The legs of an Allosaurus found in Wyoming's Jurassic Mile are on display at The Children's Museum of Indianapolis. (Cowboy State Daily Staff)
Cowboy State Daily has a story about the discovery of an Allosaurs. Paleontologists from the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis have been digging in the Jurassic Mile near Shell, WY since 2017. Back in 2020, while clearing overburden from a quarry that had bones from two giant long-necked sauropods, they discovered a chunk of dinosaur bone which turned out to be articulated legs and feet from an Allosaurus. As they dug deeper, they found even more of the dinosaur. The bones are being prepared in the museum back in Indianapolis.
Everyone gets excited about a new dinosaur skeleton, but paleontologists are most excited when they find articulated skeletons. Finding an intact dinosaur is a sign its body was buried quickly after it died without much dismemberment from water, decay or scavengers.
Articulated skeletons also mean a chance of preserved skin. Several “dinosaur mummies” with skin impressions stretched across their bare bones like a giant reptilian zombie have been found in Wyoming.
The Jurassic Mile’s Allosaurus is showing a lot of skin in areas where impressions have never been found before. Rooney said they’ve identified skin impressions around the legs, but also the hips, chest and neck of their Allosaurus.
