NEED TO KNOW
- Researchers from the Denver Museum of Nature and Science uncovered a nearly 70-million-year-old dinosaur fossil buried deep beneath the museum’s parking lot
- It was uncovered about 763 feet underground and is now on display at the museum’s “Discovering Teen Rex” exhibition
- Experts identified the bone as a vertebral centrum, likely from an herbivorous species of dinosaur
Researchers from the Denver Museum of Nature and Science did not have to look far to acquire a new artifact after they uncovered a nearly 70-million-year-old dinosaur fossil buried deep beneath the museum’s parking lot.
Back in January, officials were carrying out a geothermal test drilling project onsite in City Park and decided to conduct a coring research initiative to study the Denver Basin’s geology at the same time, during which they discovered a partial-bone fossil about 763 feet underground.
Rick Wicker/Denver Museum of Nature and Science
It’s the “deepest and oldest dinosaur fossil ever found within city limits,” a representative for the museum said in an online news release.
“This is a scientifically and historically thrilling find for both the Museum and the larger Denver community,” said Dr. James Hagadorn, a curator of geology for the museum. “This fossil comes from an era just before the mass extinction that wiped out the dinosaurs, and it offers a rare window into the ecosystem that once existed right beneath modern-day Denver.”
A research article published by the journal Rocky Mountain Geology identifies the bone as a vertebral centrum, likely from an herbivorous species of dinosaur.
“This may be the most unusual dinosaur discovery I have ever been a part of,” said Dr. Patrick O’Connor, director of Earth & Space Sciences at the museum. “Not only is it exceptionally rare to find any fossil as part of a drilling project, but the discovery provided an outstanding collaborative opportunity for the Museum earth sciences team to produce an article led by Denver Museum of Nature & Science postdoctoral scholar, Dr. Holger Petermann.”
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Now, it’s on display at the museum’s “Discovering Teen Rex” exhibition.
“In my 35 years at the museum, we’ve never had an opportunity quite like this — to study the deep geologic layers beneath our feet with such precision,” Earth Sciences Research Associate Dr. Bob Raynolds said. “That this fossil turned up here, in City Park, is nothing short of magical.”
