Exciting Discovery: Denver Museum Uncovers Dinosaur Fossil Right Under Its Parking Lot!

A fascinating discovery just happened at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. While drilling over 750 feet deep for geothermal heating, workers unearthed a dinosaur bone right beneath the museum’s parking lot.

The museum is famous for its impressive dinosaur displays that captivate both kids and adults. However, this latest find may not be visually stunning. Still, the odds of hitting a dinosaur fossil in such a narrow drill hole, only a couple of inches wide, were incredibly slim. James Hagadorn, the museum’s geology curator, compared it to “hitting a hole in one from the moon.”

Remarkably, only two similar fossils have been found in borehole samples worldwide, making this discovery even more special. The fossil is believed to be a vertebra from a small plant-eating dinosaur, dating back to the late Cretaceous period, around 67.5 million years ago. Most dinosaurs vanished around 66 million years ago due to a massive asteroid impact.

In addition to the dinosaur bone, scientists found fossilized plants in the borehole. According to Patrick O’Connor, the museum’s vertebrate paleontology curator, this suggests that the area was once a lush, swampy environment.

Denver’s fossil history includes significant finds like Tyrannosaurus rex and Triceratops bones, but this particular fossil is both the deepest and oldest discovered in the area. Experts have mixed feelings about the find. Thomas Williamson, curator of paleontology at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History, stated that while the discovery is surprising, it’s not scientifically groundbreaking since the species can’t be definitively identified. In contrast, Erin LaCount, director of education at Dinosaur Ridge, called it “absolutely legit and VERY COOL!” She suggested that the bone might have belonged to a duck-billed dinosaur or a smaller, related species.

Though the fossil is now proudly displayed at the museum, plans to dig deeper in the parking lot are off the table—mostly because parking is essential for the museum’s visitors. Nonetheless, this unexpected find adds a new layer to Denver’s rich fossil history, highlighting the area’s prehistoric past and the exciting discoveries that can still be made.

For more exciting paleontological news and insights, check out the American Museum of Natural History.

Source link