July 16, 2019 – The Denver Museum of Nature & Science has concluded its excavation of Triceratops fossils at Wind Crest, a continuing care retirement community developed and managed by Erickson Living in Highlands Ranch.
“We ended the dig with the excavation of a nicely preserved vertebra. The rule of thumb is to dig one meter around the last unearthed fossil, and if no other fossils are found within that meter, it is unlikely any others will be recovered,” said Tyler Lyson, the Museum’s curator of vertebrate paleontology. “We again express our sincere gratitude to the staff and residents of the Wind Crest community and to Brinkmann Constructors for allowing us to excavate the fossils. Thank you especially to the Erickson Living team for donating the fossils to the Museum.”
The Museum received a call from a construction worker at the Highlands Ranch site in mid-May who thought he had found a fossil. Lyson and Natalie Toth, chief fossil preparator, went to the construction site and on May 20 confirmed that a dinosaur fossil had been unearthed. A limb bone and several ribs from what was believed to be a horned dinosaur were the first fossils uncovered. As more fossils were revealed, it was confirmed as Triceratops.
The Museum’s earth sciences team dug for several weeks as weather and ground conditions allowed. Construction continued at the site while the Museum team was excavating the fossils. Approximately 30 percent of the animal was uncovered. Because the fossils were discovered on private land owned by Erickson Living, it was their decision about what to do with them.
“The discovery and excavation of the Triceratops fossils on campus has been a thrilling experience for our residents and staff,” said Craig Erickson, executive director at Wind Crest. “It is our honor to donate these incredible artifacts to the Denver Museum of Nature & Science for further study. We are grateful to the Museum’s expert staff and the team at Brinkmann Constructors for their partnership in preserving this important part of Colorado history and sharing it with the greater community.”
“Our team’s attentiveness to site details during excavation led to this great treasure,” said Dave Rahm, Brinkmann Constructors project director. “We are all very proud and grateful to have been partners with the Denver Museum of Nature & Science and our client at Wind Crest on this lasting contribution to science and learning.”
Some of the Highlands Ranch fossils are on display in the Museum’s fossil preparation lab, located in the “Prehistoric Journey” exhibition, where volunteers clean and stabilize fossils before they are added to the Museum’s collection for future research and possible displays.
For more information, visit dmns.org/highlandsranchdinosaur.
About the Denver Museum of Nature & Science
The Denver Museum of Nature & Science is the Rocky Mountain Region’s leading resource for informal science education. Our mission is to be a catalyst and ignite the community’s passion for nature and science. The Museum offers a wide variety of engaging exhibitions, programs, activities and scientific research to inspire public appreciation and understanding of the wonders of Colorado, Earth and the universe. The Museum is located at 2001 Colorado Blvd., Denver, CO, 80205. Information: dmns.org or 303.370.6000. Many of the Museum’s educational programs and exhibits are made possible in part by the citizens of the seven-county metro area through the Scientific & Cultural Facilities District. The Museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. Connect with the Museum on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
About Wind Crest
Wind Crest, one of 20 continuing care retirement communities developed and managed by Erickson Living, is situated on a scenic 84-acre campus in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. The not-for-profit community of more than 1,300 residents and 600 employees is governed by its own board of directors, affiliated with National Senior Campuses, who provide independent financial and operational oversight of the community. Additional information can be found at WindCrestRetirement.com.
About Brinkmann Constructors
Brinkmann Constructors is a national employee-owned construction company with a passion for finding innovative opportunities to save clients time and money and heighten value at all stages of design and construction. The firm was founded in St. Louis in 1984 and established a Denver office in 2004, now located at 3800 Lewiston St., Suite 400, Aurora, CO 80011. Its commitment to creative, value-driven solutions is shared by a team of 240, including 75 employee-owners serving the Denver market. The firm has completed more than $5 billion of construction in multiple market sectors, including senior living, multifamily / student housing, warehouse / distribution, hospitality / entertainment, retail / mixed-use, healthcare, office, automotive and government / institutional. Connect at www.brinkmannconstructors.com.