Jurassic-era fossils uncovered at popular Utah lake. ‘Right place at the right time’
“Extremely rare” fossils from the Jurassic period were uncovered at a popular Utah lake, park officials said.
Now, the discovery will provide a glimpse into 180 million years ago, the National Park Service said in an Oct. 6 news release.
Paleontologists found a tritylodontid bonebed, or “early herbivorous mammal-relatives from the Early Jurassic,” while looking at fossil track sites along Lake Powell in March, park officials said.
They were “in the right place at the right time” when they found the bones and teeth in the Navajo Sandstone within the Glen Canyon Group, officials said.
Water levels in the lake hadn’t risen yet from snowmelt, so paleontologists worked quickly to retrieve the bones and bone fragments before water filled the area, officials said.
They had 120 days.
Once the fossils are scanned, prepared and studied, they will become part of the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area museum collections, officials said.
More fossils were also discovered nearby at the Kayenta Formation, according to the release.
Lake Powell spans across Utah and Arizona.
This story was originally published October 6, 2023 at 6:20 PM with the headline "Jurassic-era fossils uncovered at popular Utah lake. ‘Right place at the right time’."
