Skip to main content

College student unearths 65 million-year-old Triceratops skull


College student unearths 65 million-year-old Triceratops skull


Harrison Duran poses next to his discovery.
Harrison Duran poses next to his discovery.
(CNN) — A college student made the discovery of a lifetime on a recent paleontology dig when he unearthed a partial Triceratops skull.
Harrison Duran, a fifth-year biology student at the University of California, Merced, uncovered the 65 million-year-old skull in the badlands of North Dakota.
"I can't quite express my excitement in that moment when we uncovered the skull," Duran said in a news release from the school on Wednesday. "I've been obsessed with dinosaurs since I was a kid, so it was a 
pretty big deal." .

Harrison Duran at age 4.
Harrison Duran at age 4.
North Dakota is part of the Hell Creek Formation, and this area is a treasure trove for finding fossils. The rock bed formation spans four states -- Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming. Fossils date to the late Cretaceous period, 65 million to 70 million years ago, and were discovered in 1902 by paleontologist Barnum Brown.
Knowing the history of the area, Duran set out on a two-week dig accompanied by Michael Kjelland, an experienced excavator and professor at Mayville State University in North Dakota. The two met previously at a conference and became fast friends as they bonded over their passion for dinos.
"I have been going out to the badlands for years off and on, but to this particular site it was the first time," Kjelland told CNN. Last year, he found another Triceratops skull around the same area that is currently being excavated.
They started their dig on June 1 chiseling away at the rock and dirt in hopes of finding some treasure. By the fourth day, Duran struck gold.
The fossil was found upside down with the base of its left horn partially exposed, surrounded by plant fossils also from the Cretaceous era.
"It is wonderful that we found fossilized wood and tree leaves right around, and even under, the skull," said Duran. "It gives us a more complete picture of the environment at the time."
They named the dinosaur Alice, after the landowner.
Then the painstaking work of getting Alice out of the ground began.
"It took a full week to excavate Alice, whose fragile skull was meticulously stabilized with a specialized glue to solidify the fractured, mineralized bones, before an accelerant was applied to bond the structures," UC Merced said in a news release.
Once out of the ground, the fossil was coated in foil and plaster, put in a box and wrapped in a memory foam mattress for transportation to the lab for further research.
Michael Kjelland poses next to Alice.
Michael Kjelland poses next to Alice.
The duo founded a nonprofit company, Fossil Excavators, to discover, persevere and educate others about fossils. Their organization will be conducting more research on Alice and preparing the dinosaur for display. Duran and Kjelland hope to use the fossil as an educational tool for others.
"It would be amazing for UC Merced to be able to display Alice on campus," said Duran. "It's such a rare opportunity to showcase something like this, and I'd like to share it with the campus community."
Meanwhile, the exact location of the dig sites will remain secret. "There have been people in the past who have stolen dinosaur bones," Kjelland said in the news release.


By skunty empire

Comments

TRENDING

Stormy Daniels seeks Trump testimony on her sex claims

Bannon to address Front National as French far-right leaders seek unity

How to prepare Seared Steak

How to prepare Chicken Shawarma Deluxe

How Generative AI is Transforming Healthcare

Empire Market Vendor from Texas Charged in a Multi-million Dollar Darknet Drug Distribution Conspiracy

Two Ingredient No Yeast Pizza Dough

Trump house on fire

Popular posts from this blog

Stormy Daniels seeks Trump testimony on her sex claims

New post Stormy Daniels seeks Trump testimony on her sex claims 25 minutes ago Share this with Facebook   Share this with Twitter   Share Media caption Stormy Daniels: 'I was threatened' Adult-film star Stormy Daniels has filed a court motion for US President Donald Trump to testify about her claim that they had a relationship. Her lawyer wants sworn testimony from Mr Trump about a "hush" agreement the actress says she signed. The attorney, Michael Avenatti, is also seeking a legal interview with the president's lawyer. Ms Daniels alleges she had unprotected sex with Mr Trump in 2006 a year after he married Melania Trump. He denies it. Mr Avenatti's motion, filed in a court in the Central District of California early on Wednesday, ramps up the legal duel between the porn star and the president. Should Trump be worried about Stormy Daniels? The president and the porn star: Why this matters Ex-model ...

Bannon to address Front National as French far-right leaders seek unity

Bannon to address Front National as French far-right leaders seek unity Beset by political and personal rifts, and with her popularity in the post-election doldrums, Le Pen is facing opposition to her plan to rename the party in an attempt to improve its electoral chances. presidential election. Hours before the conference opened it was revealed Donald Trump’s former adviser  Steve Bannon  would be speaking on the first day of the event. The move is seen by the traditional wing of the FN, founded by Le Pen’s father in the 1970s, as a betrayal of the party’s heritage. The new name will be voted on after it is unveiled on Sunday. The surprise guest speaker Bannon was announced on Twitter by the FN deputy president Louis Aliot. He wrote: “Welcome to Steve Bannon who will address the FN tomorrow at our congress and will meet ML [Le Pen]. The people are waking up and taking their destiny in hand.” Shortly afterwards Aliot tweeted a photograph of him sha...

How to prepare Seared Steak

  Reverse-Seared Steak Time 45 to 55 minutes, plus lighting the grill Reverse-searing is a grilling technique for steak that ensures a dark, sizzling crust and a rosy center that is perfectly cooked to your desired degree of doneness. This brilliant grilling method combines the low and slow cooking of traditional barbecue with the high heat charring practiced at steakhouses. Though it works well with any thick steak, from picanha to porterhouse, this recipe calls for a cut of steak popularized in Santa Maria, Calif., and is today known and loved across the U.S. as tri-tip. As the name suggests, it’s a triangular or boomerang-shaped steak cut from the tip of the sirloin, blessed with a robust beefy flavor. INGREDIENTS Yield : 4 servings * 1large or 2 small wood chunks (such as oak, hickory or mesquite) or 1½ cups wood chips * Canola oil, for greasing the grill grate * 1tri-tip steak (about 2 to 2¼ pounds; see Tip) * Coarse kosher or sea salt * Freshly ground black pep...

How to prepare Chicken Shawarma Deluxe

  Oven-Roasted Chicken Shawarma Here is a formula for a oven-baked roasted rendition of the classic road side flavor bomb normally cooked on a rotisserie. It is ideal for an evening with loved ones. Present with pita and tahini, cleaved cucumbers and tomatoes, a few olives, hacked parsley, some feta, seared eggplant, hummus twirled with harissa, rice or rice pilaf. You can make the white sauce that customarily joins it by cutting plain yogurt with mayonnaise and lemon squeeze, and flecking it with garlic. For a red to counterbalance it, stew ketchup with red pepper pieces and a hit of red-wine vinegar until it goes sweet and thick, or simply utilize your number one hot sauce all things being equal. INGREDIENTS   2 lemons, juiced ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil 6 cloves garlic, peeled, smashed and minced 1 teaspoon kosher salt 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper 2 teaspoons ground cumin 2 teaspoons paprika ½ teaspoon turmeric  A pinch ground cinnamon  Red pepper...