DENVER―August 30― The Denver Museum of Nature & Science announces that a second horn, a portion of the frill (the shield of bones behind the head), the beak at the front of the lower jaw, ribs and vertebrae of the Triceratops at the City of Thornton’s new Public Safety Facility have been uncovered. Museum scientists, staff and volunteers will continue to work alongside Saunders and City of Thornton representatives to excavate the dinosaur.

“We’ve had an incredible day out here,” said Joe Sertich, Denver Museum of Nature & Science curator of dinosaurs. “It’s looking like we have one of the more complete Triceratops skeletons ever found in the metro area.”

Work will continue over the next several days to expose all the bones. Plaster jackets will be placed around the bones to protect the bones while they are extracted from the ground. The bones will be transported to the Museum. There, the bones will be removed from the jackets and prepared to become part of the Museum’s permanent collections.

“I really have to credit the professionals working at the site that discovered the fossils,” Sertich said. “They knew they hit something important and started making calls right away. It’s an unusual circumstance that everyone will benefit from for years to come since we’re able to preserve these bones on behalf of the people of Thornton and Colorado.”

As early as Friday afternoon, guests of the Museum will be able to see some of the Triceratops bones collected from the Thornton site as volunteers work on their preparation in the paleontology lab within the Prehistoric Journey exhibition.

As work continues, the public is reminded that the excavation area is still an active construction site and will remain closed to visitors.

NOTE: Photos available. B-roll is available here.