Yep, It's A Dinosaur: Denver Museum Confirms Highlands Ranch Find

HIGHLANDS RANCH, CO ― Paleontologists from the Denver Museum of Nature & Science rushed to a construction site in Highlands Ranch Monday and confirmed the exciting news: A dinosaur "bone bed" had been discovered.

“It’s always exciting to get a call about possible fossils, and I can’t wait to share more details as we continue to dig,” said Dr. Tyler Lyson, curator of vertebrate paleontology at the museum in a statement. “Finds like this, while relatively rare, are a great reminder of how dynamic our planet is and how much more there is out there to discover.”

The fossils were discovered near Wind Crest, a retirement community.

A "limb bone and several ribs from a horned dinosaur" were the first fossils uncovered, the museum said Monday. Workers from Brinkmann Constructors found the bones and instantly stopped work, the museum said.

“This is a remarkable discovery that our team takes great pride in unearthing," said David Rahm, project director with Brinkmann in a statement.

The active construction site will be closed down for a couple days while experts determine the size of the bone bed.

“We are so grateful to Wind Crest and Brinkmann Constructors for allowing us the opportunity to evaluate this potentially important scientific find,” said George Sparks, president and CEO of the museum in a statement.

Lyson said the rock layers at the site where the fossils are embedded date from 66 to 68 million years ago.

The residents and employees at Wind Crest were also "thrilled to be part of such an incredible scientific discovery,” said Craig Erickson, executive director, in a statement.

The construction site is not open to the public, the museum said.