Missouri researchers have uncovered what’s reported to be the most intact dinosaur in the world.
Westminster College researchers in central Missouri’s Fulton have uncovered more than 100 fossilized bones in South Dakota belonging to a triceratops, making it one of the most intact dinosaur finds in the world. Students in the Geoscience Field Course have recovered fossils from the 66-million-year-old dinosaur each summer since its discovery in 2019. Students initially discovered the dino’s 3,000-pound, 7-foot-long skull.
Westminster College’s initial discovery of the dino made national headlines in 2020 after a South Dakota rancher found something unusual while repairing a fence.
David Schmidt, PhD, Associate Professor of Environmental Science and Staff Paleontologist at Westminster, who has a standing excavation permit with the National Forest Service was already in the area for the college’s annual summer expedition when the dinosaur was found.
After unearthing the rest of their finding, the group hopes to erect the triceratops for the public to see.
“All along, the ultimate goal of recovering Shady has been for Westminster students to use the fossil specimens for undergraduate research, for practical experience and to gain skills needed for graduate school or wherever their career paths take them,” Schmidt explained. “Permanently displaying Shady after we complete this process is a dream for all of us. It will benefit both our students and the greater community for generations to come.”
It’s nicknamed “Shady” for the area where it was found, Shadehill, South Dakota.
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