Did you know that:
- The beehive on the shield in Utah's State Flag is a symbol of hard work and industry?
- That in 1847 the Mormons came to Utah.
- That in 1896, Utah became the 45th State.
- That in July, 2015, Allan & Sri came to Utah on their covered wagon named Gertrude to tour the wonders of Utah's landscape?
- That they found real Dinosaur fossils of the Morrison era still embedded in the rock face? They did........
Up to now, we have only seen Dinosaur skeletons in Natural Science Museums... What an exciting surprise when, checking our map to find the most scenic route from Jackson, WY to Moab, UT (where Arches and Canyonland Nat'l Parks are located), we discovered this tiny spot on the map called DINOSAUR NATIONAL MONUMENT...
The geeks we are, we had to find out what this place is all about.... Come to find out, this National Park stretches over both Utah & Colorado and is a place where paleontologists have found the most concentrated fossilized bones of Dinosaurs from the Morrison Era. Paleontologists have collected fossils from 400 different dinosaurs and there still remains over 1,500 fossils from 100 individual dinosaurs right here on this spot. There was a logjam of fossils. There are so many skeletal remains, that they named this spot the Dinosaur Quarry.
The most fantastic part about this park is that some scientist (forgot his name) convinced the powers to be that the best way to teach the masses about these Dinosaurs is to leave some of the fossils embedded in the rock face of the quarry where many skeletal remains were washed ashore by ancient rivers. We also went on a Discovery Hike, and found real life (well, petrified) skeletal remains out in the rocks. And to top this, we also found some petroglyphs....... We were so excited.....
I know....NERDS! :-) But you gotta see these pics, there was also some bones that we can actually touch & feel! Cool huh.
The geeks we are, we had to find out what this place is all about.... Come to find out, this National Park stretches over both Utah & Colorado and is a place where paleontologists have found the most concentrated fossilized bones of Dinosaurs from the Morrison Era. Paleontologists have collected fossils from 400 different dinosaurs and there still remains over 1,500 fossils from 100 individual dinosaurs right here on this spot. There was a logjam of fossils. There are so many skeletal remains, that they named this spot the Dinosaur Quarry.
The most fantastic part about this park is that some scientist (forgot his name) convinced the powers to be that the best way to teach the masses about these Dinosaurs is to leave some of the fossils embedded in the rock face of the quarry where many skeletal remains were washed ashore by ancient rivers. We also went on a Discovery Hike, and found real life (well, petrified) skeletal remains out in the rocks. And to top this, we also found some petroglyphs....... We were so excited.....
I know....NERDS! :-) But you gotta see these pics, there was also some bones that we can actually touch & feel! Cool huh.
Why, do you ask were there sooo many skeletal remains found here?