Fifth Dinosaur Dig by Westminster College Researchers Results in One of Most Contiguous Triceratops Findings in the World

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Fulton, Mo. ‒ Oct. 21, 2024: Researchers from Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri, have uncovered more than 113 fossilized bones of a 66-million-year-old dinosaur, making “Shady” — as it is affectionately named — one of the most intact, contiguous Triceratops in the world.

Students in Westminster’s summer Geoscience Field Course, along with volunteers, have recovered fossils from the Triceratops each summer since Shady’s 3,000-pound, 7-foot-long skull was discovered in 2019.

Westminster’s initial discovery made national headlines in 2020, one year after a rancher in South Dakota’s Grand River National Grassland found something unusual while repairing a fence. The National Forest Service contacted David Schmidt, PhD, Associate Professor of Environmental Science and Staff Paleontologist at Westminster, who has a standing excavation permit with the organization and was already in the area for the College’s annual summer expedition.

Schmidt identified the object as the tip of a Triceratops horn but unfortunately had to delay excavation until the next summer because of the careful work required.

Each summer since 2020, the Westminster researchers have unearthed and studied numerous fossils, collaborating in recent years with the College’s Museum Studies Program.

In June, the group discovered 12 additional dinosaur fossils, including one of the largest bones in Shady’s body: the sacrum, which helps form the Triceratops’ hips.

Schmidt says that after unearthing the rest of Shady — named after the nearby town of Shadehill, South Dakota — he and others dream of someday erecting the Triceratops for display to the public.

“All along, the ultimate goal of recovering Shady has been for Westminster students to use the fossil specimens for undergraduate research, for practical experience and to gain skills needed for graduate school or wherever their career paths take them,” Schmidt explains. “Permanently displaying Shady after we complete this process is a dream for all of us. It will benefit both our students and the greater community for generations to come.”

ABOUT WESTMINSTER COLLEGE: Founded in 1851 and home of Winston Churchill’s “Iron Curtain” speech, Westminster College is ranked prestigiously by The Princeton Review as one of the “Best 150 colleges in the Midwest” for 2024. New graduates experience a more than 90% placement rate within six months of graduation, while Westminster alumni are in the top 16% nationwide for graduate earnings. The only National Liberal Arts college in Missouri, Westminster has long been recognized for its focus on educating and inspiring students to make an impact on the world around them. Find out more about Westminster College by visiting our website.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Sarah Backer at 573-220-9038 or Sarah.Backer@WCMO.edu.

The image above is a simulation of what Shady will look like after complete reconstruction. The unshaded bones represent those the Westminster team has recovered since 2019.