Unusual skeleton of a predatory lizard found on the Jurassic Mile

A rare find of a prehistoric Allosaurus found along Wyoming’s famed Jurassic Mile has archaeologists delighted. The value of the excavation lies in the fact that the bones are mostly intact, with traces of trauma and even skin. The exhibit was already exhibited at the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis.

Paleontologists from the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis have discovered a unique item – a well-preserved leg of an Allosaurus, a type of large carnivorous dinosaur. They primarily lived in the western United States of America more than 150 million years ago during the late Jurassic period.

Scientists emphasize that the discovery of allosaurus bones is more than a pair of limbs. This discovery makes Jurassic Mile a unique place that continues to give gifts to science.

Archaeologists call the area Jurassic Mile because it’s where dinosaurs once chased prey through the mud and where some of the largest creatures that lived 150 million years ago lumbered across tropical floodplains.

“We’ve been excavating in this area since 2017,” said Laura Rooney, curator of paleontology at the Children’s Museum, “and we don’t think we’re stopping any time soon. It made us very happy all this time.”

Rooney helped find the bones of two sauropod dinosaurs that are now on display at the museum. In 2020, fossils of long-necked lizards were still being recovered from the rock.

“We never expected to find anything in these particular layers,” Rooney told Cowboy State Daily, “But when we pulled out one sample, we saw a glimpse of something darker in color, a little bit shiny. We told the excavators to stop and let us take a look.”

At this moment, the Allosaurus leg was found, parts of which were preserved in perfect condition. All the bones, from the thin toes to the long lower and upper limbs, were connected as they would have been when the dinosaur was alive, which paleontologists call articulation.

Paleontologists are happiest when they find articulated skeletons. Finding an intact dinosaur is a sign that its body was buried underground after death without much exposure to water, decomposition, or scavengers. Such findings also mean that the skin may be preserved. Several “dinosaur mummies” have been found in Wyoming with pieces of skin stretched over their bare bones.

“Some Allosaurus skin prints have been found before,” Rooney explains. “This helps expand our knowledge of the appearance of scales in different areas of the body of these dinosaurs.”

Paleontologist Joseph Frederickson believes small fossils from miles of the Jurassic could lead to major discoveries.

“This is a pretty special place where everything from the tiniest animals to the largest in the ecosystem of the past has been preserved. There are quite a lot of active projects and work going on,” Frederickson states.

Some small finds include fossils of small dinosaurs, lizard-like reptiles, plant prints and rare fish from the Late Jurassic period. They even found traces of other dinosaurs that walked around the area next to the fossilized remains of their deceased relatives.

The legs, tail, ribs, abdomen and neck of this Allosaurus are articulated and well preserved. But the question arises, where is the head? Rooney shared a secret:

“A fragment of the skull and neck of an Allosaurus is in our laboratory, but one rather noticeable part of it is missing – the muzzle. That’s our big plan for this summer, to find it in the Wyoming soil, but we know it’s out there somewhere.”

Paleontologists admit that summer in Wyoming is the best time of year. They dream of resuming their excavations in the summer of 2024. Scientists are not saying exactly where Jurassic Mile is located in order to protect the site from any looters or curious people. It is known to be located east of Yellowstone National Park.