Amateur palaeontologist Morne uncovered a 66-million-year-old reptile fossil after finding the rock on a beach in Newstead, New Zealand.

Using an air scribe, Morne chips away at the surrounding rock revealing the encased fossil of a mosasaurus vertebrae, a large marine reptile.

Morne, Mamlambo on YouTube, told Newsflare: "I asked some experts and it was identified as a mosasaurus vertebrae, though it could be from a plesiosaurus potentially as well. Cretaceous marine reptile would be a good way of describing it.

"I will see if my local museum will take it as a donation, though it's a damaged specimen and might not be scientifically significant, " he added.

This footage was filmed in May 2020.

While out looking for fossils on a beach in New Zealand in a Cretaceous, 66 - 145 myo, beach deposit, I happened across this broken bone fragment encased in rock. I took it home and removed the rock from around it using an air scribe over the course of two hours. I asked some experts and it was identified as a mosasaurus vertebrae, though it could be from a plesiosaurus potentially as well. Cretaceous marine reptile would be a good way of describing it.

I will see if my local museum will take it as a donation, though it's a damaged specimen and might not be scientifically significant.