We never stop learning. While in Colorado this summer I happend upon Dinosaur Ridge in Morrison Colorado. I knew there were some dinosaur sites in Colorado. Years ago, I accompanied a friend of mine on a dig at fossil butte national monument in Wyoming, but this was my first in Colorado. A while back, apparently some construction workers were lying a road down and unearthed some of the best specimens of dinosaur fossils.
We focus heavily on the fossil record in grade 6 science so it was invigorating to see some relevant examples in the field. There were many trace fossils (fossils that were imprints of things) and also casts (which were molds that were filled in with Iron oxide mineral deposits giving them a darker color than the surrounding rock). The surrounding rock was sandstone with a mix of conglomerate.
Having what I felt was some decent foundational knowledge and understanding about fossils, I was astounded at all the new things I learned on the tour. Our guide was an ambitious paleontologist who wanted nothing more than to share the interesting history of the region with us and the fossils history. It reminds me that we must all be explorers even in the summer months. Who knows what you’ll find?
