetto noticed a recently collapsed cliff edge. The Frenchman noticed a bone sticking out of the ground and reported the find to the local museum.

Experts have confirmed that the fossil is a rare titanosaur specimen measuring almost 10 meters long.



Boschetto is an amateur paleontologist and member of the Archaeological and Paleontological Cultural Association of the Crusi Museum, which works to preserve the rich heritage of the region.

Founded in 1975, the association is made up of scientists, students and local residents who share a passion for archaeology.

Damien has become an expert on the Late Cretaceous fauna of the region and has already made several discoveries.





The skeleton of the titanosaur has been preserved in almost its original form: the bones from the back of the skull to the tail are still connected. This is a real rarity as most of the fossils are fragmented and scattered.

Damien said the discovery of intact skeletons is always informative for scientific research and understanding of past ecosystems.



However, the titanosaur was not the only discovery in the forest. Boschetto called this place a "bone layer" - a dense accumulation of animal remains. The team also unearthed fossils of other dinosaurs and vertebrates, some of which were nearly complete and anatomically related. Among them were Rhabdodon, another herbivore, and fragments of carnivores such as theropods and crocodiles.



The skeleton of the titanosaur is currently being studied in the laboratory of the Crusi Museum, where it will be prepared for exhibition. Researchers estimate that the fossil is about 70-72 million years old, dating back to the end of the Cretaceous period.

Titanosaurs were among the largest dinosaurs, they belonged to the family of sauropods - long-necked herbivores.