| Remains of
giant prehistoric amphibians found in Egypt
from the New Scientist
Website 26/05/2001
The remains of giant prehistoric
amphibians have been found in the Egyptian desert, in the same area where the skeleton of
a massive dinosaur was discovered, scientists announced today.
Yusri Atteya, head of the paleontology department of the Cairo Geological Museum, made the
announcement after complaining that his US peers had broken an agreement by publicising
the dinosaur find without Egyptian consent.
The discovery of the dinosaur in the Bahariya oasis, 350 kilometres south-west of Cairo,
"constitutes only a fraction of the discoveries made in the last two years that we
will announce after studying them," Atteya said.
"The most important discovery is that of giant amphibians, whose size can reach up to
four metres in length, and which date to 94 million years old," Atteya said.
"That's to say they are the most recent ever found."
Such amphibians were thought to have become extinct before then, he added.
But he declined to give more details on that and other discoveries in the Bahariya oasis.
END OF REPORT
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