DINOSAUR, Colo. — Paleontologists removed new dinosaur fossils from a parking lot construction site at Utah's Dinosaur National Monument on Friday.
The National Park Service reported that the fossils were identified on Sept. 16, 2025, when construction crews removed a portion of the asphalt, exposing sandstone that contained them. Construction was paused to allow for excavation of the fossils.
Paleontologists believe the roughly 3,000 pounds of fossils and rock removed at the site belong to a large, long-necked dinosaur, most likely Diplodocus, which was common in the area's bonebed. Work has begun to clean and study the remains, now housed in the fossil preparation lab at the Utah Field House of Natural History State Park Museum in Vernal.
The discovery was made near Quarry Exhibit Hall, making it the first fossil excavations at this location since the original excavation ended in 1924.
The exhibit hall, also known as the "Wall of Bones," is the most popular of Dinosaur National Monument's attractions, where about 1,500 dinosaur fossils are still encased in rock. It is open to visitors daily. More information can be found at nps.gov/dino.
