Dinosaur National Monument protects a large deposit of fossil dinosaur
bones--remains of the so-called "terrible lizards" that lived millions
of years ago. The dinosaurs weren't really lizards, and most of them
weren't even terrible. But some of the first dinosaur fossils ever found
were huge bones and teeth, very lizard-like except for their size, and
so the idea of monstrous lizards was born. Today, many ideas about
dinosaurs are changing, and the fossils at Dinosaur National Monument
continue to help us learn more about these fascinating animals.
The fossils that give the monument its
name were discovered in 1909 by Earl Douglass. He was a
paleontologist (a scientist who studies prehistoric life) who worked
for the Carnegie Museum of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Douglass knew
that some of the rocks in northeastern Utah were the same kind that
had produced dinosaur skeletons elsewhere, so he went there hoping
to find more bones for the museum. In fact, he found thousands of
them, and spent many years digging them up and shipping them to
Pittsburgh, where many skeletons are now on display. President
Woodrow Wilson heard about the great dinosaur quarry that Douglass
had started, and proclaimed the site as Dinosaur National Monument
in 1915. Years later, the National Park Service began to develop the
quarry as it is today. The rock layer containing the fossil bones
forms one wall of the Quarry Visitor Center. On this wall,
paleontologists have carefully chiped away the rock to uncover the bones and leave them in
place. More than 1500 fossil bones can now be seen in this unusual
exhibit.
There
are several hiking trails that will let you experience the parks 210,000
acres. These trails will take you through some of the most rugged and
some of the most beautiful canyon country in the west.
Camping at Dinosaur National Monument is on
a first come first serve basis. For more details click
here.
