A 12-year-old boy from Kansas has unearthed an 80-million-year-old marine fossil while on a trip with his 4-H geology club. Corbin Bullard of Clearwater made the discovery in September last year, when he was 11, during a visit to Jewell County with the Sedgwick County 4-H Geology Club.
According to his mother, Wendy Bullard, the boy exclaimed 'Whoa' and spotted what appeared to be seven or eight large vertebrae. Expert analysis later identified the find as a tylosaurus, a type of mosasaur – a large marine reptile that swam in the ancient sea covering what is now Kansas during the Cretaceous period.
The fossil consists of eight pieces stretching more than 15 feet. 'Pretty much all of the middle of America used to be underwater,' Corbin explained. The tylosaurus, related to modern snakes, could grow up to 45 feet long and propelled itself using its tail and paddle-like flippers.
It took three separate trips to fully excavate the fossil, and Corbin has since spent at least 30 hours carefully cleaning it. The Sedgwick County 4-H agent, Stephanie Hays, praised his dedication, saying she felt 'very proud' of him. Corbin plans to display his discovery at the Sedgwick County Fair from July 8 to 11.
