Kansas boy discovers 15-foot marine reptile fossil from 85 million years ago
An 11-year-old named Corbin Bullard discovered the remains of a nearly complete tylosaurus, a 15-foot marine reptile, during a geology club field trip near Clearwater, Kansas in September 2025. The fossil dates to the Cretaceous Period approximately 82-87 million years ago and was found in the Smoky Hill Chalk formation, a fossil-rich rock layer. The discovery is notable because it represents a significant find for a young amateur paleontologist and demonstrates how commercial quarrying operations can expose important fossils.
An 11-year-old member of the Sedgwick County 4-H Geology Club discovered the nearly complete skeleton of a tylosaurus, a large marine reptile measuring over 15 feet long, during a September 2025 field trip to a quarry near Clearwater, Kansas. Bullard spotted large vertebrae protruding from rock and, over three subsequent excavation trips with fellow club members, carefully uncovered the specimen including the animal's skull and most of its skeleton. Researchers dated the fossil to the Smoky Hill Chalk formation, placing it within the Cretaceous Period approximately 82-87 million years ago. The discovery occurred at a commercial quarry where routine rock removal regularly exposes fossils. Prior to this find, club members had primarily uncovered smaller specimens such as shark teeth and fish fossils. Now 12 years old, Bullard plans to display the fossil's skull at the Sedgwick County Fair.
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Kansas boy discovers 15-foot marine reptile fossil from 85 million years ago during geology field trip
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