Context:

Paleontologists at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science discovered a dinosaur vertebra fossil beneath the museum's parking lot during a drilling project aimed at studying rock layers. This fossil, found at a depth of 760 feet, is the oldest and deepest ever uncovered in Denver and belongs to an herbivorous group of bipedal dinosaurs known as ornithopods. Despite its partial nature, the discovery enriches the understanding of the region's Cretaceous ecosystem and is now displayed at the museum. The unexpected find, made while investigating the feasibility of transitioning to geothermal energy, highlights the potential for hidden fossils in urban areas. Advanced dating techniques were employed to place this fossil, along with others, more precisely in time, enhancing knowledge of the Denver Basin's prehistoric environment.

Dive Deeper:

• The dinosaur fossil, a vertebra from a plant-eating ornithopod, was discovered under the Denver Museum's parking lot during a drilling operation meant to study geological layers and assess geothermal energy potential.

• At a depth of 760 feet, this vertebra is the oldest and deepest dinosaur fossil found within Denver and represents the first ornithopod discovered in the city's limits, offering insights into the area's Cretaceous period ecosystem.

• Due to the rarity of finding dinosaur bones in core samples, this vertebra is now displayed at the museum, although the rest of the fossil remains buried with no current plans for excavation due to logistical challenges.

• The initial goal of the drilling project was to explore the possibility of transitioning from natural gas to geothermal energy, inadvertently leading to the groundbreaking fossil discovery, which surprised the scientific team.

• The fossil's discovery prompted further analysis and dating of other significant dinosaur fossils in the Denver area, utilizing advanced satellite and GIS technologies to better understand their chronological placement and regional geological history.

• The find underscores the potential for discovering fossils in unexpected urban locations, showcasing how such discoveries can refine hypotheses about past climates and mass extinction events.

• The study and display of this fossil contribute to a broader understanding of historical biodiversity and environmental changes, providing context within the larger narrative of Earth's history and evolution.