There is still time to take up The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Price Field Office invitation to interact with professional paleontologists who are at work in the Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry. This special opportunity for young scientists and their families began on Wednesday June 22 and will run through till Tuesday June 28. On site are two professors and students from University of Wisconson Oshkosh and Indiana University of Pennsylvania will be using state of the art super sleuthing techniques and old fashioned elbow grease to help unravel some of the unique dinosaur mysteries there.  They are trying to answer questions like “Why are so many dinosaur bones concentrated here?” and “How come so many of them predators and meat-eaters?”

Dr. Joseph Peterson and Dr. Jonathan Warnock are experts in “taphonomy,” a branch of paleontology that focuses on how organisms decay and become fossils.  They use clues gleaned from the bones and the sediments they are buried in to help paint a picture of what life was like for dinosaurs.  The public is invited to observe and ask questions of the students and their professors while they work.  The Quarry is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. and on Sundays from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.  There is a $5 per adult fee for admission to the site to help cover a portion of the operating costs.  The restrooms, buildings, and path to the covered quarry are wheelchair-accessible.

To get to the Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry from Price, drive south about 12 miles on State Highway 10.  Turn left onto State Highway 155, and follow the signs to Elmo for 5–6 miles.  Just east of Elmo, turn right onto a graded dirt road and follow the signs 12 miles through the Desert Lake Waterfowl Reserve and on to the Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry.  Maps are available at the BLM office in Price.  The road to the quarry is well marked, but there are a number of turns on the dirt road leading to the visitor center.

For a fun, but safe adventure, it’s always a good idea to make sure you have maps, water, food, proper clothing and let someone know where you are going when visiting the deserts of southern Utah.

For additional information about the Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry, please contact the BLM Price Field Office (435) 636-3600.  Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to leave a message or question for the above office.  The FIRS is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  Replies are provided during normal business hours.

 

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