Exceptional discoveries seem to require careful means, as several baby dinosaur bones were airlifted by the U.S. National Guard from New Mexico, to ensure its integrity and transportation to a museum.
- Researchers found the remains of a baby Pentaceratops, dated back over 70 million years ago
- Only 10 skulls of Pentaceratops have been found in the last 100 years
- The skull alone weighed around 4,500 pounds and required to be airlifted out
- It will be displayed on November 5th at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science
After a team of paleontologists discovered the remains of a baby Pentaceratops in the Bisti Wilderness in New Mexico, they’re found more than they would’ve thought possible. The site, known for many of its discoveries, provided with the first skeletal remains of a young Penteceratops.
Within the last century, only 10 skulls of have been found, and all of them have been from adult specimens. For the first time in history, paleontologists uncovered the remains of one of their young. It could provide with exceptional information about the plant-eating dinosaur that lived millions of years ago.
There have been differences noted in the past within the skulls of dinosaurs as they advance through their lives. It would prompt in-depth research on the 70 million year old skull of the baby Pentaceratops, that, for once, was found fully intact. It has been described as roughly the size of a hippo or rhino, which presented with issues of transportation.
For now, it’s uncertain how the young dinosaur met its end.
Due to the fact that the astounding find was in the middle of the jungle, the roads were not accessible by cars large enough to transport it. In fact, they required the aid of the National Guard. The skull, weighing around 4,500 pounds alone needed to be airlifted with the aid of two Blackhawk helicopters.
Furthermore, for safe keeping, it was wrapped in hundreds of pounds of plaster, to make sure nothing will happen to the fossilized remains. The body, however, has not yet been dug up, though another adult skull of a Pentaceratops was found not even 10 miles away. It will require additional transportation, and another mission that will involve the same helicopters.
The skulls have been transported to the museum for further studying. It would be undoubtedly interesting for paleontologists to conduct more research on the unique set of remains.
On November 5th, the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science will be displaying the skull of the baby Pentaceratops, from 5 to 7 P.M, local time. It will be an open exhibit, free for the public to see this amazing and one-of-a-kind find.
Image source: ctvnews.ca
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.