Kansas Boy on a School Field Trip Spots Something Protruding From a Quarry, and It Turns Out to Be a Prehistoric Monster
Jackpot!
A Kansas boy on a school field trip just pulled off the kind of prehistoric discovery most paleontologists only dream about. According to Fox News, Corbin Bullard, now 12, was part of a geology club outing in September 2025 when he spotted something unusual poking out of a quarry near Clearwater. What he uncovered turned out to be a nearly complete 15-foot tylosaurus, a massive marine reptile that dominated the seas 85 million years ago.
It all started when Corbin noticed a few large vertebrae jutting from the rock. “I didn’t know what it was, but I knew that it was something big,” he told reporters. Over the next few months, Corbin and his fellow club members returned to the site three more times, carefully excavating the fossil. What they found was astonishing – a tylosaurus skeleton, including its massive skull, missing only a small piece of its tail.
The fossil dates back to the Cretaceous Period, between 82 and 87 million years ago, according to researchers who studied the specimen. The Smoky Hill Chalk formation, where the discovery was made, is known for its rich fossil deposits, but this find was anything but ordinary. Most of the club’s previous discoveries had been shark teeth and small fish fossils.
Uncovering a prehistoric predator was a game-changer
Shannon Crouch, whose daughter Zoe was part of the excavation team, recalled how unusual the fossil’s position was. “The skull was kind of flipped backward onto the back,” she said. “Like the tylosaurus died with its head kind of cranked back on its backbone at an odd angle.” That strange posture made the excavation tricky, but it also added to the excitement.
“It kind of made it challenging because we didn’t know what it was we were looking at in the ground at the time, just because of the weird angle of the neck,” Crouch added. The quarry where Corbin made his discovery is a hotspot for fossil hunters. Commercial crews regularly remove layers of rock, exposing ancient relics that have been buried for millions of years.
Before this find, the club had mostly uncovered small, less impressive fossils. Corbin’s discovery changed everything. Now, he’s preparing to showcase the tylosaurus skull at the Sedgwick County Fair in July, where he hopes the judges will appreciate the effort that went into the excavation.
Corbin’s mother, Wendy Bullard, credited the 4-H Geology Club for making the discovery possible. “None of this would have happened without first of all 4-H, then the club, then the landowners and the leaders and permission to make it all happen,” she said.
The program has given Corbin more than just a fossil
It’s taught him public speaking, research skills, and a deeper appreciation for geology. He’s now set on becoming a paleontologist, a career path that feels more real than ever after this experience.
Zoe Crouch, who was just 9 years old when the fossil was found, was there every step of the way. While she’s not sure if she’ll pursue geology as a career, she still thinks the field is “really cool.” “Like they’re the first person to pick up an 80,000-year-old tooth or something like that,” she said, capturing the thrill of uncovering history.
For parents whose kids share Corbin’s passion for rocks and fossils, the 4-H Geology Club offers a hands-on way to explore those interests. Crista Burnett, the club’s leader, encouraged families to get involved. “Have them reach out to their local 4-H office and have their kids get involved in the geology program,” she said.
The fossil is a rare find not just because of its size but because of its completeness
Most fossils are fragmentary, but Corbin’s tylosaurus includes nearly the entire skeleton. After the fair, Corbin hasn’t decided what will happen to the fossil. Since it was found on private property with the landowner’s permission, it legally belongs to him. For now, he’s focused on showing it off and sharing the fun and excitement with others.
Discoveries like this don’t happen every day, but they’re a reminder of how much history is still waiting to be uncovered. The Smoky Hill Chalk formation has been a goldmine for paleontologists, but it’s not just professionals who make these finds. Sometimes, all it takes is a curious kid with a sharp eye and a little luck. Corbin’s story is proof that you don’t need a fancy degree to make a major contribution to science.
(Featured image: julian_j_2011)
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