Your World This Week, May 8 – 14

Published May 9, 2016

Recent Antarctic Expedition Reveals 71 Million Year Old Fossils

Fossils

Some of the uncovered fossils. Photo: Dr. Steve Salisbury/ The University of Queensland

Scientists from the University of Queensland have collected a trove of dinosaur fossils from Antarctica — some of them dating back to the Cretaceous period.

a lot of marine reptile remains, so things like plesiosaurs and mosasaurs,” said Dr. Steve Salisbury of the University of Queensland, in a press release. “The rocks that we were focusing on come from the end of the Age of Dinosaurs, so most of them are between 71 million and 67 million years old.”

The researchers’ findings will be sent to the Carnegie Museum of Natural History for future study — and specifically to learn about “what the environment was like during the time these animals existed,” Gizmodo reported.

3 Events To Know About This Week

Fokker Plane

Byrd and Bennett’s plane in flight. Image: Wikimedia Commons

  • May 9, 1926: American explorers Richard Byrd and Floyd Bennett become the first humans to fly over the North Pole.
  • Nelson Mandela Inauguration

    Nelson Mandela takes the oath of inauguration as president on May 10, 1994. Photo: WALTER DHLADHLA/AFP/Getty Images

  • May 10, 1994: Nelson Mandela becomes South Africa’s first black president.
  • The Persistence Of Memory

    Dali’s The Persistence of Memory. Image: Wikimedia Commons

  • May 11, 1904: Salvador Dali is born in Figueres, Spain.
  • author
    All That's Interesting
    author
    A New York-based publisher established in 2010, All That's Interesting brings together subject-level experts in history, true crime, and science to share stories that illuminate our world.
    editor
    John Kuroski
    editor
    John Kuroski is the editorial director of All That's Interesting. He graduated from New York University with a degree in history, earning a place in the Phi Alpha Theta honor society for history students. An editor at All That's Interesting since 2015, his areas of interest include modern history and true crime.