Researchers at DMNS unearthed a 70 million-year-old dinosaur fossil, the oldest found within Denver city limits.

DENVER — A team of researchers at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science (DMNS) recently discovered a nearly 70 million-year-old dinosaur fossil under the museum’s parking lot in City Park.

According to the museum, the partial-bone fossil was found 763 feet below the surface and has been identified as the deepest and oldest dinosaur fossil ever found within city limits. The bone has since been identified as a vertebra of an herbivorous dinosaur found in Late Cretaceous rocks dating back approximately 67.5 million years.

“This is a scientifically and historically thrilling find for both the Museum and the larger Denver community,” said Dr. James Hagadorn, curator of geology. “This fossil comes from an era just before the mass extinction that wiped out the dinosaurs, and it offers a rare window into the ecosystem that once existed right beneath modern-day Denver.”

The unexpected discovery was made during a geothermal drilling project earlier this year as a team of researchers from the museum worked to assess transitioning from natural gas to geothermal energy. The project was part of a larger effort to help researchers better understand the geology of the Denver Basin.

“This may be the most unusual dinosaur discovery I have ever been a part of,” said Dr. O’Connor. “Not only is it exceptionally rare to find any fossil as part of a drilling project, but the discovery provided an outstanding collaborative opportunity for the museum’s earth sciences team to produce an article led by Denver Museum of Nature & Science postdoctoral scholar, Dr. Holger Petermann.”