Students in the Paleontology Resource Management class at the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology are leading a push to preserve and protect the largest known concentration of Jurassic dinosaur bones in the world. The site includes dinosaurs like the Allosaurus, an older carnivorous cousin of the more famous T. rex, and the Stegosaurus, the plant-eating dinosaur with a spiked tail and bony finned back.
Cleveland Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry in central Utah is on federal Bureau of Land Management land. But the widespread array of Jurassic dinosaur fossils at the quarry are protected only by aging metal buildings, almost open to the elements. Without careful preservation, the resources on the site could be lost to erosion, or even theft and vandalism.
“This class gives real-world experience to Mines students to build up the skills they need in working with or for federal, tribal, state and local government agencies when it comes to identifying and preserving rare paleontological resources for future generations,” said Sally Shelton, associate director of the SD Mines Museum of Geology.
Paleontology students traveled to Utah and visited the site over their spring break...