Dinosaur Fossils Discovered at Dinosaur National Monument

A routine parking project at Dinosaur National Monument has resulted in an exciting discovery: the first dinosaur fossils found at the location in over a century.

The National Park Service reported that workers stumbled upon the fossils in mid-September while removing asphalt near the quarry exhibit hall, revealing sandstone that contained dinosaur remnants. On September 16, park officials identified the location and promptly halted construction to let paleontologists assess the situation.

These fossils are thought to be from a diplodocus, a large, long-necked dinosaur commonly found in the historic bonebeds nearby.

Officials noted that park staff, members of the Utah Conservation Corps, volunteers, and construction workers collaborated on the excavation.

From mid-September to mid-October, they managed to extract about 3,000 pounds of fossils and surrounding rock. The materials are now being cleaned and analyzed at the Utah Natural History Fieldhouse State Park Museum in Vernal, where visitors can observe the preparation work in the fossil lab.

The site hadn’t seen excavation efforts since 1924, when earlier efforts by the Carnegie Museum, the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, and the University of Utah came to a close. Dinosaur National Monument itself was established back in 1915.

Some of the recently uncovered fossils are already on display at the Quarry Exhibit Hall, which is popularly known as the “Wall of Bone,” and also at the Utah Fieldhouse Museum. This exhibit hall, positioned above the former Carnegie Quarry, is a major attraction, featuring approximately 1,500 dinosaur fossils still embedded in the rock.

After the excavation, construction crews went on to complete parking and roadway enhancements, which included new concrete and asphalt work, along with improved access around the exhibit hall.