A routine geothermal drilling project at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science has led to a striking paleontological surprise. Scientists unexpectedly discovered a 67.5-million-year-old dinosaur fossil buried 763 feet beneath the museum’s own parking lot—making it the deepest and oldest fossil ever unearthed in the Denver area.
What They Found 763 Feet Down Shocked Everyone
This unexpected find didn’t begin with a fossil hunt. The museum’s staff initiated drilling operations to explore the feasibility of transitioning from natural gas to geothermal energy, aiming to better understand the geological structure of the Denver Basin. During this initiative, a two-inch-wide core sample was extracted, and embedded within it was a partial vertebra from a plant-eating dinosaur.
According to the museum, the fossil dates back to the late Cretaceous period, approximately 1.5 million years before the mass extinction event that wiped out the dinosaurs. While the primary purpose of the drilling was not paleontological, the team incorporated scientific coring alongside geothermal testing, which ultimately led to the fossil’s discovery.
A One-in-a-billion Find Deep Underground
The excitement surrounding this find is not limited to its age and depth. James Hagadorn, curator of geology at the museum, emphasized the rarity of such a discovery: “Finding a dinosaur bone in a core 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.”
In fact, according to the museum, only two similar fossil discoveries from core samples have ever been documented worldwide—and neither occurred at the site of a museum already dedicated to the study of dinosaurs.
The fossil was discovered alongside ancient fossilized vegetation, indicating that the area was once a swampy, heavily vegetated environment. This suggests that the dinosaur likely lived in a humid and lush ecosystem near the end of the Cretaceous.
Clues To The Creature’s Identity Remain Limited
While the partial vertebra offers an exciting glimpse into prehistoric life, scientists are limited in what they can infer about the dinosaur’s identity. Patrick O’Connor, curator of vertebrate paleontology at the museum, noted the environmental context but refrained from drawing definitive conclusions about the dinosaur’s species.
Erin LaCount, director of education at the nearby Dinosaur Ridge track site, suggested it may have belonged to a small herbivorous dinosaur, possibly a duck-billed dinosaur, a thescelosaurus, or another creature of similar size. Still, the fragment is too limited to allow researchers to make a firm identification.
Not All Scientists Are Celebrating This Dinosaur Discovery
Not all paleontologists view the discovery with the same level of enthusiasm. Thomas Williamson, curator at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science, acknowledged the surprise of the find but questioned its scientific significance. “It’s a surprise, I guess,” he told the Associated Press. “Scientifically, it’s not that exciting.”
Despite differing opinions, the fossil has already made its way into public view. It is now featured in the museum’s Discovering Teen Rex exhibit, where visitors can observe the fragment firsthand. Reflecting on the future, Hagadorn shared a half-joking desire to dig up the entire parking lot to uncover more of the ancient creature. “But I don’t think that’s going to fly,” he said, “because we really need parking.”
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