Possible new dinosaur species discovered at dig site near Arches National Park

MOAB — A dinosaur excavation site north of Arches National Park may have revealed something scientists have never seen before.

The Utah Geological Survey said fossils found at the site appear to belong to a previously unknown species of armored dinosaur dating to roughly 140 million years ago.

The discovery comes from a newly opened excavation site known as the Ironstone Bonebed.

"We already know we have four different kinds of dinosaurs here. We have barely scratched it," said Utah state paleontologist Jim Kirkland, who is leading the dig site.

The site could also help scientists better understand what happened following a major extinction event at the end of the Jurassic period, when many of the dinosaurs that once roamed Utah disappeared.

Don DeBlieux, Utah's assistant state paleontologist, said the location of the fossils within the geological layers makes the site particularly significant.

"It's just on top of the Morrison Formation, so we thought these are some of the oldest sites in the whole Cretaceous of North America," said DeBlieux. "Some of these sites probably have hundreds of thousands of bones buried in them."

Kirkland believes the excavation could keep paleontologists busy for years.

"This whole slope here, there's all this stuff under us, pristine. It'll be decades of work on this individual site," he said.

While the potential discovery of a new armored dinosaur species is still being studied, Kirkland is working to scientifically describe and name the dinosaur.

His proposed name carries a special meaning. Kirkland is hoping to name the dinosaur in honor of DeBlieux, his longtime colleague and friend, who is retiring from his state position at the end of the year.

The two have worked together for 25 years, spending countless days excavating fossils throughout Utah.

"It's been an amazing partnership. I estimate that Jim and I have now spent somewhere between 3 1/2 and four years in the field, camped out together," said DeBlieux. "We have a pretty fun relationship. Like brothers, essentially."

Kirkland agrees.

"We know each other, and we know our strengths and we know our weaknesses. We're like Laurel and Hardy — we're a pretty famous duo in this profession," Kirkland joked.

For a man who has spent much of his career uncovering dinosaurs from millions of years ago, the latest discovery could become a lasting tribute.