Smuggled dinosaur fossil siezed in Peru

Peruvian police inspecting a suspicious package on a rural bus made a surprising discovery Tuesday – a huge dinosaur fossil.

The 19-pound jawbone is most likely from a triceratops, experts said. The animal was not known to inhabit South America. The three-horned reptiles lived between 65 to 70 million years ago, mostly in North America.

According to Reuters, the package was being shipped from the town of Moquegua to Lima using the bus company’s package service, officials said. Police investigated it due to its unusual weight.

The theft of archaeological relics is rampant in Peru although it’s fossil relics are less commonly sought than cultural artifacts. Still, last year, Peruvian customs officials made 461 seizures of fossils – an amount that they doubled in the first two months of 2008, according to the Associated Press.

It’s a growing problem because while the relics are considered "national patrimony" and restricted from export, there is no penalty for those caught doing it.