While many children only develop a fleeting interest in dinosaurs based on their experiences at museums and documentaries, Harrison Duran is among the ones who managed to turn his love for dinosaurs into something much bigger. In a 2019 university excavation, Duran helped unearth a Triceratops skull fragment from one of the richest fossil sites in the world, the Hell Creek Formation. The Hell Creek Formation is well-known for containing fossils of the last surviving dinosaurs prior to the mass extinction event 66 million years ago.According to Mayville State University, the discovery happened on 4 June 2019, only three days after the dig began. The fossil was later named “Alice” in honour of the landowner who allowed the excavation to take place, giving the discovery a personal dimension beyond its scientific importance.A discovery made within daysThe promptness of the finding adds much value to the narrative. Fossil digs usually require spending several weeks searching for fossils without any immediate results, yet this particular find was made almost instantly after the work began. The excavation was led by Michael Kjelland and his students during the excavation process at the Hell Creek formation of south-western North Dakota. According to the reports, this site produced a partial Triceratops skull, which turned out to be one of the best finds made there this year.What makes this story more appealing than a regular one about finding a valuable fossil is that this find did not occur accidentally on an excursion, but rather resulted from a planned scientific activity conducted at one of the most well-known fossil sites in North America.Why the Hell Creek Formation mattersThe Hell Creek Formation is well known for its dinosaur excavations. Extending throughout parts of North Dakota, Montana, South Dakota, and Wyoming, this formation preserves fossils from the late part of the Cretaceous Period. As per the North Dakota Geological Survey, at least 14 types of dinosaurs have been found within the Hell Creek area, among which the Triceratops is said to be the most common dinosaur discovered in the state.The geological formation is key to the context here. The very landscape has a long scientific past, and new findings from the Hell Creek Formation keep adding to our knowledge about the last days of dinosaurs before their extinction due to an asteroid strike.Triceratops is yet again highlighted by the North Dakota State Museum as one of the iconic dinosaurs of western North Dakota.
Image of Triceratops skull| Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons
More than a dramatic fossilIn addition to the fact that a Triceratops skull easily catches everyone’s eye due to the presence of distinctive horns and frills, scientists claim that such fossils are also highly valuable from a scientific perspective. For instance, a peer-reviewed article analysed more than 50 skulls of Triceratops and described how such fossils helped track evolution within the genus by studying changes in the skull.Another article discussed the changes in Triceratops’ skull anatomy at various developmental stages, illustrating the importance of such fossils for scientific purposes.These facts make these findings about the Duran fossil even more significant, since the discovered specimen belongs not only to one of the most interesting genera of dinosaurs, but also contributes to an extensive scientific corpus of data.A region known for exceptional preservationThe Hell Creek Formation has also been identified for its unusually high-quality fossil preservation. This is illustrated by other studies, detailing a hadrosaur from North Dakota, where the fossil contained soft tissue structures as well as organic materials. Given the reputation of Hell Creek as a site of rich geological and palaeontological discoveries, each excavation holds the potential to make valuable contributions to paleontology.In this sense, the discovery of the Triceratops skull goes beyond just being a personal memory of a student researcher.A childhood fascination that became field scienceAt its core, this story tells the tale of moving from childhood curiosity to true science engagement. The part of Duran in this exciting discovery seems relevant due to its connection to his experience: someone interested in dinosaurs as a kid, working in the same area where they existed before. Nonetheless, this find was the fruit of systematic work, organisation, and access to protected land for paleontologists. In particular, the help from Mayville State University and the land owner was instrumental here.As such, this story works on two levels. On the one hand, anyone can easily imagine a kid digging up a dinosaur skull in the North Dakota badlands. On the other hand, this story shows that paleontology is a much more patient practice requiring expertise.More than 65 million years since the last Triceratops walked across the territory of modern North America, one fossil found on the ground made a student’s dream come true.
