150-Million-Year-Old Fossils Discovered In Utah

By Michael Todd
14:02, June 18th 2008
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150-Million-Year-Old Fossils Discovered In Utah

The Bureau of Land Management announced on Monday "a major dinosaur fossil discovery." The find happened in southeastern Utah near Hanksville and uncovered several very-well preserved bones, freshwater clams and petrified trees.

The fossils are expected to provide scientists with a clearer image about life in the area many million years ago. So far researchers confirmed the identity of four long-tailed, long-necked herbivore dinosaurs called sauropods, two carnivores and analysis will determine whether the remained pieces belong to a stegosaurus.

The dinosaurs are from the late Jurassic period, which is the same as the ones at the Dinosaur National Monument and also the Cleveland-Lloyd quarry and so far no new specimens were found.

The site was first investigated last summer by the officials from the Burpee Museum of Natural History in Rockford, who recently decided to send a team for the excavation process. The work site spreads on a surface of 50 yards wide and 200 yards long and will surely be considerably enlarged over the months to come.

"The preservation of these dinosaurs is excellent," said Scott Foss, a BLM paleontologist, according to the Associated Press. He also added that the tests will provide information about the life 150 million years ago and even details about the ancient climate.

The museum’s officials will continue investigating the dig site and more news are sure to follow over the next several weeks. Due to some security concerns the exact location of the discovery was not offered to the public.

The late Jurassic had the world’s largest animals to ever walk on the face of the Earth and scientists hope to find some pieces and clues that will lead to new discoveries and theories.



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