--- title: "Amazing Discovery as Man Finds Huge Bone Sticking Out of Ground" description: "Damien Boschetto, a 25-year-old amateur paleontologist, made a spectacular discovery while walking his dog last year." date: "2024-03-12" modified: "2024-03-12" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/man-finds-huge-bone-sticking-out-of-the-ground" categories: - "Science & Energy" tags: - "dinosaurs" - "the digest" --- # Amazing Discovery as Man Finds Huge Bone Sticking Out of Ground ![]() *\Image: Damien Boschetto\* ## Bone Ranger Damien Boschetto, a 25-year-old amateur paleontologist, made a spectacular discovery while walking his dog in a forest in southern France last year. Boschetto stumbled upon a massive bone sticking out of the ground near a cliff edge, [*CNN* reports](), which turned out to be the 32.8-foot fossil of a Titanosaur skeleton, a long-necked sauropod that was still thriving around the end of the Cretaceous period around 66 million years ago. "It happened one morning like any other, during an ordinary walk," Boschetto [told local news *France Bleu*]() last month. "While walking the dog, a landslide on the edge of the cliff exposed the bones of various skeletons." The stunning finding astonished researchers, particularly thanks to its almost original anatomical position. "From a museography point of view, it will make it possible to present to the general public animals almost complete in anatomical positions, which is something great," Boschetto told *CNN*. ## Connective Tissue The local Archaeological and Paleontological Cultural Association, in particular, was thrilled by Boschetto's find. "The most exciting thing was to realize that we had at least one anatomically connected animal and that it was a titanosaur, a long-necked dinosaur," member Jean-Marc Veyssières told *CNN*. The surrounding area where Boschetto made the discovery is what experts refer to as a "bone bed," or a spot that's teeming with animal bones and fossils. Experts also dug up the remains of a Rhabdodon, a plant-eating dinosaur, and carnivores like Theropods, in the same area. Sauropods like the 70 percent-intact Titanosaur discovered by Boschetto, were [some of the largest]() dinosaurs of their time towards the end of the Cretaceous period. Their total length head to tail could reach 85 feet. While other Titanosaur remains have been found in other parts of Europe, this particular specimen is special thanks to its largely intact state, including some connecting tissues. Experts are still trying to determine its exact species. Boschetto has since decided to quit his job to pursue a master's degree in paleontology — and who can blame him? **More on dinosaurs:** *[Researcher Buys Dinosaur Fossil Online, Discovers Terrifying Monster]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()