Wed Sep 18 14:38:00 UTC 2024: ## Dinosaur Fossils Found in BC Mountains May Reveal New Species
**Victoria, BC** – Paleontologists have made a significant discovery of dinosaur fossils in the remote Spatsizi Plateau Wilderness Park in northern British Columbia. The find, which includes teeth from Tyrannosaurus rex and Triceratops relatives and possibly even the actual species, could reveal entirely new species of dinosaurs.
The expedition, led by Victoria Arbour of the Royal B.C. Museum, uncovered over 90 fossils, including bones from a large duck-billed herbivore and the foot of a small meat-eating dinosaur potentially related to the velociraptor. The fossils, estimated to be 66-68 million years old, were found on a mountain over 2,000 meters above sea level.
“We are definitely thrilled about what we found,” said Arbour. “These could be examples of T. rex and Triceratops known from elsewhere in Canada and the U.S., or they could be entirely new species not yet known to science.”
The discovery is particularly exciting because the Sustut Basin area, where the fossils were found, is unlike any other fossil site in Canada. The dinosaurs lived among mountains that were once as high as the Himalayas, before being eroded by glaciation.
“Not only are we finding fossils in the mountains, but the dinosaurs we are finding were living among the mountains, too, which is really different compared to other fossil sites in North America,” said Arbour.
The team, which included researchers from the Royal B.C. Museum, the University of Victoria, and Auburn University, encountered challenging conditions during their 10-day expedition. They were limited in what they could bring and lived in small tents, relying on dehydrated food and granola bars.
Despite the difficulties, the team’s persistence paid off. They discovered a rich fossil field that could provide valuable insights into the lives of dinosaurs in British Columbia during the Cretaceous period.
“What we found [is] not super-glamorous — there are no intact skeletons,” said Arbour. “But the stories these pieces will tell will be pretty amazing.”
The museum will conduct extensive analysis and interpretation of the fossils over the next few years. The public will be able to observe the research process through viewing windows at the museum’s new collections facility in Colwood, set to open in 2026.
First Piper 