65-Million-Year-Old Fossils Discovered in Egypt's New Valley

A team of Egyptian palaeontologists have uncovered fossils from a 65-million-year-old marine reptile in the southern province of New Valley, the remains of which were originally stumbled upon accidentally by a young man planting trees in the desert. The find, which consisted of eight vertebrae from the abdominal region of a plesiosaur, reveals more about the ancient creature that lived along dinosaurs during the Mesozoic era, dating as far back as 200 million years ago. The 65-million-year-old remains were found embedded in layers of phosphate rock in the western part of Dakhla, an oasis where a small population resides. In light of the repeated discoveries of prehistoric fossils in the Western Desert, including a fossilised carnivorous dinosaur dating back over 98 million years, the New Valley University’s palaeontology centre has revealed plans to establish an open-air museum at the discovery site.