Kansas Boy Unearths 15-Foot Tylosaurus Fossil From 85 Million Years Ago

Q: How did a group of kids safely unearth a massive, 85-million-year-old sea monster in a Kansas quarry?

They did it through a supervised, multi-trip 4-H excavation, not a spontaneous dig. Corbin Bullard, then 11, spotted several large vertebrae sticking out of rock during a Sedgwick County 4-H Geology Club field trip at a quarry near Clearwater, Kansas. The site was on private property, and the group had permission to be there. After the initial find, Bullard and other club members returned three more times over several months with adult leaders and family support. They carefully exposed the fossil piece by piece rather than trying to remove it all at once. That slow approach allowed them to uncover an almost complete 15-foot tylosaurus skeleton, including a large skull that had been lying at an awkward angle, making identification harder at first. The setting also helped explain why the fossil was visible. Quarry operations had shaved away layers of rock, exposing parts of the skeleton in the Smoky Hill Chalk formation, a well-known source of Late Cretaceous marine fossils in Kansas. Researchers later dated the animal to about 82 million to 87 million years old. The safety came from structure and supervision: it was an organized 4-H geology outing, led by adults, carried out over repeated visits, and done with landowner approval. After excavation, Bullard spent at least 30 hours cleaning the fossil, which was recovered in eight pieces. He plans to display the skull at the Sedgwick County Fair.

Q: After its county fair debut, what is the ultimate fate of the nearly complete tylosaurus skeleton?

There is no confirmed final destination yet for the tylosaurus skeleton after its Sedgwick County Fair appearance. What is clear is that the fossil belongs to Corbin Bullard, because it was found on private property with the landowner’s permission. Reporting on the discovery says Bullard plans to exhibit the skull at the fair, but he has not decided where the nearly complete skeleton will ultimately go afterward. For now, the specimen remains in Bullard’s possession while he continues cleaning and preparing it. He has already spent dozens of hours working on the fossil and has been presenting his discovery publicly, but no museum transfer, donation, or permanent display site has been announced.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jun 10

11-year-old Corbin Bullard found large vertebrae jutting from rock at a quarry near Clearwater, Kansas, during a September 2025 geology club trip, leading to the discovery of a nearly complete Tylosaurus.
Three follow-up excavation trips by Bullard and the Sedgwick County 4-H Geology Club uncovered more than 15 feet of fossil remains, including the skull and most of the skeleton.
Researchers dated the marine reptile to the Smoky Hill Chalk formation, placing it roughly 82 million to 87 million years old in the Cretaceous sea that once covered parts of Kansas.
The find stands out at a quarry where club members had mostly recovered shark teeth and fish fossils, and Bullard now plans to show the skull at the Sedgwick County Fair in July.