Paleontologists Unearth Dinosaur Fossils at Colorado Construction Site

Triceratops fossils were discovered at a construction site in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, in late May, according to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.

Brinkmann Constructors contacted the museum on May 15 once employees realized they might have ran into dinosaur fossils while working on a construction site. Denver Museum of Nature and Science staff went out to the site and confirmed the discovery of fossils five days later.

Natalie Toth, the museum’s chief fossil preparator, said several fossils from a triceratops were unearthed, including ribs, an upper arm bone, a lower leg bone, a possible piece of skull, and more “miscellaneous bones.”

This video, taken on June 10, shows an aerial view of the construction site and workers uncovering the fossils. It also shows workers wrapping the fossils in protective plaster casings, as described by Toth at a press conference.

The fossils were embedded in rock that dated back 66-68 million years, according to the museum.

Toth said the bones would be a part of the museum’s collection, which provides access to researchers across the world. “It’s just so unbelievable to me that we’re in a metropolitan area, and we truly have dinosaurs in our backyard,” Toth said during the press conference. Credit: Denver Museum of Nature and Science via Storyful