Paleontologists have identified a fossil discovered in 1985 as a tail vertebra from a titanosaur, marking the first dinosaur bone recovered from Antarctica. The specimen had been stored in a collection for nearly four decades before its true significance was realized.

Stored in a museum for decades, an Antarctic fossil has been identified as a titanosaur vertebra. The discovery offers insight into the ecosystem of the continent during the Late Cretaceous.

A tail vertebra unearthed on James Ross Island in 1985 has been confirmed as the first dinosaur fossil ever collected in Antarctica. The specimen remained misidentified in storage for decades before recent analysis revealed its true origin.