A total of 12 triceratops bones have been unearthed at , making the discovery a contender for the most complete Cretaceous-period dinosaur found in the Denver metro area.
The , a lower jaw beak, parts of the frill (the shield behind the dinosaur’s head), shoulder bones, vertebrae and ribs. As of Thursday afternoon, arms and legs had not been found, according to Denver Museum of Nature and Science curator of dinosaurs Joe Sertich.
A rib bone weighing 40 pounds was the first to be completely extracted, according to the museum. Sertich has described the Thornton triceratops as the size of a rhino, smaller than the fossils found in Montana and the Dakotas that show triceratops about the size of a medium elephant, Sertich said Thursday.
It’s uncommon to find full triceratops in the Denver area. A local paleontologist said most of the cretaceous-period fossils found in the region are plants.
The fossils were first discovered Aug. 25 as for police and fire on East 132 Avenue and Quebec Street.
Interested folks can check out some of the fossils through a window at the museum this weekend.
