Damien Boschetto stumbled upon an extraordinary discovery while walking his dog through the forests of Montouliers in southern France. Boschetto, with a background in paleontology, noticed an intriguing find — a dinosaur skeleton belonging to a titanosaur. Titanosaur is one of the largest dinosaurs known to have roamed the Earth.
Man walking dog discovered intact Titanosaur dinosaur skeleton two years ago
Two years ago, Damien Boschetto went on a leisurely stroll with his beloved Border Collie mix, Muffin. His keen eye soon caught sight of a substantial bone, later identified as the pelvic bone of a titanosaur, as per The Washington Post.
This took place in the scenic forests of Montouliers in France. Boschetto has a passion for paleontology, so he eagerly scanned the terrain for fossils. As a result, he came upon a remarkable find protruding from an eroded cliff, which turned out to be a titanosaur bone.
Titanosaurs belong to the classification of long-necked dinosaurs that rank among the largest creatures to roam the Earth. In addition, they comprised over 30 varieties. The most massive ones measured up to 70 tons and stretched an impressive 85 feet in length.
Titanosaur fossils are a rarity in Europe, making this discovery particularly noteworthy. Adding to its significance, Boschetto’s findings extended beyond a single bone. Moreover, he ultimately found that the titanosaur skeleton was remarkably intact, 70 percent complete, with many bones still interlinked.
Site where dinosaur skeleton was found remained secret during excavation and study of fossil
Boschetto’s discovery was hidden from the world to safeguard the archaeological site. Now, the 25-year-old shares the details of what he and Muffin unearthed in 2022.
In an email to The Washington Post, Boschetto stated, “This is not my first attempt … I have already discovered many dinosaur bones, but it is of course always an excitement to discover new bones.”
The Archaeological and Paleontological Cultural Association (ACAP) at the Cruzy Museum, along with Boschetto, worked on the excavation for two years. Additionally, Muffin was a constant companion through the endeavor.
In Boschetto’s words, “My dog didn’t particularly help us to excavate but often stood guard over the land and the fossils.”
As a dense sediment layer of sandstone covered the skeleton, it demanded a meticulous extraction process. Boschetto said the dinosaur skeleton is currently devoid of its skull and a femur. The team aims to uncover these items in forthcoming excavations.
Upon the conclusion of the project, the fully assembled skeleton will be displayed at the Cruzy Museum. This museum is a modest local institution where Boschetto dedicated his volunteer efforts in recent years.
According to Director Francis Fages, “Since Damien Boschetto joined the museum and the ACAP, he has contributed a lot to the paleontology of our collections, which is important for the future. Continuing, he added, “These discoveries are interesting from a scientific point of view because they contribute to the understanding of the species and ecosystems of the late Cretaceous of France and Europe.”
Notably, Boschetto resigned from his position in the energy sector in September 2023 and is planning to enroll in a college in Paris to transform his hobby into a career.
