A fossilized bone, collected in 1985, has been officially identified as the first dinosaur remain ever found on the Antarctic continent.

一塊於1985年採集的化石骨骼，現已正式被鑑定為南極洲發現的第一件恐龍遺骸。

The specimen was found by geologist Dr. Mike Thomson on James Ross Island during a British Antarctic Survey (BAS) expedition. At first, the 10-centimeter bone was simply described as belonging to a large reptile. However, after nearly forty years in storage, paleontologist Dr. Mark Evans re-examined the bone. Through comparative analysis, he confirmed that the vertebra belonged to a titanosaur, which was a type of long-necked, plant-eating dinosaur.

該樣本是由地質學家 Mike Thomson 博士在英國南極調查局 (BAS) 的考察期間，於詹姆斯羅斯島發現的。起初，這塊10公分長的骨頭僅被描述為屬於一種大型爬行動物。然而，在存放近四十年後，古生物學家 Mark Evans 博士重新檢查了該骨骼。透過對比分析，他確認該椎骨屬於泰坦龍，這是一種長頸的植食性恐龍。

This specific dinosaur lived during the Late Cretaceous period, about 82 million years ago. While adult titanosaurs could weigh 15 tons and reach 37 meters in length, this individual was likely a juvenile or a small adult, measuring only six to seven meters. Because the fossil was found in marine rock, researchers believe the body likely floated from the coast to the seabed after the animal died.

這種特定的恐龍生活在約 8,200 萬年前的白堊紀晚期。雖然成年泰坦龍的體重可達 15 噸，長度可達 37 公尺，但該個體可能僅為青少年或小型成年個體，長度僅 6 到 7 公尺。由於該化石發現於海洋岩石中，研究人員認為該生物在死亡後，屍體可能從海岸漂浮至海床。

From a scientific perspective, this discovery helps experts understand how dinosaurs moved across the ancient supercontinent of Gondwana. Researchers emphasize that the presence of titanosaurs in Antarctica suggests there was a land bridge allowing dinosaurs to travel between South America and Australia. Furthermore, this find shows that museum archives are still very useful for discovering new data. Experts suggest that more fossils may be found in the future as melting glaciers, caused by climate change, reveal previously hidden layers of rock.

從科學角度來看，這一發現有助於專家了解恐龍如何在古代超級大陸岡瓦那之間移動。研究人員強調，南極洲出現泰坦龍表明當時存在一座陸橋，允許恐龍在南美洲與澳洲之間往來。此外，這次發現顯示博物館的檔案對於挖掘新數據依然非常有價值。專家建議，隨著氣候變遷導致冰川融化，先前隱藏的岩層將被揭露，未來可能會發現更多化石。

The reclassification of this 1985 specimen confirms the earliest known presence of dinosaurs in Antarctica and provides important information about how animals migrated during the Cretaceous period.

對這個1985年樣本的重新分類，確認了恐龍在南極洲出現的最早紀錄，並為白堊紀期間動物如何遷徙提供了重要資訊。