This summer, a group of WSU faculty, alums and students discovered two rare dinosaur teeth that will be on display for the first time from 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 12, in the Science Lab Center Atrium in celebration of National Fossil Day.
The first is a tooth is of a Dakotaraptor, a 5-meter-long feathered meat-eating dinosaur. The second is a tooth of Tyrannosaurus, the 12-meter-long king of the dinosaurs. The Tyrannosaurus tooth was found along with a partial Triceratops skeleton and may be from a juvenile animal.
This discovery is part of the work being conducted by Hell Creek Fossils, a company owned and operated by WSU alums in western North Dakota. Part of Hell Creek Fossils’ mission is to provide research opportunities to undergraduate students interested in paleontology, paleoecology and dinosaurs.
National Fossil Day was established by the National Park Service in 2010 to promote public awareness and stewardship of fossils, as well as to foster a greater appreciation of their scientific and educational values. This nationwide celebration includes over 270 partners, including museums, universities, institutions, organizations and other groups joining together to celebrate fossils.
For more information, contact W. Lee Beatty at wbeatty@winona.edu.
