Paleontologists have extracted an intact neck of a Sauropod, which they estimate to be 68 million years old, from a dig located in the Pyrenees, Archaeology New Network reports.
Measuring at over 18 feet long and weighing approximately 5,500 pounds , investigators heralded the find -- nicknamed 'Momia' -- due to the condition and position in which it was found. According to the paleontologists, the 7 to 8 vertebrae in the neck are in an anatomically connected state, meaning that they are in the same position as when the animal was alive 68 million years ago
Angel Galobart of the Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont noted the importance of the find, saying, “This finding has a triple importance to us: scientifically - we have a skeleton that is in anatomical connection and that can provide us with valuable information; informational - we hope that once ready it will be an exhibition element of the first order at the Museo de la Conca Dellà; and lastly –historical value - because this excavation is the culmination of some projects that began almost 60 years ago.”
Located at the remote Oracu-1 site which has been in operation since the 1950's, extractions did not begin until the 80's due to economic issues.
The operation to excavate and transport Momia took almost five hours to complete, requiring the use of a backhoe and the creation of a road in order to get to the exact location where the fossil was buried, before being transported to the town of Isona and Conca in Catalonia.
