Dinosaur teeth found in French customs check near Italy border

French customs officers found nine dinosaur teeth during a regular check near the Italian border.

The opening was made when the officers inspected the Spanish truck on the A8 motorway on January 28, officials say.

They noticed obvious fossils in two parcels and sent them to inspect the Dogistory Museum in the neighboring city of Menthon.

On Friday, the expert showed that the teeth belonged to the reptiles from the end of the Cretaceous – 72-66 million years ago – in Morocco, the authorities said.

The gums traveling across the A8 motorway between Spain and Italy regularly stop.

Agents open parcels accidentally as they sometimes contain illegal drugs, said Samantha Veronon customs officer.

But the last move was unexpected.

One of the discovered teeth belonged to Zarafasaura Oceanis, a marine reptile of about 3 million (10FR) and named in Morocco in 2011.

Three belonged to Mosasarus, a large water creature that measured up to 12 m.

Five other teeth are believed to be the phosphates of the dirosaurus, the distant ancestor of the crocodiles.

The driver of the truck told the officers that the parcels had delivered to the Italian cities Genoa and Milan, the French authorities said.

Officials are working to identify the appointed packages. Fossil collection is legal, but their license is often required.