Rare dinosaur fossils found in Maryland bone bed
BALTIMORE -- A bone bed with rare dinosaur fossils was discovered in Maryland in April, Prince George's County Parks and Recreation announced this week.
The discoveries were made at the Dinosaur Park in Laurel, which is owned by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission. There, the public can assist staff and be paleontologists for a day.
On on April 22, a Dinosaur Park paleontologist and volunteers found the largest theropod fossil in Eastern North America during a dig experience, the department said.
📣 BREAKING NEWS: We are thrilled to announce the incredible paleontological discovery at the Department of Parks and Recreation, Prince George's County Dinosaur Park. Our Paleontologist JP Hodnett has uncovered the largest therapod fossil discovered in Eastern North America 🦖 pic.twitter.com/9Onejdj1cd
— Parks & Recreation (@pgparks) July 12, 2023
More fossils found in the area elevated the park's classification from a fossil site to a bone bed. It's the first dinosaur bone bed discovered in Maryland since 1887, the department said.
"Finding a bonebed like this is a dream for many paleontologists as they can offer a wealth of information on the ancient environments that preserved the fossils and provide more details on the extinct animals that previously may have only been known from a handful of specimens," said JP Hodnett, the Dinosaur Park paleontologist who made the initial discovery.
The 3-foot-long shin bone found by Hodnett belonged to an animal estimated to be over 35 feet long, the department said. Theropods are a branch of the dinosaur family that contains carnivorous dinosaurs like the Tyrannosaurus Rex, but the the identification of the fossil is currently unknown.
Matthew Carrano, a paleontologist with the Smithsonian, emphasized the importance of the bone bed discovery.
"Dinosaur fossils are exceptionally rare in the eastern US, and among these only Maryland has produced dinosaurs from the Early Cretaceous Period," Carrano said. "Typically, only one or two bones are found at a time, so this new discovery of a bonebed of fossils is extremely important."
"It is certainly the most significant collection of dinosaur bones discovered along the eastern seaboard in the last hundred years," Carrano continued.
The fossils found will be excavated out of the field, cleaned, examined, and cataloged into the department's museum system, the department said.