Scientists have identified the first dinosaur bone discovered in Antarctica. The specimen, a tail vertebra from a titanosaur, had been stored in the British Antarctic Survey’s geology collection in Cambridge since 1985. It was collected on James Ross Island and recorded in a field notebook by geologist Mike Thomson, who noted a sketch and described it as a vertebra of a large reptile about 10 cm wide. Palaeontologist Mark Evans, collections manager at the British Antarctic Survey, recognized the bone as dinosaur-like and consulted Paul Barrett of the Natural History Museum for confirmation. Barrett said the vertebra exhibited distinctive features unique to titanosaurs, describing it as a “dead cert.” The fossil indicates that a titanosaur lived in Antarctica roughly 82 million years ago during the Late Cretaceous period, when the continent was covered by forest. Based on the bone’s size, researchers estimate the animal was about 7 m long, suggesting it may have been a juvenile or a small adult, contrary to the larger trend among titanosaurs. More than 100 titanosaur species have been identified worldwide, with the largest reaching 35 m in length and weighing 60 tonnes. The find adds to the few records of Antarctic dinosaurs and suggests the region was once habitable enough to support large herbivores. Further discoveries are expected as palaeontologists continue field work in the ice‑covered continent.