Dinosaur Fossil Found Under a Museum of Dinosaurs in Denver
On January 30th 2025, a team of scientists accidentally discovered a 67.5-million-year-old fossil of an herbivorous dinosaur 750 feet under the parking lot of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, while drilling to check whether the museum could use geothermal heating in their building.
The museum made its public announcement in July. Throughout this time, scientists have verified whether this fossil was real, and have identified roughly the species and date of it. According to Rocky Mountain Geology, “ bone is identifiable as a vertebral centrum based on its morphology” and “shares similarities to those of ornithopod dinosaurs such as Thescelosaurus or Edmontosaurus.” It is speculated that since “the bone occurs near the top of a sequence capped by carbonaceous mudstone,” it is “interpreted to represent a pond- or swamp-like environment.”
James Hagadorn, the museum’s curator of geology and leader of the dig for geothermal energy, said to NBC News on July 12th, “it was pretty neat to see [was] that dinosaur drinking water out of that pond or munching on plants nearby.” The rarity of this find is said to be “the needle inside of a needle of a haystack”, according to Mr. Hagadorn. It is like “hitting a hole in one from the moon. It’s like winning the Willy Wonka factory. It’s incredible; it’s super rare.” For Dr. Bob Raynolds, a longtime member of the Earth Sciences Research Associate, this find was pretty extraordinary as well. Dr. Raynolds told the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, “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. That this fossil turned up here, in City Park, is nothing short of magical.”
However, while the discovery of the fossil was quite exciting, the continuation of research is not guaranteed. Thomas Williamson, an expert from the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science in Albuquerque, said to The BBC News, the find was interesting, but the fossil itself was “scientifically [it’s] not that exciting.” Further plans to dig up the rest of the fossil is cut short despite wide public interest, as the city “really needs parking”.
The Denver Museum of Nature and Science has already showcased the fossil in the “Discovering Teen Rex” section, according to the museum’s official page, Denver Museum of Nature and Science.
Sources:
https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/uwyo/rmg/article/60/1/1/657560/Denver-s-deepest-dinosaur
https://www.dmns.org/press-room/press-releases/researchers-discover-dinosaur-fossil-beneath-denver-museum-of-nature-science/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/articles/cddzngl7py3o