Students Name Triceratops Found At Construction Site 'Tiny'
THORNTON, Colo. (CBS4)- The rare triceratops fossil found at a construction site in Thornton has a name: Tiny. Students at Brantner Elementary School named the 66-million-year old dinosaur.
The crews were working to build a new public safety facility for the City of Thornton near 132nd and Quebec when all work came to an abrupt halt on Aug. 25. Construction workers gawked at what had been found.
Scientists with the Denver Museum of Nature and Science inspected the find and said the bones belonged to a triceratops, a rare one.
"They thought it was a bone, called out experts from the Denver Museum of Nature and Science and they say 'Most likely dinosaur bones, pretty certain,'" said Todd Barnes with the City of Thornton.
The triceratops is one of the last dinosaurs to walk the Earth. The find in Thornton is one of the most complete discoveries ever from that time.
"It's an iconic, popular dinosaur. Most kids know it -- with big horns over its eyes, a little nose horn and a shield on the back of its head," said DMNS Curator of Dinosaurs Dr. Joe Sertich.
The students at Brantner Elementary were given the honor of naming the dinosaur. That name was announced on Wednesday morning and it was "Tiny." Interesting choice for the largest Cretaceous find in Colorado.
CBS4 is a proud partner of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science on the Thornton triceratops discovery. Watch CBS4 News for exclusive stories from reporter Stan Bush and photojournalist Mark Neitro at the dig site and in the museum's lab.
