Instructions:  Conduct research about a recent current event using credible sources. Then, compile what you’ve learned to write your own hard or soft news article. Minimum: 250 words. Feel free to do outside research to support your claims.  Remember to: be objective, include a lead that answers the...

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A Museum found a Dinosaur Fossil Under its Parking Lot
discovered a plant-eating dinosaur’s fossil. The dinosaur is estimated to be close to 68 million years old and was found approximately 800 feet below the parking lot while drilling to determine if the building could be used for geothermal energy.
The dinosaur fossil is the deepest and oldest ever found in Denver. The dinosaur is thought to be the vertebra of an herbivorous dinosaur, either a Thescelosaurus or Edmontosaurus.
Around 67 million years ago, during the late Cretaceous Period, Denver was different compared to now. The area was full of warm, rainy, tropical forests and swampy lowlands. It had large palm trees, thick vines, and undergrowth that made a dense jungle-like environment.
According to Dr. James Hagadorn, curator of geology at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, “It was absolutely incredible…That’s like finding a diamond deposit under the world’s largest gem store or an archeological site buried underneath the parking lot of an archeological museum.”
As of July 9, 2025, the museum has more than 300,000 fossils. However, this is not the first time Colorado has made a discovery like this. A horn of a Triceratops was found under Coors Field’s home plate. Additionally, many fossils have been found beneath Denver International Airport.
Hagadorn has said that he would like to go back down to see if there were more fossils. This is not likely because you would have to dig a big hole and hold the hole by either lining it or making it tapered. Tapering the hole that deep would take up the entire parking lot and possibly some of the museum.
As for Earth Sciences Research Associate Dr. Bob Raynolds, he said, “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.” This excitement is shared by many Denver Museum of Nature & Science staff.
Good work 🙂
This article was made possible by:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/articles/cddzngl7py3o
https://www.dmns.org/catalyst/museum-stories/parking-lot-dinosaur-discovery/
https://abcnews.go.com/US/jurassic-park-ing-lot-dino-fossil-turns-denver/story?id=123675460

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Jayden Leow