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USA Today
11-07-2025
- Science
- USA Today
Denver museum discovers nearly 70-million-year-old fossil under parking lot
A museum in Denver has found a fossil that is almost 70 million years old under its parking lot while running an unrelated drilling project. "This may be the most unusual dinosaur discovery I have ever been a part of," said Patrick O'Connor, director of Earth & Space Sciences at the Museum, in a statement. In January, the museum conducted a geothermal test drilling project to see if it was possible to switch from natural gas to geothermal energy, according to a press release published on the museum's website. "At that time, the team took the opportunity to carry out a scientific coring research initiative to help researchers better understand the geology of the Denver Basin," the press release stated. "The coring investigation led to the unexpected discovery of a nearly [70 million-year-old] dinosaur fossil." The discovery, a partial-bone fossil that was identified as a vertebra of a herbivorous dinosaur, is on display in the 'Discovering Teen Rex' exhibition on the museum floor. '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," Bob Raynolds, a longtime Earth Sciences Research Associate, said in a statement. "That this fossil turned up here, in City Park, is nothing short of magical.' More news: Pterosaur fossil discovered in Arizona's Petrified Forest National Park fills gap in record Where was the fossil located? The fossil was found 763 feet below the surface of the museum's parking lot near the city's largest park, City Park, which also contains the Denver Zoo. It "has been identified as the deepest and oldest dinosaur fossil ever found within the city limits," according to the museum. What did the fossil belong to? The museum only states that the fossil likely belonged to a plant-eating dinosaur that walked on two legs. But, it looks very similar to one belonging to a Thescelosaurus from the latest Cretaceous Period. Remains of the dinosaur have been found in Canada and the U.S., according to the Natural History Museum in London. The dinosaur, which name means "wonderful lizard," would have been nearly as tall as the average man and been around 10-12 feet long, or 3.5 meters. How old was the fossil? The bones were found in rock from the Late Cretaceous period, and are dated to be around 67.5 million years ago. '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," James Hagadorn, curator of geology at the Museum, said in a statement. It was a small ornithopod, which means a bipedal dinosaur with only three functional toes, according to Mirriam-Webster. Julia is a trending reporter for USA TODAY. Connect with her on LinkedIn, X, Instagram and TikTok: @juliamariegz, or email her at jgomez@
The Hill
11-07-2025
- Science
- The Hill
Denver dinosaur museum makes ‘historically thrilling' discovery under its own parking lot
DENVER (KDVR) — The Denver Museum of Nature and Science (DMNS) announced on Wednesday that it had discovered a nearly 70-million-year-old dinosaur fossil underneath its parking lot. The partial-bone fossil was found 763 feet below the lot during a geothermal test drilling project in January, according to the museum. 'This is a scientifically and historically thrilling find for both the Museum and the larger Denver community,' said James Hagadorn, the curator of geology at the DMNS, in a statement. The museum said the fossil is the deepest and oldest dinosaur fossil ever found within Denver city limits. BestReviews is reader-supported and may earn an affiliate commission. Amazon Prime Day Deals '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 said. The fossil bone has been identified as a vertebrae of an herbivorous dinosaur, according to the museum, which said the bone occurs in Late Cretaceous rocks that are dated to approximately 67.5 million years ago. Patrick O'Connor, director of Earth & Space Science at the DMNS, was part of the team that identified the bone and said it may be 'the most unusual dinosaur discovery' he had ever been a part of. '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,' O'Connor said. That article, 'Denver's deepest dinosaur,' was published in the scientific journal Rocky Mountain Geology in June. The research was led by DMNS postdoctoral scholar Dr. Holger Petermann. 'This fossil underscores the highly fossiliferous nature of the entire D1 Sequence (Denver Formation) and increases the diversity of dinosaurs known from the Denver metropolitan area,' reads an excerpt from the article's abstract. The fossil bone is now currently on display at the DMNS in its 'Discovering Teen Rex' exhibition.
