The Dinosaur Quarry. Dinosaur National Monument, Colorado-UtahGood, John M. (John Maxwell)
History
The Dinosaur Quarry. Dinosaur National Monument, Colorado-Utah
Good, John M. (John Maxwell)
Dinosaur National Monument (Colo. and Utah); Dinosaurs; Paleontology -- Jurassic
Then, in 1893, this mystery was solved. O. A. Peterson, a scientist from
the American Museum of Natural History, while conducting field work in
the Uinta Basin to the south of the present monument boundaries,
discovered bones out-cropping from a recognized fossil-bearing stratum.
The stratum was the 140,000,000 year-old Morrison formation. The bones?
Peterson reported them as the remains of dinosaurs.
That report was to have an important influence, 15 years later, in
directing a fellow paleontologist from the Carnegie Museum in Pittsburgh
to investigate the area. Earl Douglass was the paleontologist’s name. In
1908, he and W. J. Holland, Director of the Carnegie Museum, found
themselves in the region of Peterson’s discovery, searching for dinosaur
remains. They extended their search to the north and thence along the
Morrison hogback that flanks Split Mountain. Bone was found—not much,
but enough to bring Douglass back the following summer and in company
with George Goodrich, a local resident, to pursue the hunt.
The hunt came to a triumphant climax on August 17, 1909, when—to quote
from Douglass’s diary—“At last in the top of the ledge where the softer
overlying beds form a divide ... I saw eight of the tail bones of a
_Brontosaurus {Apatosaurus}_ in exact position.”
STARTING THE QUARRY
This was the beginning—the beginning of the celebrated dinosaur quarry
which was to yield such a multitude and variety of ancient forms to
science, and eventually lead to the establishment of Dinosaur National
Monument.
Douglass proceeded to dig into the solid rock along those original eight
tail bones and found other parts of the skeleton. In time, the almost
complete frame of the _Apatosaurus_ was exposed. The skull was missing
and parts of the limb bones, but this was to be expected, as fossil
vertebrates are rarely preserved in their entirety. What was not
expected were the remains of a smaller dinosaur comingled with those of
its huge contemporary.
EXTENT AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE FIND
Douglass was elated. This was more than a “one strike”! How much more,
only further digging would tell. Sensing a large-scale operation, he
informed the Carnegie Museum of his prospects and readied things with
the intensity of a man at the gate of destiny. From the neighboring
ranches he recruited men, horses, and equipment. He sent for his wife
and child. He constructed a road to the discovery site, built a
five-room cabin out of logs and lumber, converted a sheepherder’s camp
wagon into an office, selected ground for future planting, bought a cow.
A forge was set up. Tools were purchased.
Back at the museum, Andrew Carnegie, himself, evinced interest. He had
always wanted something “as big as a barn” for his institution. A
special annual field fund of $5,000 was added to the regular budget to
carry on the work.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account