Ancient Roman May Have Been the World's First Collector of Sea Monster Fossils The discovery of an ancient Roman collector of sea monster fossils has shed new light on human fascination with prehistoric creatures.
A recent find, announced in Britannia , pushes back understanding of human interest in ichthyosaurs to around 150 CE, when Rome was at its peak.
A Roman from Britain around this time took the trouble to collect and add an ichthyosaur fossil to their personal collection. What drove this individual's fascination with these prehistoric creatures?