Elementary school students in Thornton, Colo., select name for Triceratops found at nearby construction site

DENVER ― Oct. 11 ― In honor of National Fossil Day,the Denver Museum of Nature & Science and School District 27J announce that students from Brantner Elementary School in Thornton, Colo., have selected Tiny as the name for the Triceratops recently excavated from a City of Thornton construction site. 

“Our students, staff, and parents have all been watching this story develop right next door, and we’re ecstatic for the opportunity to name the dinosaur,” said Michele Saller, Brantner Elementary School principal. “This Triceratops is already a community icon, and we can’t wait to see what Tiny will help reveal about life in Thornton 66 million years ago.” 

On Aug. 28, the City of Thornton and the Museum confirmed that a Triceratops fossil had been  unearthed at the site for a new Public Safety Facility. An estimated 80 percent of the skull and at least 15 percent of the skeleton was recovered, making this the most complete Cretaceous Period fossil discovered in Colorado. The sand and rock encasing Tiny is now being cleaned in the publicly visible lab at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, a process that is expected to take at least one year.  

For videos, photos and more information, visit www.dmns.org/triceratops.