The ninth palaeontological expedition to the Tran dinosaur site, discovered in 2017, has begun. The scientific team is led by Assoc. Prof. Dr Latinka Hristova from the National Museum of Natural History at BAS (NMNHS-BAS), and the participants include palaeontologists Assoc. Prof. Dr. Docho Dochev from Sofia University, Asst. Prof. Vladimir Nikolov (NMNHS-BAS), Prof. Marlena Yaneva, a sedimentologist from the Geological Institute of BAS, and two student volunteers. The scientists’ fieldwork began on 27 July and will continue until 3 August.

The expedition can already boast its first modest successes: several fragments of carapaces from side-necked turtles of the Bothremydidae family, a crocodile tooth, a poorly preserved and incomplete dinosaur bone, several small bone fragments which, at this stage, cannot be taxonomically identified. The team hopes to find even more interesting and better-preserved fossils over the remaining days.

During previous expeditions to the site, the remains of at least nine groups of vertebrates were discovered, including two species of dinosaurs, two species of crocodiles, two species of turtles and garpike.

The expedition team also visited a newly discovered Late Cretaceous vertebrate fossil site in the vicinity of the town of Breznik. Until recently, this site was known for its fossils of ancient vegetation dating from the Campanian stage, i.e. around 75 million years ago. During the fieldwork, the palaeontologists collected new samples of fossilised leaves, the analysis of which will provide valuable information on the composition of the local flora and the climatic conditions at the end of the Late Cretaceous period.

The ninth palaeontological expedition of NMNHS-BAS is being carried out with financial support from the “T-shirt with a Cause” campaign organised by “Geograf BG” in 2025 and a private donation.

Pictured: The core members of the expedition: Assoc. Prof. Dr Docho Dochev (left), Vladimir Nikolov, MSc (centre), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Latinka Hristova (right).

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