Watch CBS News

Tibia and fibula of a longneck sauropod dinosaur discovered in southern Colorado

Tibia and fibula of a longneck sauropod dinosaur discovered in southern Colorado
Tibia and fibula of a longneck sauropod dinosaur discovered in southern Colorado 00:56

An excavation team in southern Colorado has unearthed two dinosaur fossils. They belong to a longneck sauropod dinosaur, according to the Royal Gorge Regional Museum & History Center in Cañon City.

The museum will be presenting the fossils to the public later this month. It shared the news this week in a Facebook post explaining that the bones are a tibia and a fibula. The discovery was originally made by someone who "stumbled on" one of the fossils and reported the find to the Bureau of Land Management. So far it hasn't been revealed exactly where the bones were found but it is presumably in Fremont County.

discovery1.jpg
Royal Gorge Regional Museum & History Center

Sauropods are plant-eating, four-legged dinosaurs with long necks and tails.

Mamenchisaurus Dinosaur Eating
Getty Images/iStockphoto

The excavation team was put together by the museum, the BLM and the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.

After the fossils are revealed to the public on Jan. 21, museum staff and members of the Western Interior Paleontological Society will be working to prepare and preserve them in the museum's program room. Visitors to the museum will be able to "observe our trained volunteers in action prepping the fossils."

Get more information about the museum at their website museum.canoncity.org if you're planning a visit to see the fossils.

The Museum & History Center is excited to present two new fossils starting with a grand fossil reveal on Saturday,...

Posted by Royal Gorge Regional Museum & History Center on Thursday, January 12, 2023
View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.