New Dinosaur Bone Sites Near Tumbler Ridge


In late June, 2004, John and Maureen Schulting of Prince George took P.R.P.R.C. palaeontologists to a site where they had discovered what they thought were fossil dinosaur bones. The palaeontologists confirmed their find and identified the bone-bearing rocks as belonging to the Upper Cretaceous (Campanian-Maastrichtian) Wapiti Formation. While Wapiti Formation dinosaur bones are well known from Alberta, this was the first reported find of dinosaur bones from this formation in British Columbia, making it the second dinosaur bone-bearing formation in B.C.

 

Remnants of a large dinosaur bone from the Schulting's site.

 

Once the P.R.P.R.C. acquired a field vehicle additional Wapiti Formation sites were discovered leading to a series of bone finds including bones of British Columbia's first tyrannosaur and dromaeosaur as well as a hadrosaur jaw fragment. Over 100 bones and bone fragments were surface collected from a variety of Wapiti Formation sites. These bones are now reposited in the collections of the P.R.P.R.C. Excavations of Wapiti Formation sites are planned for the 2005 field season.

 

A complex bone from the Wapiti Formation.

 

P.R.P.R.C. palaeontologist Rich McCrea pedastaling a Wapiti Fm. bone.

 

The fossil bone is just about ready to be removed.

 

Hadrosaur jaw fragment showing part of the dental battery with several teeth.

 

A small theropod phalanx (toe bone) surface collected from the Wapiti Formation