150 million years ago, flood waters washed hundreds of dinosaur skeletons into the bend of a river and embedded them in mud. Over time, the bones fossilized. First discovered in 1909 by the Andrew Carnegie Museum's scientist, Earl Douglass, the fossils in Dinosaur National Monument, Utah, were found in a rock layer known as the Morrison formation. 
The Monument's quarry building encloses a rock wall, part of the Morrison formation that now stands nearly vertical due to geologic uplift. This wall exhibits a rich source of dinosaur fossils with the rock chipped away enough to show some of the bones in relief. Unfortunately, the quarry building has been closed due to structural instablity and won't reopen until 2011.
Fortunately, the Morrison formation containing the dinosaur bones continues outside the actual building, and visitors can follow a "fossil discovery trail" to see huge bones embedded in rock.
Here are two of our finds. A quarter in each picture shows size.Many other bones, probably hundreds to a trained eye, are visible from the trail.
This one appears to be fossilized vertebrae. (easier to see if enlarged)
Here's a view of the Green River from the easy 1.5 mile trail.
This watchful dinosaur descendant (the name dinosaur means "terrible lizard", although some recent findings suggest birds are more closely related) hangs around in the same area, perhaps looking out for great-great granddaddy's remains.For views of more worlds from all over our great planet, please click here.
I'm jumping for joy and have enlarged every image! This is so up my alley! Thank goodness that they caught any structural damage too before any of the treasures inside were damaged by I collapsing building. This is why I love blogging! What an adventure of a post:)
ReplyDeleteWhat an enjoyable post! I have added this place to my list of future places to visit.
ReplyDeleteHow interesting Janie... I will write 2011 in my 'wish book'--and hopefully we can visit the quarry building...
ReplyDeleteThat is amazing --seeing all of the fossils along your hike.
Thanks for sharing such a great place.
Hugs,
Betsy
That dinosaur lizard is a star! It's beautiful!!
ReplyDeleteExcellent post this week, I've always been fascinated with dinosaurs, great pics.
ReplyDeleteHave a fantastic week
Guy
Regina In Pictures
I would love to dig around there. Thanks for the very interesting post.
ReplyDeleteThis is absolutely fascinating! It's amazing that fossils can be seen from along the trail. The detail that can be seen when your pictures are enlarged is wonderful. Thanks for an exciting hike.
ReplyDeleteCool photos!! We've been talking about going there, but I'd like to wait until the building re-opens or is re-built or whatever they're doing. At least they are getting the funds to do it!
ReplyDeleteThat is so exciting. I would like to go hiking there.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting photos ... I enlarged them all to see the detail. I think the key is "to the trained eye". To me, these would have just looked like more rocks, lol. But I can see the difference when it's pointed out.
ReplyDeleteThank goodness someone saw the light and is putting money into the building restoration!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great post. My husband and I would kill for this kind of experience.
ReplyDeleteThose discoveries must have been very exciting. Those big dudes must have been really something.
ReplyDeleteOh wow, what an entertaining (for the photos) and educational (for the information) post. I love the steps going up.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great spot. I'd love to see something like this. Sometimes I think if I could do it all over again, I'd love to be an archaeologist. The digs look like fun to me. But looking at the pictures it's a good thing I didn't. I can't see anything but rocks. LOL! :-)
ReplyDeleteIncredible and amazing - and great photos. I'd heard of Dinosaur National Monument, but wasn't familiar with it at all. I, too, am adding this to my future travel destinations.
ReplyDeleteJanie: Thanks for showing this historic place.
ReplyDeleteWow, my daughter and I would love this adventure. I love the photo of the steps. Thanks for the virtual tour.
ReplyDeleteVery very interesting post Janie. I love your historic accounting of the "terrible lizards" that makes that little one sniffing the trail of its great great ancestors indeed!
ReplyDeleteGreat captures and very cool fossils. Too bad the VC is closed but glad it will be stabalized and reopened. Lovely living "terrible lizard."
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting post Janie! My daughter lives in Alberta where they also have many dinosaur fossils. We have a few small lizards here in the Canary Islands, but I would love to go hiking around your area!
ReplyDeleteThat's amazing. I guess I should have known about this but I didn't. Great shots and I love the way you ended with the descendant of the dinosaurs.
ReplyDeleteGreat fossil trail, very educational as well. Thanks for posting this.
ReplyDeleteWow, incredible!
ReplyDeletealways enjoy stopping in and seeing what you've in store. most enjoyable post and fab photos as always.
ReplyDeletehave a lovely evening.
What a lovely adventure! I've had the pleasure of being inside the (now closed) quarry building and placing my hands on the exposed fossil bones. One of the great thrills of my life. That area of Utah/Colorado is amazing.
ReplyDeleteI lived in Price, Utah for 5 years when I was a kid and saw numerous fossils in the rocks around there and elsewhere in Utah.
ReplyDeleteI don't have too much patience with those who try and tell me that the earth is only 6000 years old or so. I tell them that I've seen thin seams of coal with the imprints of ferns on them. That's a little more than 6000 years ago.