Dinosaur Bone

What is Dinosaur Bone?

Dinosaur bones like other fossils have been preserved by replacement of the original organic material with a more resistant mineral, commonly silica (quartz). This replacement happens after the bones have been buried, commonly in a low to no-oxygen (anaerobic) environments such as marshes or stagnant lakes. Some of the organic material remains in the silicified fossil, which preserves the original structure of the bone.

This sample was a gift from Jack Sliemer from the Moss Rock Shop. The thin section is taken from a ~5" cross-section of the bone. He collected this sample many years ago on private land in the region nearby Dinosaur Monument in NW Colorado.  Unfortunately, the exact location or type of dinosaur is not known. Most likely the vertebrate fossil is from the Jurassic period, similar to the 150 mya fossil beds at Dinosaur Monument.

If you are lucky enough to stumble across a fossil, congratulations! However, please be aware of current laws pertaining to collection of fossils, particularly on public lands (federal or state). In general, special permits are required and are normally only for research purposes, especially vertebrates. If you are on public lands and find a fossil, the best thing to do is take pictures and a GPS location, then report the information to the park ranger or nearest office of the federal/state land. If on private land, permission from the owner is required. It's always best to leave it be :)