Hidden Beneath Denver Museum’s Parking Lot, Unearthed Dinosaur Bone Could Rewrite History
“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,” Hagadorn explained.
Rick Wicker/Denver Museum of Nature and ScienceScientists look over the cores taken from beneath the parking lot.
Found 763 feet below ground, the fossil is both the oldest and deepest dinosaur fossil ever discovered in the city of Denver. It also suggests there may have been a more diverse range of prehistoric species in the region than previously thought.
Because this small vertebra is the only piece of the dinosaur that was found, there’s no way to tell exactly which species it came from. However, scientists believe it likely belonged to a small, plant-eating dinosaur based on the bone’s structure and morphology. The creature probably lived in a heavily vegetated, swampy environment.
The fossil is now on display in the museum’s “Discovering Teen Rex” exhibit.
Despite the excitement the fossil sparked, the museum currently has no plans to continue searching for dinosaur bones beneath its parking lot.
“I would love to dig a 763-foot hole in the parking lot to excavate that dinosaur, the rest of it,” said Hagadorn. “But I don’t think that’s going to fly because we really need parking.”
After reading about the dinosaur fossil found beneath the parking lot of a Denver science museum, learn about the Quetzalcoatlus, the largest flying dinosaur to ever live. Then, discover 31 fascinating dinosaur facts.
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