New carnivorous dinosaur discovered in suburban Laurel, Maryland
Deborah Painter (USA) Dinosaur fossils in the United States are mainly associated with the Mesozoic era age sedimentary rocks of the western states of Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico. East of the Mississippi River, their fossils are scarcer, although they definitely exist. There is Mesozoic age surficial bedrock in many east coast states. However, other than the occasional find in Maryland, North Carolina, Alabama and New Jersey, and trackways in Connecticut and in Virginia, dinosaur and other vertebrate land dwellers are not commonly found. April of 2023 was the month that Maryland became known as a better source for fossil dinosaurs. The Dinosaur Park’s fossil rich deposits are now classified as a bonebed, according to Prince George’s County Department of Parks and Recreation in a 12 July 2023 press conference at the Park (Fig. 1). The first Acrocanthosaurus fossil to be found in Maryland since 1887, was unearthed by J P Hodnett, the Palaeontologists and Program Coordinator for the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission’s Department of Parks and Recreation. Fig. 1. J P Hodnett (centre, standing beside fossil on pallet and fossil awaiting preparation) gives some background on the April 2023 find during the press conference. (Credits: Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, Department of Parks and Recreation, Prince George’s County.) Hodnett stated to the press: Most palaeontologists have to travel across the country or go overseas to find something like this, so having this rare find so close to home is fantastic!” Hodnett classified the 0.91m … Read More