Kansas Boy Discovers 15-Foot Marine Reptile Fossil from 85 Million Years Ago

A boy from Clearwater, Kansas, discovered the remains of a 15-foot-long marine reptile during a geology club field trip. Corbin Bullard, who was 11 years old at the time, found large vertebrae at a quarry in September 2025. Over three additional excavation trips, Bullard and his fellow club members uncovered nearly an entire tylosaurus, a marine reptile from the Cretaceous Period. The fossil, which includes the skull and most of the skeleton, was dated to approximately 82 million to 87 million years ago, according to researchers. The find was made in a quarry where commercial crews regularly expose fossils. Now 12 years old, Bullard plans to showcase the skull at the Sedgwick County Fair in July.