Red Sea digging unearths 80M-year-old creature's fossils
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The Red Sea. (NASA).
Riyadh: Excavations at the Red Sea have discovered fossils belonging to 80 million-year-old sea creature, the giant Mosasaur or the 'T-Rex of the Sea', Arab News reported.
The excavations were a project which is one of the most extensive surveys in the Saudi Arabian Kingdom. The developer of the regenerative tourism project is the Red Sea Development Co (TRSDC). It has joined hands with Saudi Geological Survey (SGS), the exploration authority, to discover the remains of many marine reptiles during their ten-day digging. They had discovered several samples from the age of the Late Cretaceous to the Eocene period, roughly from 80 to 45 million years.
A press release in this regard had stated that around half of the excavated sites had turned in rare fossils, and researchers are expecting more in the future. The release stated that the findings represent the first record of marine mammals from the Paleogene period to be found in the Red Sea coastal area.
Meanwhile, TRSDC informed its decision to go on with the survey with SGS, identifying areas of unique geological importance, and expanding the tourism experience in the Red Sea.
TRDC CEO John Pagano said in a statement that the company's partnership with SGS is an extension of their solid commitment as a real estate development company. It is responsible for locating, protecting and showing the world its natural treasures, he said.
Pagano added that their work would promote interest in the discovery of ancient heritage buried along their coast.
The Red Sea Project is expected to be completed in 2030, and it is expect3ed to have 50 resorts, housing 8,000 hotel rooms and 1,000 plus residential properties across 22 islands and six sites inland. The project will also house an international airport, luxury marinas, golf courses, entertainment, and leisure facilities.