Stanford and David Weishampel, a Johns Hopkins University paleontologist, are also planning to publish a journal paper on a new genus and species of nodosaur, which was an armored, plant-eating dino. "The nodosaur was just a hatchling," Stanford said. "We can see that a lot of nesting was taking place in Maryland during the Cretaceous. I even have tracks showing babies possibly following adults." Analysis of the region's geology indicates that during that dinosaur era, fresh water sources and plant life would have been plentiful. Stanford has excavated fossilized pollen for ancient plants, along with fossilized wood for a large, now-extinct fern tree similar to today's cycads. He described it as having looked like "an immense pineapple plant." Matthew Carrano, Curator of Dinosauria at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, indicated to Discovery News that the museum is interested in sharing Stanford's work with the public. "Currently I have proposed a small exhibit here at the Smithsonian, focused on local dinosaur discoveries, that would feature some of Stanford's new discoveries," Carrano said, adding that the proposal is currently under consideration. While other dinosaur tracks are on exhibit at various U.S. museums, Carrano suggested they can be tricky to show, given their subtleties, so special slanting light would be used to highlight the footprints. Given the proximity of the recent discoveries to the nation's capital, it is even possible that evidence for dinosaurs rests at, or near, the Smithsonian and other D.C. landmarks. "I've seen likely traces from a distance," eagle-eyed Stanford said. "I'm confident I could find dinosaurs in D.C."
Jennifer Viegas' blog on "A Dinosaur Footprint Hunter's Guidebook" Smithsonian Museum of Natural History |
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