Colorado crews excavate new dinosaur fossil while doing construction work on parking lot
DINOSAUR, Colo. (KRDO) – A crew performing construction work at the Dinosaur National Monument recently got an unexpected glimpse into prehistory – right in the middle of a parking lot.
According to the National Park Service (NPS), dinosaur fossils were uncovered by crews working near the Quarry Exhibit Hall in September, marking the first time a fossil has been excavated from the area in over a century.
The new fossils were identified last year after asphalt removal exposed a portion of sandstone that bore the dinosaur fossils. Following the discovery, National Park officials said construction was halted to allow paleontologists to study and excavate the fossils before park staff and on-site construction crews helped remove them.
"The fossils belong to a large, long-necked dinosaur, most likely Diplodocus, which is common in this bonebed," the National Park Service said. "This location had not been excavated for fossils since the original excavations at the site ended in 1924."
According to NPS, roughly 3,000 pounds of fossil and rock were removed from the area between mid-September and mid-October.
Work is now underway to clean and study the dinosaur remains, which are currently being housed in the Utah Field House of Natural History State Park Museum in Vernal, Utah. People can watch the work being done in the museum’s fossil preparation lab, the NPS said.
Other fossils from the excavation are already on display at the Quarry Exhibit Hall and the Utah Field House of Natural History State Park Museum.
The Quarry Exhibit Hall is the most popular area in Dinosaur National Monument. According to NPS, the building sits over a preserved section of the historic Carnegie dinosaur fossil quarry, where visitors can see approximately 1,500 dinosaur fossils still encased in the rock.
Stay up to date with the latest local news, sports, and investigations by downloading the KRDO13 app. Click here to download it from the Apple App Store. Android users can download it from Google Play here.
