Letter: Letters: Fossil future

From R. V. TAYLOR

There is an interesting note to the story concerning the Maastricht
chalk (Comment, 21/28 December). In 1776, it yielded a large fossil skull
(later identified as a mosasaur).

In 1795, the French revolutionary troops were poised to take the town,
and the (German-born) anatomist Baron Cuvier persuaded the French to capture
the skull. Twelve grenadiers received the ‘finders’ fee’ of 600 bottles
of wine.

The skull still resides in the Jardin des Plantes in Paris.

R. V. Taylor Abingdon Oxfordshire