Dinosaur's Superstars of Paleontology

Dinosaur National Monument is famous for its remarkable dinosaur quarry. Today, visitors have the opportunity to see the bones in-situ, which means that bones have been carefully exposed but left in the ground as they were found. However, in the early 1900s, the quarry was very active and many dinosaurs were removed, studied, and put on display. Even a century later, paleontologists come to Dinosaur to study and discover more information about dinosaurs and small animals that lived with them.

From the mighty sauropod (long necked dinosaur) to the fragments of the tiniest lizard bones, Dinosaur National Monument is full of fossil treasures that are both beautiful and scientifically fascinating. Join us on our virtual journey to learn about some of the best Dinosaur has to offer. If you enjoy reading about them, we hope you will join us here at Dinosaur or visit a museum near you to see some of our exquisite specimens.

 

People and Places

Morrison Formation
The Morrison Formation is the rock layer that has produced the majority of the dinosaur fossils found in Dinosaur National monument.

Earl Douglass
Aside from discovering the famous Carnegie Quarry, Earl Douglass was one of the first people to suggest leaving some of the bones for public viewing instead of excavating it all.

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Walters & Kissenger, LLC

Dinosaurs

Abydosaurus mcintoshi
Abydosaurus is the most recently discovered dinosaur at Dinosaur National Monument.

Allosaurus fragilis
Allosaurus, meaning "different delicate reptile," is a theropod (meat-eating dinosaur) that probably ate other smaller dinosaurs.

Allosaurus jimmadseni
Allosaurus jimmadseni is the second species of Allosaurus found at Dinosaur National Monument.

Apatosaurus louisae
Apatosaurus grew up to 69 ft long and ate plants. You may have also heard it referred to by its scientifically incorrect name, Brontosaurus.

Barosaurus lentus
Barosaurus is a plant eater and the least common of all the sauropods (long-necked dinosaurs) found in the Carnegie Quarry.

Camarasaurus lentus
Camarasaurus is one of the most common sauropods (long-necked dinosaurs) of the Jurassic.

Camptosaurus aphanoecetes
Camptosaurus is a two-legged plant eating dinosaur.

Diplodocus longus
Diplodocus is one of the most abundant sauropods (long-necked dinosaurs) in the Morrison Formation.

Dryosaurus altus
Dryosaurus means "oak lizard" in reference to the leaf shaped teeth.

Stegosaurus ungulates
Stegosaurus is a plant eating dinosaur with plates on its back and spikes on its tail.

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Artist rendition of Opisthias.

Walters & Kissenger, LLC

Reptiles

Dinochelys whitei
Dinochelys may have lived a life similar to that of modern river and pond turtles.

Glyptops plicatulus
Glyptops probably lived a life similar to that of modern turtles.

Hoplosuchus kayi
Hoplosuchus is a long-limbed, running, terrestrial crocodile.

Opisthias rarus
Opisthias rarus is a lizard-like reptile known as a sphenodont that reached a length of a foot or more.

Paramacellodus
Paramacellodus is a small lizard with short, blunt teeth.

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Mollusks

Unionidae clams/Vetulonaia sp.
These freshwater clams are the the most abundant organism preserved in the Carnegie Quarry.

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Mammals

Glirodon grandis
Though it was the size rat, this Jurrassic mammal was not a rodent.

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Amphibians

Iridotriton hechti
The name of this Jurrasic Salamander means "rainbow newt" since it was found in the Rainbow Park area of Dinosaur National Monument.

Rhadinosteus parvus
This small Jurassic frog with a body length of about half an inch has only been found at Dinosaur.

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Other Fossils

Trace Fossils
Not all fossils are bone or other body parts. Footprints or imprints of animals burrows are examples of trace fossils.